No One Gets Out Alive by Adam Nevill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I received a copy of No One Gets Out Alive from the publisher in return for an honest review.
The main character Stephanie is really put through the ringer in this tale. No steady job, short on cash and struggling to make ends meet, she finds herself renting a room in what turns out to be the house from hell on Edgware Road. I loved how her character developed and how much stronger she became throughout the first half of the story but some of her decisions frustrated me. I understand why she made the choices she did in order for the story to progress, but I didn't like how easy she fell into the role of being the female victim. I would have liked to have seen her start to stick up for herself sooner because it felt like it dragged on for a bit too long.
It's been a while since I have read a book and felt so totally disgusted by characters within the story. Fergal is such a disgusting human being, the way the author built and described his character, was so well done that my stomach was literally turning every time he made an appearance.
Knacker sounds like the landlord from hell. I must admit I found his voice really irritating at first but it grew on me. Not in the I like his character way, more of a love to hate way and I found myself wanting to not only kick his arse but to mimic his attitude back to him. He's a bully, he plays a game of intimidation and fear while pretending to have your best interests in mind, but I got the feeling that it's a front and turning his own personality back on him would have gotten under his skin.
The book is split into two parts. The first half being all about Stephanie's stay in Edgware Road and the horrors, both paranormal and physical, she experiences while living there. The second part moves onto her life after she escapes and how she copes with what she went through.
I did have trouble getting into the second half of the story. The jump from her experience in the house to her story afterwards was so different. It felt at first like I had started another book. Although it was a continuation of her story, it was written so differently. It wasn't as full on as the first half but as the story progressed and things started happening, I found myself enjoying it a lot more.
No One Gets Out Alive is the first novel by Adam Nevill I have read. It's dark, it's disturbing and at times nail bitingly terrifying. It touches on both the horror of the paranormal and the cruel human side of horror. I will definitely be reading more of this authors work.
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