Official Review: The Check Out by Richard A. Lester
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Official Review: The Check Out by Richard A. Lester
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Check Out" by Richard A Lester.]
As a fan of the horror/thriller genre, I was really looking forward to delving into The Check Out by Richard A. Lester. However, this book definitely did not meet my expectations as a book of this genre. In fact, I think the silly horror films that have been produced qualify more as true horror stories than this did.
Based around a failing grocery store – The MegaSaver – the owner and the employees are trying to pull their lives together. The owner, Larry, is stuck in a marriage he doesn’t want and is at risk of losing his store due to low financial reports. Maxine, one of Larry’s favourited employees in the book, is poor and unable to pay most of her bills. She also deals with her constant thoughts of racism against her. Terrence is the co-manager of the MegaSaver and deals with his criminal past throughout the book and how he’d like to keep it behind him. Brad, a simple employee, is dealing with addiction and a promise to his wife to quit. Finally, there’s Leonard. He’s an old man who’s just looking for a job in a grocery store because he and his wife used to own one before she died. Each of these characters is obviously in a pickle as they deal with the store bringing in $10,000 for a giveaway. They all play a role in the problems that occur with this large amount of money. However, it isn’t until the story is ending that you find out exactly what their thoughts and plans cause.
I had a lot of problems with this book. It was an easy read, but it just failed to really capture my attention. I felt I could put it down and not have a problem never picking it up again. I just didn’t find it suspenseful the way you should a book placed in the horror/thriller-like genre. Also, the only character that really truly felt real to me was Leonard. This isn’t saying much for the book since all of the other characters played a much bigger role than Leonard did.
There were only a handful of things that excited me throughout the book. One was finding out how each character was related to each other. The other thing was the format of the book. I did love how each chapter alternated between all of the perspectives. I like when books do this as it creates an interesting atmosphere in the book.
Overall, I give this book 2 out of 4 stars. I just wasn’t extremely excited by this book and while it was bearable, it’s not a book I’d openly recommend to anyone. The horror/thriller sense of it just didn’t hit me until the final chapters; I don’t think that’s how a book in this genre should work.
***
Buy "The Check Out" on Amazon
As a fan of the horror/thriller genre, I was really looking forward to delving into The Check Out by Richard A. Lester. However, this book definitely did not meet my expectations as a book of this genre. In fact, I think the silly horror films that have been produced qualify more as true horror stories than this did.
Based around a failing grocery store – The MegaSaver – the owner and the employees are trying to pull their lives together. The owner, Larry, is stuck in a marriage he doesn’t want and is at risk of losing his store due to low financial reports. Maxine, one of Larry’s favourited employees in the book, is poor and unable to pay most of her bills. She also deals with her constant thoughts of racism against her. Terrence is the co-manager of the MegaSaver and deals with his criminal past throughout the book and how he’d like to keep it behind him. Brad, a simple employee, is dealing with addiction and a promise to his wife to quit. Finally, there’s Leonard. He’s an old man who’s just looking for a job in a grocery store because he and his wife used to own one before she died. Each of these characters is obviously in a pickle as they deal with the store bringing in $10,000 for a giveaway. They all play a role in the problems that occur with this large amount of money. However, it isn’t until the story is ending that you find out exactly what their thoughts and plans cause.
I had a lot of problems with this book. It was an easy read, but it just failed to really capture my attention. I felt I could put it down and not have a problem never picking it up again. I just didn’t find it suspenseful the way you should a book placed in the horror/thriller-like genre. Also, the only character that really truly felt real to me was Leonard. This isn’t saying much for the book since all of the other characters played a much bigger role than Leonard did.
There were only a handful of things that excited me throughout the book. One was finding out how each character was related to each other. The other thing was the format of the book. I did love how each chapter alternated between all of the perspectives. I like when books do this as it creates an interesting atmosphere in the book.
Overall, I give this book 2 out of 4 stars. I just wasn’t extremely excited by this book and while it was bearable, it’s not a book I’d openly recommend to anyone. The horror/thriller sense of it just didn’t hit me until the final chapters; I don’t think that’s how a book in this genre should work.
***
Buy "The Check Out" on Amazon
Latest Review: "The Bonding" by Imogen Keeper
