A bit gruesome for me, but I loved the underlying philosophy. There were also enough psychological layers that I want to reread it to catch them all from the beginning. A killer who may (this is a guess on my part) be slowly coming to terms with the early-childhood trauma that motivates his fury. A deeply troubled policeman fighting to maintain some shred of hope for humanity. A college guy coming into his own and beginning to understand how the same anxieties that cause common personality deficiencies in he and his friends might be the same ones driving the psychotic tendencies of the killer, differing only in magnitude (again, my interpretation, but I'm not all that smart).
I love how the plot descends into darkness to follow the onset of the Pacific Northwest winter. I also think elements of the story are a metaphor for life, and of our willingness to do horrible things out of a desire to keep living. I think that's really the main theme of the story. It's also really nice to see a mystery/thriller without the usual formulaic/chiched plot and flat characters. That being said, this won't be for everyone (like people who prefer simple, quick reads). And I could have done with a little less of the college guy antics, though I think that's just a matter of personal taste (that is, I'm over that phase of my own life), and I think some of it was needed to flesh out the characters. In that respect, it worked to hook my interest in them. They each reminded me, to varying degrees, of people I knew at that age. That definitely helped me relate.
What else can I say? I agree with other reviewers that the story is deep and definitely thought provoking. Deep is a good word for it. And whether or not this book is your taste, I sincerely believe we'd all be better for considering some of the ideas presented. Especially about our fear of death. You see similar ideas in the Harry Potter books, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and some of Woody Allen's writings and film. I found myself Googling the names of some of the philosophers they talk about in class (in the story).
Finally, the setting descriptions were done really well. I've spent time in the Pacific Northwest, so I can picture exactly what the anonymous author describes. It really took me back. And the opening chapter really does a good job of putting you in the scene.
Talk amongst yourselves.
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