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Interesting read, though the supporting characters weren't completely fleshed out. The love story was a bit of a stretch. The main character, Sonny, made the book, as a very smart, empathy-inducing Robin Hood type, despite his agenda.
A fantastic book like all Nesbø books although a bit more predictable than some of the others. Love the characters.
Listened to this during a road trip. It was a little slow at times, but the twists and turns kept us engaged for the whole 21 hour drive.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
For more reviews, check out my blog: https://bookishvillainy.wordpress.com/2018/11/18/review-the-son-by-jo-nesbo/
Ah... revenge stories. I would hardly be the only one who finds them fascinating; I suppose we only have to look at the still popular The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, for instance. We all know killing is wrong and holding grudges or wishing bad people ill are hardly the most elegant personality traits. Still, watching a wronged person go about killing his enemies can be incredibly satisfying.
The Son is definitely a revenge story. Rotting away in prison, Sonny doesn't have much to live for beyond getting his next heroine fix. He's a model prisoner; he's quiet, he doesn't cause any problems in prison, and he listens to the confessions of his fellow inmates. He even takes the blame for various crimes in return for heroin. When he was young, his father has committed suicide after he was revealed to be a corrupt cop. However, when one prisoner's confession exposes the lie that Sonny has been told all his life: his father didn't commit suicide, he was betrayed and killed! The normally passive Sonny decides to break out of prison to take revenge.
Of course, discovering the truth behind the murder of his father and those responsible is not very straightforward. The identity of the mole who betrayed his father is a mystery that's never been solved.
What's interesting about this thriller, is that none of the scenes are written from Sonny's perspective. The point of view switches a lot, varying from aforementioned fellow inmate who confesses, to an involved cop, to bystanders, to Sonny's soon-to-be victims. This adds mystery and unpredictability to Sonny's character, as you don't know what he's thinking, or even what he's planning to do next. Rather than getting into his head, you're merely an outside observer. Though this risks creating too much distance, you do find yourself sympathizing with Sonny and rooting for him. Props to Nesbø for pulling this off!
There is also a second major protagonist: Simon Kefas. He's a cop who attempts to track Sonny down to protect him against the inevitable consequences of Sonny's actions. Sonny's father was none other than Simon's best friend and partner, after all, so he feels responsible to keep him safe. Despite the fact that Simon has good intentions, his perspective does reveal that he has his flaws. He's a very likable character despite, or maybe even because of, his weaknesses.
Unfortunately, this also brings me to an issue I had with this book. Simon is indeed a flawed character, but it's difficult to find any true faults with Sonny (other than his revenge quest, that is). I suppose this is a side effect of his character being viewed through the lens of other people, who either admire or fear him. Another side effect is that Sonny seems to pull off his revenge quest a little too easily. He not only manages to track down the people responsible for his father's death while being previously ignorant of it being anything else than suicide, he also succeeds in evading capture by both the authorities and the criminals that hunt him. I get that Sonny is very smart, but it's always a shame to require some suspension of disbelief in regards to the capabilities of the main character. I also felt that the romance wasn't interesting, even though it does give Sonny another purpose beyond taking revenge, which is at least nice.
Still, this was a very engaging thriller that kept me reading because I wanted to know the identity of the mole and what Sonny would do next! It was also satisfying to watch Sonny take his revenge, which, in the end, is the whole point of a revenge story.
Ah... revenge stories. I would hardly be the only one who finds them fascinating; I suppose we only have to look at the still popular The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, for instance. We all know killing is wrong and holding grudges or wishing bad people ill are hardly the most elegant personality traits. Still, watching a wronged person go about killing his enemies can be incredibly satisfying.
The Son is definitely a revenge story. Rotting away in prison, Sonny doesn't have much to live for beyond getting his next heroine fix. He's a model prisoner; he's quiet, he doesn't cause any problems in prison, and he listens to the confessions of his fellow inmates. He even takes the blame for various crimes in return for heroin. When he was young, his father has committed suicide after he was revealed to be a corrupt cop. However, when one prisoner's confession exposes the lie that Sonny has been told all his life: his father didn't commit suicide, he was betrayed and killed! The normally passive Sonny decides to break out of prison to take revenge.
Of course, discovering the truth behind the murder of his father and those responsible is not very straightforward. The identity of the mole who betrayed his father is a mystery that's never been solved.
What's interesting about this thriller, is that none of the scenes are written from Sonny's perspective. The point of view switches a lot, varying from aforementioned fellow inmate who confesses, to an involved cop, to bystanders, to Sonny's soon-to-be victims. This adds mystery and unpredictability to Sonny's character, as you don't know what he's thinking, or even what he's planning to do next. Rather than getting into his head, you're merely an outside observer. Though this risks creating too much distance, you do find yourself sympathizing with Sonny and rooting for him. Props to Nesbø for pulling this off!
There is also a second major protagonist: Simon Kefas. He's a cop who attempts to track Sonny down to protect him against the inevitable consequences of Sonny's actions. Sonny's father was none other than Simon's best friend and partner, after all, so he feels responsible to keep him safe. Despite the fact that Simon has good intentions, his perspective does reveal that he has his flaws. He's a very likable character despite, or maybe even because of, his weaknesses.
Unfortunately, this also brings me to an issue I had with this book. Simon is indeed a flawed character, but it's difficult to find any true faults with Sonny (other than his revenge quest, that is). I suppose this is a side effect of his character being viewed through the lens of other people, who either admire or fear him. Another side effect is that Sonny seems to pull off his revenge quest a little too easily. He not only manages to track down the people responsible for his father's death while being previously ignorant of it being anything else than suicide, he also succeeds in evading capture by both the authorities and the criminals that hunt him. I get that Sonny is very smart, but it's always a shame to require some suspension of disbelief in regards to the capabilities of the main character. I also felt that the romance wasn't interesting, even though it does give Sonny another purpose beyond taking revenge, which is at least nice.
Still, this was a very engaging thriller that kept me reading because I wanted to know the identity of the mole and what Sonny would do next! It was also satisfying to watch Sonny take his revenge, which, in the end, is the whole point of a revenge story.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really enjoyed this book. I'd previously read some of the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo but.not any of his stand alone books - will keep an eye out for more now.