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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So how painful does the premise for Force of Nature sound? Going on a corporate retreat with four of your coworkers from all ranks of the company and having to survive out in a vast forest for three days with no phones and just the packs on your back? Not only a forest, but one where twenty years earlier, a serial killer was on the loose?
No thank you.
But as painful as the scenario sounds, it’s a fantastic set-up for Harper’s newest novel. And when only 4 of the 5 coworkers emerge from the woods, its’ almost like a game of Clue trying to figure out what happened. It’s genius because the reader is learning about the characters in the book as the characters in the book are learning about each other. Although, as the book progresses, there are definitely things that we are privy to that the characters are not.
It’s a page-turning, connect-the-dots, whodunit that I found to be a deeply satisfying read. We all wear masks in life, to cover up who we really are. But that is especially true at work when we are trying to appear as normal and professional as we can. Because we need to impress the people we work with. Harper peels back the mask on each and every character throughout the book. And everyone is hiding some kind of heartbreak, malice or scandal.
I also have to admit that after reading The Dry and Force of Nature, I feel a bit duped. See, I’m not a big fan of series books. I just find them to be a little formulaic. So I went into Force of Nature, not even realizing it is in the same series as The Dry. And guess what? I was super excited to see Aaron Falk again. He is a super normal, relatable and likeable guy. And besides his and his partner, Carmen’s presence, there wasn’t a single formulaic similarity between the books (that I could tell.)
I highly recommend Jane Harper’s books. She’s the real deal!
No thank you.
But as painful as the scenario sounds, it’s a fantastic set-up for Harper’s newest novel. And when only 4 of the 5 coworkers emerge from the woods, its’ almost like a game of Clue trying to figure out what happened. It’s genius because the reader is learning about the characters in the book as the characters in the book are learning about each other. Although, as the book progresses, there are definitely things that we are privy to that the characters are not.
It’s a page-turning, connect-the-dots, whodunit that I found to be a deeply satisfying read. We all wear masks in life, to cover up who we really are. But that is especially true at work when we are trying to appear as normal and professional as we can. Because we need to impress the people we work with. Harper peels back the mask on each and every character throughout the book. And everyone is hiding some kind of heartbreak, malice or scandal.
I also have to admit that after reading The Dry and Force of Nature, I feel a bit duped. See, I’m not a big fan of series books. I just find them to be a little formulaic. So I went into Force of Nature, not even realizing it is in the same series as The Dry. And guess what? I was super excited to see Aaron Falk again. He is a super normal, relatable and likeable guy. And besides his and his partner, Carmen’s presence, there wasn’t a single formulaic similarity between the books (that I could tell.)
I highly recommend Jane Harper’s books. She’s the real deal!
A big fan of The Dry I really hoped that Force of Nature would live up to my expectations. I was not disappointed and devoured it within a weekend.
Tense and yet tender at times, Harper knows how to keep her readers fully engaged. There's another mystery to be unravelled, this time a missing hiker with a great backstory.
But Harpers novel is more than just a thriller. It explores the complexities of family, in particular parent and child relationships. It shrewdly examines them, using Falks partner Carmen as an instrument to examining the way our views on our parents can be blinkered.
All the characters were vividly painted and recognisable personas we've all encountered in everyday life. Yet Harper managed to avoid cliche and the emotions they sparked felt genuine rather than sentimental.
I particularly enjoyed getting to know Falks better. He's fast becoming my favourite "detective".
But whilst I really enjoyed the characters, its the plot with its twists and turns and red herrings that really keeps me turning the pages.
Tense and yet tender at times, Harper knows how to keep her readers fully engaged. There's another mystery to be unravelled, this time a missing hiker with a great backstory.
But Harpers novel is more than just a thriller. It explores the complexities of family, in particular parent and child relationships. It shrewdly examines them, using Falks partner Carmen as an instrument to examining the way our views on our parents can be blinkered.
All the characters were vividly painted and recognisable personas we've all encountered in everyday life. Yet Harper managed to avoid cliche and the emotions they sparked felt genuine rather than sentimental.
I particularly enjoyed getting to know Falks better. He's fast becoming my favourite "detective".
But whilst I really enjoyed the characters, its the plot with its twists and turns and red herrings that really keeps me turning the pages.
I didn’t like this book nearly as much as the first one. The writing was still great but I didn’t care for the mystery nearly as much.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
A gripping read that won’t let go of you. A compelling delve into relationships with others and what truly makes us human. Harper’s interweaving style leaves you breathless after each chapter, aching to find out more. The gorgeous descriptiveness of the Australian bush is eerily grounding and a testament reminder of the land on which I was raised.
I enjoyed this interesting novel. Jane Harper can really write!
However, in a book that touches on eating disorders, I think it's pretty terrible to have one character be essentially described as a fat slob to denote that she is a loser. It's a tiresome trope in thrillers that there is the hot woman with the sharp cheekbones and then, maybe, a fat character who is generally a total wreck.
However, in a book that touches on eating disorders, I think it's pretty terrible to have one character be essentially described as a fat slob to denote that she is a loser. It's a tiresome trope in thrillers that there is the hot woman with the sharp cheekbones and then, maybe, a fat character who is generally a total wreck.
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No