2.36k reviews for:

I Am Pilgrim

Terry Hayes

4.03 AVERAGE

savavava's review

4.0
adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Very enjoyable read. For such a large book in which not many crazy events happen (for a spy novel), the story races past, and the book is very hard to put down.

Fantastic plot, thoroughly engaging and inventive, with two enthralling mysteries at the centre which blend together very well (though the conclusion was a little more understated than I had hoped). Dialogue is a little corny at times, but never overwhelmingly so.

Great cast of characters, who do lean a little on the stereotypes of the day, but never too much that it becomes off-putting. Particularly the two central characters, Pilgrim and the Saracen, who at first seem like your typical American spy and Arab terrorist combo, but both turn out to have far more complexity and humanity than would be expected from a book of this nature.

I am pilgrim is also such a time capsule of a novel, capturing that strange post 9/11 Obama era America where patriotism wasn't reserved for the extreme right, and the average American actually had faith in their country. This is best seen in it's depiction of the president as a hard-working, honest, intelligent man who actually has his nations interests at heart. I could figure out why he was so off-putting when he was first introduced, until I realized that (for very good reason) I hadn't seen a president depicted positively in a non- blatant US propaganda setting in probably a decade. Made me realize how much more polarized and pessimistic spy media has gotten, and how much has changed politically since 2012 to lead to this.

Overall very fun read, which has aged and matured in fascinating, but oddly good way.

sadiealloway's review

5.0
adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

cjbroad's review

5.0

Loved it

Really enjoyed this book. Worth reading if you like a good thriller.

DNF at 40% for the second time. There are some odd inconsistencies to this book that make it somewhat confusing. I absolutely cannot track the timeline. It's not just that it goes back and forth, it seems to go back, forth, and forward, all while telling you that it's just going back and forth. And I find it impossible to figure out where the Saracen fits in on the timeline. He's a boy and then he's off to become a terrorist and then he's supposedly been a doctor and has all of this medical training even though it seems like only a couple of years has passed. And the main character was like the master of all trades. I think he was supposed to be in his early to mid-30s and he was an expert in anything that came up.

It really needed some tighter control over the timeline... and a more plausible plot? I was so lost that it was pointless to continue, especially since I was also bored.

pudch0ps's review

3.0

It’s ok. Just long and there are better spy/ action books out there.
Some good characters and I would like to see the dynamic perhaps developed between the two leads.

Powieść o dość ciekawym konspekcie fabularnym z pogranicza gatunku szpiegowsko- sensacyjnego.

Przeczytanie tej 750- stronicowej cegły zajęło mi w sumie 3 dni, choć przez pierwsze 25% książki, nie bardzo wiedziałam o co w niej chodzi. Wraz z pojawieniem się Saracena, bezwzględnego terrorysty i jego diabelskiego planu unicestwienia ludzkości, dynamika akcji coraz bardziej się rozpędza i zaczyna robić się nieprzewidywalnie, chociaż wątek Cumali i jej syna w ogóle mnie nie zaskoczył bowiem domyślałam się kim są te postaci i jaki mają związek z poszukiwanym Saracenem. Końcowa scena w hangarze najlepsza i najbardziej trzymała mnie w napięciu i choć planowałam doczytanie końcówki w dzień następny, to jednak ciekawość zwyciężyła i tak "dojechałam" książkę jeszcze tego samego dnia, gdzieś w okolicach PO północy.

Jak na debiut autora, powieść jest zaskakujaco dobrze napisana, co raczej nie powinno dziwić - autor jest w końcu byłym dziennikarzem śledczym i na dodatek scenarzystą filmowym więc książka jest niejako zwieńczeniem jego doświadczenia zebranego podczas wielu lat pracy dziennikarskiej. Doskonale dopracowany warsztat pisarski, fabuła, która z powodzeniem mogłaby się urzeczywistnić w dzisiejszych czasach (o zgrozo!) oraz dość dobrze wykreowane postacie - nie ma się za bardzo do czego przyczepić. Noooo, kilka śladowych mankamentów by się znalazło ale już machnąć na to ręką (zboczenie zawodowe).Myślałam też, że ta powieść to wydanie 1- tomowe, a okazuje się, że będzie kontynuacja. Obiecałam sobie kiedyś, że nie wezmę się więcej za niedokończone serie, bo nie chce mi się czekać na kolejne części. Na razie na obietnicach się skończyło.....
Faktem jest, że jak wyjdzie kolejny tom, na pewno przeczytam.

lillith_h's review

5.0
dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
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kreeesthea's review

4.0
adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad 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

very good book until the end. the end was disappointing