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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I Am Pilgrim was a marvel to read. Slow to start but by the end it absolutely felt like a race against time and I was hurtling through the pages. It starts with a single murder, albeit an odd murder, one where there is no trace of whoever committed it and no ability to identify the victim. But as events unfold, it becomes something far greater and more dangerous and one man - Pilgrim - is the only person standing in the way of a plot that will devastate the US and perhaps the world.
I genuinely didn't know what I was going when I started this novel and that's perhaps the best way for it to unfold around you. It's a multi-threaded narrative that moves back and forth between the present and the past cleverly, giving you a huge amount of character detail that only serves to set the scene as the race against time truly gets underway. It's also cleverly told, bringing in new forms of terrorism and a frightening scenario that seems only too plausible as events unfold.
This is a fantastic espionage thriller that delves deeply into the characterisations, the motivations and the science and psychology behind the scenes. It catapults itself in unexpected directions, twisting and turning in such a way that you could not have seen it coming. This is one of those books that leaves you contemplating and pondering it long after the last page has been turned. It's clever and thought provoking and slightly horrifying in the same breath. Absolutely one of my top reads for the year.
I genuinely didn't know what I was going when I started this novel and that's perhaps the best way for it to unfold around you. It's a multi-threaded narrative that moves back and forth between the present and the past cleverly, giving you a huge amount of character detail that only serves to set the scene as the race against time truly gets underway. It's also cleverly told, bringing in new forms of terrorism and a frightening scenario that seems only too plausible as events unfold.
This is a fantastic espionage thriller that delves deeply into the characterisations, the motivations and the science and psychology behind the scenes. It catapults itself in unexpected directions, twisting and turning in such a way that you could not have seen it coming. This is one of those books that leaves you contemplating and pondering it long after the last page has been turned. It's clever and thought provoking and slightly horrifying in the same breath. Absolutely one of my top reads for the year.
Oh my goodness, awesome read! I wish that I had this to read during recent holidays instead of some of the other books I read. I could have sat and sat and just read and read, instead of having to constantly get up and attend to stuff. So much going on in this 800 plus page door stop, it was an absolute whirlwind going on all the time. Just as entertaining are some of the online reviews - people hating it! For the purists out there, have to agree that it is populist fiction in the same vein as The Da Vinci Code, but to prevent it being too ridiculous it has much more of Robert Ludlum or Frederick Forsyth written all over it lifting it to a higher level than Dan Brown. And there is going to be movie, and there is a Facebook page!
This is a story of our times - Islam vs Christianity, Arab world vs America world, displaced populations, 9/11, terrorism, revenge, greed, murder. And this is what keeps it grounded in reality and makes it so compelling. At its heart this is a story of two men - Pilgrim and the Saracen. Pilgrim is a retired American secret agent so far off the grid that officially he does not exist. There is plenty of his back story in this which could be a movie all on its own. Parallel to Pilgrim's narration of his story is that of the Saracen, Saudi Arabian by birth, witness all his life to war, destruction, murder, terrorism, takes it upon himself to single handedly destroy America in a daring, devastating and deadly plan. It falls upon the heavily loaded shoulders of Pilgrim to stop him. At the same time, Pilgrim has been called into to help solve a gruesome murder that bears the hallmarks of things that only he would know about.
It is fabulous stuff, and I just did not want it to end. I had no idea how it would end, who would be living and who would not. Grab it and read it.
This is a story of our times - Islam vs Christianity, Arab world vs America world, displaced populations, 9/11, terrorism, revenge, greed, murder. And this is what keeps it grounded in reality and makes it so compelling. At its heart this is a story of two men - Pilgrim and the Saracen. Pilgrim is a retired American secret agent so far off the grid that officially he does not exist. There is plenty of his back story in this which could be a movie all on its own. Parallel to Pilgrim's narration of his story is that of the Saracen, Saudi Arabian by birth, witness all his life to war, destruction, murder, terrorism, takes it upon himself to single handedly destroy America in a daring, devastating and deadly plan. It falls upon the heavily loaded shoulders of Pilgrim to stop him. At the same time, Pilgrim has been called into to help solve a gruesome murder that bears the hallmarks of things that only he would know about.
It is fabulous stuff, and I just did not want it to end. I had no idea how it would end, who would be living and who would not. Grab it and read it.
Niet verder gekomen dan pagina 150. Het onderwerp boeit me te weinig en het is nogal masculien geschreven. Ik kwam regelmatig seksistische, stereotyperende beschrijvingen tegen over vrouwen. Jammer.
I think I’ve tried reading I Am Pilgrim before and had the same reaction. Pilgrim’s arrogance is off-putting, and the portrayal of women feels gross. Torn between misogynistic or chauvinistic. Not for me.
I can see why this is a lot of people’s favourite book and a 5⭐️ read.
I particularly enjoyed the very beginning and the climax at the end.
It felt like I was reading a blockbuster movie (definitely made and written in America).
Slight spoiler below:
I did find it slightly difficult to believe a boy that left school at 16 managed to get a medical degree and then teach themselves advanced molecular biology via google and achieve it in their garage…
Also, we’re told a fair few times that our main character sees men and women equally, yet on the introduction of almost every female character we’re told something of the length of her skirt or the state of her cleavage.
Also I’m beyond shocked this super, super secret agent was allowed to publish a book on all the crime scenes he worked on - no wonder it came back to bite him.
I particularly enjoyed the very beginning and the climax at the end.
It felt like I was reading a blockbuster movie (definitely made and written in America).
Slight spoiler below:
I did find it slightly difficult to believe a boy that left school at 16 managed to get a medical degree and then teach themselves advanced molecular biology via google and achieve it in their garage…
Also, we’re told a fair few times that our main character sees men and women equally, yet on the introduction of almost every female character we’re told something of the length of her skirt or the state of her cleavage.
Also I’m beyond shocked this super, super secret agent was allowed to publish a book on all the crime scenes he worked on - no wonder it came back to bite him.
4.7. What an amazing read!! Is the world really this bad? Its all so believable. It's about the hunt for an Arab about to unleash the smallpox vaccine on America. I found it quite mesmerising but there were a couple of major plot holes. Why did the Saracen not wreak have on the House of Saud? Why did the mobile phone suddenly start working in the finale? Overall though I loved it despite being over 600 pages long. I cannot believe that it is not a film. Time to take a breath and catch up on all the chores.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes