Reviews

The Border by Don Winslow

jeffer0922's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

brisamar's review against another edition

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4.0

Me gustó como fue cerrando las tramas de las novelas anteriores, el autor aplasta cualquier esperanza de que se enderecen las cosas.

antonio507's review against another edition

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4.0

ya know, every book has its strengths.

i wasn’t feeling the first 100 pages. i thought it was corny, ridiculous, and self-serious. but i kept on going and quickly found myself sucked in, and i mean sucked in. i was dumping 50 - 80 pages per sitting easily. sometimes more, upwards of 100. yeah, the book has some corny, over-the-top thriller moments. yeah, the characters are pretty thin, if distinct enough. but the plotting, the structure, the world. INCREDIBLY strong. the simple writing helps you not to get lost in the complexities of corruption and cartel politics. there’s a great forward momentum with each chapter, good surprises. it is a REALLY fucking engaging and entertaining story. if you want a comprehensive and complex account of the war on drugs, you’d best look elsewhere. i couldn’t tell ya where to start. but this does a really good job of prodding. it’s a fascinating, tragic, and frustrating world

if you’re a trumpie you might not like this. honestly i would argue that it’s a pretty straightforward depiction for the most part. if you don’t like the tweets... well, that’s how the guy tweets. as for the later, far more fictional turn later in the book, idk. wouldn’t be surprised if it was true. i would advise you not to put it away though cause it’s a lot of fun and it says a lot of important things

kcb263's review against another edition

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5.0

Unbelievably powerful trilogy topped off by The Border. In addition to being a well written book with nonstop action, twists and drama, these three books have been eye opening to me by seeing the similarities to the current real life stories reported in Mexico.

labougie's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

markfromct's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

rossborkett's review against another edition

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5.0

I really enjoyed this trilogy, and this final book brought it all together nicely. Will definitely read some of Winslow’s others. If you like Netflix’s Narcos you will enjoy this

trenton_ross's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

emckeon1002's review against another edition

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5.0

Though you could read this as a standalone, I'd recommend reading The Power of the Dog and The Cartel first. At 700 pages, there's plenty of story here, and no filler. There is a bit of catch-up explication to start, but once it picks up speed, hold on. There's much to recommend it, from the returning characters, to the cartel which regenerates lost limbs like a starfish. The plot is, unfortunately, altogether too familiar, with a criminal administration in the White House, and a corrupt shadow government fueled by drug money. Another great read from Winslow.

nikita_barsukov's review against another edition

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4.0

One of the best crime thrillers out there.