Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Ik ben Pelgrim by Terry Hayes

17 reviews

andyjrichardson's review against another edition

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challenging tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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indieleah's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

If I have to hear this man explain how he “made a mistake” one more time, I’m going to waterboard myself :) 

(Almost put it down so many times, the dialogue is atrocious, it’s also weirdly racist and misogynistic, and he loves America way too much for my liking. The plot was the only thing keeping me going, and even that barely got me through) 
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amysalwaysreading's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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rchltnnswd's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I found this on a highly recommended thrillers list on Reddit. Did enjoy (listened, the sheer length would have been impossible for me to read physically). I agree with some of the comments here that say it’s heavy on the Islamophobia, anti-Muslim, pro-America garb, but I did enjoy it with that considered. And it was annoying that the women were always described based on attractiveness. But I was happy to read a book that didn’t have a weird forced romantic element wedged in somewhere it doesn’t belong, so that was nice for a change. 
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annatroughton's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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saskiahill's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark reflective medium-paced

5.0

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feingartner's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

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sarahyjackson's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

An outside of my typical genre read! I always enjoy puzzling through a mystery/thriller and the scope and scale of the various mysteries in this thriller were certainly engaging and impressive. 

There are some elements of the story that were really hard for me to read - check content warnings!
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hjh's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

I thought this was a well-written, gripping read.  My 74yo mother loved it too and finished it before me.

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asourceoffiction's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

When I first picked this up I thought, at 800+ pages, I'd be reading it for a month. Instead I devoured it in a week. Yes, it's long, but it's completely engrossing and so immersive. Plus, the short chapters meant I was always making time to read just one more little bit.

It helps that Pilgrim is a fantastic character with a fascinating backstory, and I immediately wanted to know more about him. We come into the narrative relatively close to the end, and a huge chunk of the book is given to filling in blanks along the way. We learn about Pilgrim and the Saracen (Saracen's history is particularly interesting), and their characters flesh out gradually as their paths converge.

The story is heavily influenced by the wake of 9/11, and a new terrorist threat to US soil. So it's incredibly emotional at times. Everyone in the book has been affected in some way and it certainly ramps up the pressure. The story is filled with secrets, covert ops and a huge range of sub-plots that connect in really intricate ways.

By the time things reach a head I couldn't put it down, and I read 220 pages in a day. It's a great, epic book, but the end in particular goes nuts on the tension and drama. But mostly I was there for the amazing characters.
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