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dark
tense
fast-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
This book was terrible to say the least. It had a Shallow plot, zero character development (actually you barely even got to know the characters at all so there wasn’t even an opportunity for development to start), and action felt forced. It literally felt like the trailer to a non-existent full version of a story. Also, I have to say, what the heck was the point of the chapter where the Croc was the narrator. Just pointless and incredibly disappointing. If it had been any longer I’d have DNF’ed it.
I needed to find a "book with bad reviews" as part of a reading challenge. It wasn't easy finding something with both poor critical reviews and a low rating on Goodreads. I also hoped it wouldn't be a slog or complete waste of time. This turned out hit all those marks.
There's potential here, but it feels like a first draft in need of at least three revisions. He repeats words between sentences in a way that feels like either a reading primer or an AI writing experiment. The main villain is Buffalo Bill times ten. He's also both German AND pale and hairless, all hacky shorthand for "evil", just in case his actions didn't convince you. The title character is upstaged by half a dozen others. The highlight is a short chapter from a dangerous animal's POV that culminates in a poop joke.
The plot isn't bad, and it's a quick read. But it needs more work, and maybe a few more chapters for all the loose ends.
There's potential here, but it feels like a first draft in need of at least three revisions. He repeats words between sentences in a way that feels like either a reading primer or an AI writing experiment. The main villain is Buffalo Bill times ten. He's also both German AND pale and hairless, all hacky shorthand for "evil", just in case his actions didn't convince you. The title character is upstaged by half a dozen others. The highlight is a short chapter from a dangerous animal's POV that culminates in a poop joke.
The plot isn't bad, and it's a quick read. But it needs more work, and maybe a few more chapters for all the loose ends.
It has probably been more than 25 years since I last read Thomas Harris; the Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon. I cannot say for certain, but this did not have the same feel as those books. It was more like a mediocre imitation of Elmore Leonard or maybe Carl Hiaasen (more for the location in Florida than anything else) or even James Lee Burke. It isn't bad, but it isn't like his earlier works.
I liked Cari, the main character. The bad guys were a little disjointed, and showed up in spurts, not really driving any suspense like Harris' other books.
Really had potential to have a kick ass heroine. Cari Mora (the character,) had the background and the grit to really be interesting. Instead the ending was just totally rushed. The book could’ve had some extra chapters where Cari got to shine but instead it just … stopped. The end.
It was a quick literal beach read, so that alone made it slightly better than it actually was. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for GR.
It was a quick literal beach read, so that alone made it slightly better than it actually was. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for GR.
The good news is you can believe the reviews on goodreads.
The bad news is you can believe the reviews on goodreads.
After reading a spectrum of reviews stating this book simply can. not. have. been written by him, to close friends of the author explaining we just didn't understand his attempt at some new Haiku-style writing, I'm falling somewhere in the middle: like Thomas Harris didn't give a shit whilst writing this and someone helped him.
Why do I think someone wrote at least part of this? Because whilst one of the most talented authors out there can certainly change their style, or create a lame effort, they do not forget their own foundations on writing where they suddenly start introducing giant steaming piles of exposition into dialogue. It's like accepting that a doctor would suddenly use a gummy bear instead of a stethoscope to listen for a heartbeat--they just wouldn't.
I should rate this 2.5 stars, because it deserves it. But it's Thomas Harris, so I'm biased, and conflicted, and weak.
Incidentally, the further you get into the book the more it does sound like Thomas Harris wrote it. Or at least edited it.
The bad news is you can believe the reviews on goodreads.
After reading a spectrum of reviews stating this book simply can. not. have. been written by him, to close friends of the author explaining we just didn't understand his attempt at some new Haiku-style writing, I'm falling somewhere in the middle: like Thomas Harris didn't give a shit whilst writing this and someone helped him.
Why do I think someone wrote at least part of this? Because whilst one of the most talented authors out there can certainly change their style, or create a lame effort, they do not forget their own foundations on writing where they suddenly start introducing giant steaming piles of exposition into dialogue. It's like accepting that a doctor would suddenly use a gummy bear instead of a stethoscope to listen for a heartbeat--they just wouldn't.
I should rate this 2.5 stars, because it deserves it. But it's Thomas Harris, so I'm biased, and conflicted, and weak.
Incidentally, the further you get into the book the more it does sound like Thomas Harris wrote it. Or at least edited it.
Quick read, more crime caper than exciting thriller. Think it may have worked better as a limited TV series than a novel, due to the large cast of characters, which the reader doesn't spend enough time with to build a deep understanding. Not fantastic, but not terrible either.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I am so happy that this was a library book and not very long, because I got the feeling that I really wasted my time with this novel...
Sono felice che fosse un libro breve e della biblioteca, i personaggi erano solo vagamente accennati, l'autore saltava di palo in frasca e forse, solo forse, per tre pagine è apparso Hannibal Lecter, inoltre c'erano coccodrilli in agguato solo ed esattamente dove dovevano essere così come gli uomini cattivi....
Sono felice che fosse un libro breve e della biblioteca, i personaggi erano solo vagamente accennati, l'autore saltava di palo in frasca e forse, solo forse, per tre pagine è apparso Hannibal Lecter, inoltre c'erano coccodrilli in agguato solo ed esattamente dove dovevano essere così come gli uomini cattivi....
Wasn't super thrilling. The plot was uneventful. I didn't dislike it, but I wouldn't recommend it