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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I was hoping for something i couldn't put down like No Exit. Something that although it only spans a few hours in the book it sucks you in so you don't know what is gonna happen. Instead I felt disappointed. Joan was obsessed with protecting her son but at the same time did the dumbest things. Like throw away her cell phone? Why not just TURN.IT.OFF. #ICantEven We never really got full descriptions of characters the background of each of them was just hazy and Phillips trying to "humanize" the mass shooters fell flat. I wanted more thrill less hiding and waiting to be rescued. Don't even get me started on the book ending and Joan still not telling anyone about THE FUCKING BABY IN THE TRASHCAN!!! I mean I wanted to love this book cause being the mother of a 4 y/o it really made me think how would I handle this situation if I had Zira with me and a active shooter situation started. But the execution of Fierce Kingdom left me frustrated.
2/5
2/5
I'm not sure where to start with this review. I obviously liked the book, I finished it in less than two days... it's a fast-paced, quick read. I loved the premise (despite how horrifying it was, especially as a mom). I just didn't always agree with the actions that the characters took. I tried to put myself in their shoes and see if maybe it was just because of the stressful situation that certain decisions were made, but I still couldn't really agree with some of the things that happened.
If you're a thriller fan I do definitely recommend this for a quick, page-turning read, but be warned that you might not love it as much as some other thrillers that have come out recently.
If you're a thriller fan I do definitely recommend this for a quick, page-turning read, but be warned that you might not love it as much as some other thrillers that have come out recently.
Quality thriller with an interesting premise/setting. I thought the author's stated theme about what a mother will do for a child was a little undeveloped and the ending felt rushed, but overall it was still an enjoyable read that kept me turning the pages. Probably a three and a half stars.
I listened to this on audio book, and I'm glad I did. If I had to read this on my own, I probably wouldn't have made it through the whole book. Honestly, I was bored. It took way too long to go anywhere, and for large portions of time, nothing happened except the narrator just waiting and hiding. And honestly, if I had known it was just a shooting going into the book, I wouldn't have picked it up. The synopsis is that something happens before the zoo closes, but it doesn't explicitly say until you start reading the book. I honestly would have found it much more interesting if, say, one of the animals escaped and went on a rampage.
One glaring issue I had that didn't make sense to me was why they would wait until nearly closing time before they started to shoot up the zoo. If they are going to shoot people in the first place, wouldn't they want to take out as many people as they could? IT seemed by closing time, there weren't that many people left in the zoo so they didn't have much to aim for.
Another thing that bothered me was that, unless I missed it, because I was so bored I very well could have, we never really got the answer as to why they started this shooting spree in the first place. I was hoping for some sort of explanation. There were also a couple other loose ends and unanswered questions that I felt should have been wrapped up.
I don't know. I don't think this was an interesting topic, nor was it flushed out or written very well. I would have DNF'd it if I didn't listen to it on audio. I wouldn't recommend unless you want a very slow paced boring book.
One glaring issue I had that didn't make sense to me was why they would wait until nearly closing time before they started to shoot up the zoo. If they are going to shoot people in the first place, wouldn't they want to take out as many people as they could? IT seemed by closing time, there weren't that many people left in the zoo so they didn't have much to aim for.
Another thing that bothered me was that, unless I missed it, because I was so bored I very well could have, we never really got the answer as to why they started this shooting spree in the first place. I was hoping for some sort of explanation. There were also a couple other loose ends and unanswered questions that I felt should have been wrapped up.
I don't know. I don't think this was an interesting topic, nor was it flushed out or written very well. I would have DNF'd it if I didn't listen to it on audio. I wouldn't recommend unless you want a very slow paced boring book.
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gin Phillips captures a 4 year old so perfectly that I felt like I was there with my son, making decisions to survive. I also loved how there were reflections on the judgements she made on people’s decisions as her situation evolved. Fierce Kingdom reminded me a little bit of In Cold Blood in the sense that she humanized the killers as did Truman Capote.
Biggest lessons I learned from this book:
- Wear sensible shoes
- Always carry a snack
May be i was misled by the description of the book. From the description it seemed like the mom is going to be a badass and go all Liam Neeson on the shooters with her "intimate knowledge of the zoo" and use the motherhoods "savage power" to stop them. (Quoted words directly from description) Actually what happens is they just somehow keep on surviving till the end by mostly hiding and running. At no point she takes on the shooters. From the description i almost expected the mom to feed the shooters to the lions. Anybody who has had a small kid will identify with the challenges of hiding from shooters with the little kid. How to keep the kid silent, not cry, fed etc.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3 stars
A good read, but I think I ruined it for myself because I went into this expecting something like [b:No Exit|35522836|No Exit|Taylor Adams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498539883l/35522836._SY75_.jpg|56940541], because this was recommended to me as a "If you liked no exit You'll like this!" type deal and even though I can see why they thought that, there are a few similarities, I ended up getting mostly frustrated with this book than anything.
Theres just so much of the book spent thinking. Reminiscing, taking care of, entertaining and talking to a 4 year old. The action scenes are lack luster, most of which are just her sitting frozen and clutching her son, or just running in the darkness. Theres no mystery, no cunning plans from either side. and those are the things I was wanting the most. This book focuses mostly on the relationship between a mother and child. Again, its a good book still, but I was expecting something else from it so my enjoyment level suffered from those expectations.
Also, the phone thing? Utter idiocy on Joans part. She didn't once call the police? Just texts her useless husband. If you are so afraid of the light from the phone turn off the brightness... and why the HELL would you throw it? You texted your husband you FREAKING HIDING SPOT and then threw your phone at the killers. I was expecting some repercussions, but no, they don't even look into the phone, they just smash it on the floor like the dumb murderous apes they are.
A good read, but I think I ruined it for myself because I went into this expecting something like [b:No Exit|35522836|No Exit|Taylor Adams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498539883l/35522836._SY75_.jpg|56940541], because this was recommended to me as a "If you liked no exit You'll like this!" type deal and even though I can see why they thought that, there are a few similarities, I ended up getting mostly frustrated with this book than anything.
Theres just so much of the book spent thinking. Reminiscing, taking care of, entertaining and talking to a 4 year old. The action scenes are lack luster, most of which are just her sitting frozen and clutching her son, or just running in the darkness. Theres no mystery, no cunning plans from either side. and those are the things I was wanting the most. This book focuses mostly on the relationship between a mother and child. Again, its a good book still, but I was expecting something else from it so my enjoyment level suffered from those expectations.
Also, the phone thing? Utter idiocy on Joans part. She didn't once call the police? Just texts her useless husband. If you are so afraid of the light from the phone turn off the brightness... and why the HELL would you throw it? You texted your husband you FREAKING HIDING SPOT and then threw your phone at the killers. I was expecting some repercussions, but no, they don't even look into the phone, they just smash it on the floor like the dumb murderous apes they are.
I was very excited to read this book and it stressed me out in the best way. You could feel the tension while you read it. But the ending is F. $. @. %. I. N. G. horrible. Nothing is finished, nothing is resolved. You don't have to wrap it up in a bow but it shouldn't be so abrupt. I literally flipped through the book a couple times to see if I missed the ending pages.