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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I was kind of apprehensive of this book at first. The premise sounded too good - a near 300 page novel whose plot is three hours in its entirety must surely be slow and dull in some places.
This book was never dull, even for a moment.
Joan and her son Lincoln have enjoyed playtime at the zoo, and minutes before closure, they are rushing towards the exit when Joan sees something chilling that causes her to race back into the zoo. I was left with several unanswered questions at the end of the book, but overall it was such an excellent novel and one I could have finished in one sitting, if it weren’t for the call of my bed. I will be keeping an eye out more of Gin Phillips’ work.
This book was never dull, even for a moment.
Joan and her son Lincoln have enjoyed playtime at the zoo, and minutes before closure, they are rushing towards the exit when Joan sees something chilling that causes her to race back into the zoo. I was left with several unanswered questions at the end of the book, but overall it was such an excellent novel and one I could have finished in one sitting, if it weren’t for the call of my bed. I will be keeping an eye out more of Gin Phillips’ work.
Also reviewed on: https://waywardtrekkie.wordpress.com/
I battled with this one, guys. Let me tell you. I had been in a reading slump for a bit and since this one was only a seven day rental from my library – and due tomorrow – I decided to give this one a go. I know that, despite my issues with this book, that I will be having a bit of a book hangover on this one.
This book tells the harrowing tale of Joan and her four year old son, Lincoln, as they are faced with something no one should ever have to go through. It is getting late at the zoo that day, and Joan and Lincoln are headed towards the exit, when a sight at the entrance of the zoo has her running in the opposite direction. Within the first couple of pages the reader is tasked with living through the realization that there is a mass shooting and, over the following three hours and 274 pages, how strong a mother’s love is for her son, and what it takes to survive.
I am not a mother, and so cannot not particularly speak to the intense maternal drive Joan faces throughout this novel. However, I am a child of a wonderful mother, and so attempted to understand this book and what it was offering, through the eyes of Lincoln. My hands were sweating, and my heart was racing throughout the entirety of this novel; and once I started I couldn’t put it down until I knew what was going to happen at the end. I will say before discussing some of the issues I had with the book that Lincoln may be my new favourite child in a novel. I was a little put off initially with how adult-like he sounded; most children I know don’t speak that way. But man did he grow on me. What a brave little boy.
I’ve seen some reviews where readers were upset that the author did not delve too deeply into the motivations behind why the shooting was occurring in the first place and tended to focus a bit too much on the somewhat tedious ramblings and streams of consciousness from Joan. While I definitely did not feel satisfied at the end as I still found no closure as to what had happened, I did appreciate the author focusing on the relationship between mother and child (since that truly is the beauty of this book), and what would no doubt be what would be going through my head trying to make a life or death decision with an oftentimes worried child who did not truly grasp the importance of staying quiet. I felt Joan’s frustration when Lincoln could not keep quiet, or ignore his hunger, and I felt her desperation and fear. It was visceral.
My biggest gripe with the book is that it felt unfinished. I had so many questions at the end of this book that I feel the author could have at least provided some answers. I would have liked to know what happened to the other people in the narration, was the treasure found within the trashcan okay?, and a least a little hint about the end instead of ending with such ambiguity I almost pitched my book across the room once I read the final line. WHAT. ACTUALLY. HAPPENED?? I always wish for fewer perfect endings in books, as they don’t reflect reality, but not for this one Gin Phillips. Throw me a bone here. I’m getting flashbacks of Titanic arguments.
Also despite the horrific scenes being depicted, I couldn’t help but feel so sad at the detailed scenes regarding some of the animals that had been slaughtered. Ugh.
Overall I gave this book 4/5 starts just for my visceral reaction to the book. I loved the writing, and the rambling, and despite feeling totally pissed at the ending, I can’t help but admit it made the book that much more poignant to me; this will be one book I never will forget.
I battled with this one, guys. Let me tell you. I had been in a reading slump for a bit and since this one was only a seven day rental from my library – and due tomorrow – I decided to give this one a go. I know that, despite my issues with this book, that I will be having a bit of a book hangover on this one.
This book tells the harrowing tale of Joan and her four year old son, Lincoln, as they are faced with something no one should ever have to go through. It is getting late at the zoo that day, and Joan and Lincoln are headed towards the exit, when a sight at the entrance of the zoo has her running in the opposite direction. Within the first couple of pages the reader is tasked with living through the realization that there is a mass shooting and, over the following three hours and 274 pages, how strong a mother’s love is for her son, and what it takes to survive.
I am not a mother, and so cannot not particularly speak to the intense maternal drive Joan faces throughout this novel. However, I am a child of a wonderful mother, and so attempted to understand this book and what it was offering, through the eyes of Lincoln. My hands were sweating, and my heart was racing throughout the entirety of this novel; and once I started I couldn’t put it down until I knew what was going to happen at the end. I will say before discussing some of the issues I had with the book that Lincoln may be my new favourite child in a novel. I was a little put off initially with how adult-like he sounded; most children I know don’t speak that way. But man did he grow on me. What a brave little boy.
I’ve seen some reviews where readers were upset that the author did not delve too deeply into the motivations behind why the shooting was occurring in the first place and tended to focus a bit too much on the somewhat tedious ramblings and streams of consciousness from Joan. While I definitely did not feel satisfied at the end as I still found no closure as to what had happened, I did appreciate the author focusing on the relationship between mother and child (since that truly is the beauty of this book), and what would no doubt be what would be going through my head trying to make a life or death decision with an oftentimes worried child who did not truly grasp the importance of staying quiet. I felt Joan’s frustration when Lincoln could not keep quiet, or ignore his hunger, and I felt her desperation and fear. It was visceral.
My biggest gripe with the book is that it felt unfinished. I had so many questions at the end of this book that I feel the author could have at least provided some answers. I would have liked to know what happened to the other people in the narration, was the treasure found within the trashcan okay?, and a least a little hint about the end instead of ending with such ambiguity I almost pitched my book across the room once I read the final line. WHAT. ACTUALLY. HAPPENED?? I always wish for fewer perfect endings in books, as they don’t reflect reality, but not for this one Gin Phillips. Throw me a bone here. I’m getting flashbacks of Titanic arguments.
Also despite the horrific scenes being depicted, I couldn’t help but feel so sad at the detailed scenes regarding some of the animals that had been slaughtered. Ugh.
Overall I gave this book 4/5 starts just for my visceral reaction to the book. I loved the writing, and the rambling, and despite feeling totally pissed at the ending, I can’t help but admit it made the book that much more poignant to me; this will be one book I never will forget.
Can't believe I finished this book, only to be left with a vague ending. One of my pet peeves; I understand that in real life, we often don't know what happened or why, or what is going to happen, but I hate it in books I read. I did not like this book, did not like the characters. I found both Joan and her son annoying, but kept reading, only to get to the end and be left with questions.
Of course, I know in every situation, we never know what we would actually do, but some of Joan's decisions just seemed ridiculous, especially when a point was frequently made about how she was thinking things through. Simply don't understand how this got so many good reviews.
Of course, I know in every situation, we never know what we would actually do, but some of Joan's decisions just seemed ridiculous, especially when a point was frequently made about how she was thinking things through. Simply don't understand how this got so many good reviews.
I was uncertain until I reached the last page that this would be a 5-star read for me. As I usually do when I go to the library I randomly picked this thriller based on the cover and a glance at the plot. But I'm glad that I did because it was a well-written intense thriller with interesting characters.
The format is unique because it takes place over a few hours during the shooting, it was sometimes hard to follow but overall added some suspense to it. The flow of the novel had me on the edge of my seat for most of the book and it was hard to put it down. The novel itself is less than 300 pages but Phillips is able to pack a lot within it, and the intensity never goes down or drags in my opinion.
The part that made this a 5-star read for me was the writing style. Phillips had such a beautiful and lyrical writing style that connects you to the main characters.
Phillips mainly stays with Joan and her four year old son but also shows the point of view of others trapped in the zoo and also those involved the the shootings. Phillips also does a great job getting the readers invested in the lives of her characters and from the start we are scared for/rooting for them to survive through the novel.
I recommend checking out this beautifully written thriller and the unique plot.
My Rating:
5 Stars Out of 5 Stars
The format is unique because it takes place over a few hours during the shooting, it was sometimes hard to follow but overall added some suspense to it. The flow of the novel had me on the edge of my seat for most of the book and it was hard to put it down. The novel itself is less than 300 pages but Phillips is able to pack a lot within it, and the intensity never goes down or drags in my opinion.
The part that made this a 5-star read for me was the writing style. Phillips had such a beautiful and lyrical writing style that connects you to the main characters.
Phillips mainly stays with Joan and her four year old son but also shows the point of view of others trapped in the zoo and also those involved the the shootings. Phillips also does a great job getting the readers invested in the lives of her characters and from the start we are scared for/rooting for them to survive through the novel.
I recommend checking out this beautifully written thriller and the unique plot.
My Rating:
5 Stars Out of 5 Stars
I have a deep appreciation for authors who are able to make me really feel something, whether it is happiness, horror, love, sadness... I feel that this is a hallmark of a really good author. To say that Gin Phillips made me feel something is a complete understatement. As a mother to three young children I had such strong feelings of maternal instinct, sadness, and terror that it took me almost two months to read this book. I learned quickly that I could not read Fierce Kingdom before bed because I would not be able to sleep. That is how effective this author is in her craft. Kudos to Gin Phillips for truly making me feel, with every single chapter.
This book was just barely interesting enough to keep me reading, and it was mostly because I wanted to know what happened to the characters. I thought I would go for a super easy read what with caring for a newborn, but the book just falls flat. I made it through but I would not recommend it - the situations are not very plausible and decisions the characters make didn't sit right with me. I'd give it a pass.
Wow, this was an incredibly tense thriller/suspense novel.
The story begins with a quiet afternoon at the Zoo and a noise in the distance that at first sounds like popping balloons. As Joan is walking to the exit with her son Lincoln they happen across the source of the noise, gunmen who are hunting zoo employees and visitors for sport. Joan doesn’t hesitate to take action to keep her son safe by hiding in an unlikely location within the Zoo. Joan is not only faced with this nightmare and the maternal instinct to protect her child at all costs, but also several other moral dilemmas along the way.
The story takes place over the course of about 3 hours, but it is so jammed packed with action and suspense. Fierce Kingdom explores a mother’s bond with her young child and the lengths she will go to to keep him safe. This is one of those books that will keep you up late at night to finish it. It will get your blood pumping and your mind racing as you read it.
The story begins with a quiet afternoon at the Zoo and a noise in the distance that at first sounds like popping balloons. As Joan is walking to the exit with her son Lincoln they happen across the source of the noise, gunmen who are hunting zoo employees and visitors for sport. Joan doesn’t hesitate to take action to keep her son safe by hiding in an unlikely location within the Zoo. Joan is not only faced with this nightmare and the maternal instinct to protect her child at all costs, but also several other moral dilemmas along the way.
The story takes place over the course of about 3 hours, but it is so jammed packed with action and suspense. Fierce Kingdom explores a mother’s bond with her young child and the lengths she will go to to keep him safe. This is one of those books that will keep you up late at night to finish it. It will get your blood pumping and your mind racing as you read it.
This book was a terrifying roller coaster of emotions. The author did an amazing job of putting the reader in the head space of an active shooter situation and the difficulty endured from a high-stress situation like that while also protecting a child. I flew through this book and my only complaint was that there was not more resolution at the end.
3.5 stars. How are half-stars not a thing yet?
I guess if you thought the addition of a whiny child would improve a thriller, you should read this and see how wrong you were.