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podcast_buecherreich's review against another edition
4.0
Actionreich und kurzweilig. Man fiebert mit dem unsicheren "Antihelden" Oskari mit, dass er den Präsidenten retten wird.
bethanymiller415's review
2.0
The word that comes to mind to sum up this book is generic. You would think that the setting, a remote village in the mountains of Finland, would add a unique twist to this action novel, but so little detail is given that the place of the novel just feels like a generic wilderness. The main character Oskari is a part of a tribe that has a coming of age ritual in which the boy must go out into the wilderness and kill something with the ceremonial bow. The animal that he kills is supposed to represent what kind of man he will become. Not much more detail is give about the Tribe and its rituals beyond that, so again it has the feeling of a generic version of a white person’s idea of what native people might do. Because Oskari is smaller and weaker than the other boys his age, no one (including his father) thinks that he will succeed in killing anything. However, Oskari stumbles upon something much bigger and more important than simple wildlife. He stumbles upon an escape pod containing the President of the United States! The President has been sold out by some of the people he trusts most in the world, and it’s up to Oskari to help him escape the vaguely Middle Eastern man who is now hunting him.
Though this novel is jam packed with action, I didn’t find it all that exciting. Action movie tropes abound, and the characters are all very two dimensional. Many of the plot twists strain credibility. From what I gather, this is a novelization of a movie that recently came out, so that could drum up some additional interest. Optional purchase where adventure and survival fiction is popular with the middle school crowd.
Though this novel is jam packed with action, I didn’t find it all that exciting. Action movie tropes abound, and the characters are all very two dimensional. Many of the plot twists strain credibility. From what I gather, this is a novelization of a movie that recently came out, so that could drum up some additional interest. Optional purchase where adventure and survival fiction is popular with the middle school crowd.
dean_o's review
2.0
Meeeh.
Maybe I'm just too old or logical thinking for this book but come on...
As if the President would be that stupid, as if the kid could survive all this destruction, as if it would be so easy to plot against the White House. Yeah, no.
Also, where are the girls? Where are the women in this town? They surely haven't all died?
Well maybe they fled because of their stupid husbands, I would understand it.
Maybe I'm just too old or logical thinking for this book but come on...
As if the President would be that stupid, as if the kid could survive all this destruction, as if it would be so easy to plot against the White House. Yeah, no.
Also, where are the girls? Where are the women in this town? They surely haven't all died?
Well maybe they fled because of their stupid husbands, I would understand it.
bookbint's review against another edition
3.0
It is for teens and a great concept. I loved 12yrold Oskari's character. Bought up to hunt and fend for himself his trial to become a man starts the day before his 13th birthday. Heading out into the wildernessafter a ceremony, things soon become move important than trying to shoot an elk with the traditional now. He is fighting to survive and he isn't alone! Greatly recommended to 11+ I really enjoyed it but was a bit predictable.
moma's review against another edition
3.0
For the Dutch market, this book shall be a little to painful, because the way AFO was shot down, reminds of Flight MH17. Overall, the story is thrilling and easy to read.
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