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jean_4's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
elisabeth1st's review against another edition
4.0
I like this series and these characters. Like a bag of chips, once started you can't stop until the end. Very entertaining!
amygeek's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very well written book. The subject matter was difficult to me - it's from the perspective of a private detective brought in to try to find a missing child. It's dark and he's involved in a lot of dicey, violent situations. I don't typically read this kind of book but I did think it was a good book. If you like this type of scenario, it's probably a great book.
alienor's review against another edition
4.0
“In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself within a dark woods where the straight way was lost.” - Inferno, Dante
These books crawl under my skin. I always feel brave and strong while reading them because I seem to stomach everything but oh, look at how dumb you are, Anna.
They linger in me. My nightmares say it all. More than the what or the who or the how, the emotion flourishes deeper, digging into me and breaking my defenses.
These books haunt me - I can't find another word really. They haunt me with their sharp and hard take on the world. They feed my pessimism until I stop yelling NO MORE! NO MORE! They turn my stomach inside out. They move me. Scar me.
"Well, fine, my life's okay, but the world's still a pile of shit for most people. Even if my world is okay, the world is still a pile of evil shit.' You know?"
Their strength lies in the power they hold against my thoughts when I'm not reading.
[b:Gone, Baby, Gone|425123|Gone, Baby, Gone (Kenzie & Gennaro, #4)|Dennis Lehane|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388234938s/425123.jpg|1234238] deals with child abuse. Start with caution, please. Be warned. As usual, [a:Dennis Lehane|10289|Dennis Lehane|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1227580381p2/10289.jpg] will take your heart and squeeze, hard, until the darkness covers every tiny hope you were nurturing.
Who has the right to judge? Society? Individuals? As far as I have my answers - and yes, I quite agree with Patrick on this (not always, though), how flawed our reasoning can be - I know that there's no such thing as a right answer here. There's no such thing as a right choice, but shitty choices all the way. This complexity, always present in [a:Dennis Lehane|10289|Dennis Lehane|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1227580381p2/10289.jpg]'s book, is what make them so special in my heart. The world is not as Manichean as some people want us to think, even though it would be easier to deal with it if it was. Humans are selfish animals.
"Those who did remember probably shrugged off the chill of her memory, turned their heads down to the sports page or up toward the approaching bus. The world is a terrible place, they thought. Bad things happen every day. My bus is late."
Is the ability to forget inherent to the human being? Are we all trying to protect ourselves and those we love on an everyday basis? Maybe. Frankly, I'm not skilled enough to judge the world (who is?), and neither is [a:Dennis Lehane|10289|Dennis Lehane|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1227580381p2/10289.jpg] : what he offers us here is a portray of the kaleidoscope that is life, and it's brilliant.
Favorite, then? Well, this is awkward. This book is probably the favorite of many readers, and I expected that it would be the same for me. However, as you can infer from my 4 stars rating, [b:Gone, Baby, Gone|425123|Gone, Baby, Gone (Kenzie & Gennaro, #4)|Dennis Lehane|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388234938s/425123.jpg|1234238] lost the opportunity to uncrown [b:Darkness, Take My Hand|21681|Darkness, Take My Hand (Kenzie & Gennaro, #2)|Dennis Lehane|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392049150s/21681.jpg|1356228].
What makes this series so different for me? Definitely Patrick and Angie, the heart of the series, with their sarcastic and badass moves (also, Bubba). In the first half of [b:Gone, Baby, Gone|425123|Gone, Baby, Gone (Kenzie & Gennaro, #4)|Dennis Lehane|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388234938s/425123.jpg|1234238], it seemed to me that Patrick and Angie were only the shells of themselves.
As a standalone, I can't deny that it was an incredible book through and through, even though I found the first half quite slow. Yet it is not a standalone, but part of a series I LOVE, and during the first 50% I missed Patrick's quick mind and wit. I missed Angie's clever retorts. I've read the first three books in the span of 10 days, and I'm pretty sure I've got their spirit well in mind. They weren't quite there at first in my opinion. Except for Bubba. His parts were my little sunshine (I know, I'm such a psycho).
This being said, after passing the 60% mark, the characters finally gave me the usual feels and ... I love them. So much. It was painful. It was raw. Again, everything is more complex than it appears at first glance : it's almost ridiculous to see how many times [a:Dennis Lehane|10289|Dennis Lehane|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1227580381p2/10289.jpg] can surprise me. Damn. If I wasn't so engrossed in his stories, I'd be mad.
But now? I'm pretty sure I'm broken.
Ps. I said earlier that I would wait before starting the fifth book and as it is... I can't. I need more Bubba, more Patrick, and more Angie. Now even more.
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vance_31's review against another edition
5.0
This is the fourth book of Dennis Lehane's Kenzie and Gennaro series, but I learned that this can be read as a stand-alone novel, so I gave it a go.
I like this. The characters weren't that interesting for me, but they weren't bad. The pacing was... eh. S'okay. What I love the most here are the revelations and the ending. When it comes to these, Dennis Lehane never fails.
I was supposed to give thos book 4 stars, because it was a bit dragging and it doesn't have the charm of Shutter Island and Mystic River. But the ending was so good, I gave it 5 stars
I like this. The characters weren't that interesting for me, but they weren't bad. The pacing was... eh. S'okay. What I love the most here are the revelations and the ending. When it comes to these, Dennis Lehane never fails.
I was supposed to give thos book 4 stars, because it was a bit dragging and it doesn't have the charm of Shutter Island and Mystic River. But the ending was so good, I gave it 5 stars
tiffany596's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
joaniemaloney's review against another edition
4.0
Well, this was bleak.
At least I got my wish about this book being better than [b:Sacred|425124|Sacred (Kenzie & Gennaro, #3)|Dennis Lehane|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388234249s/425124.jpg|1352373]. It definitely was. I had more expectations coming into this one because of the film, actually! When I started the series, it was the recognition with this title that piqued my interest, along with the Kenzie/Gennaro partnership. So it was with some anticipation that I started this, and in terms of the plot and characters and everything, this book did not disappoint. Not at all.
No matter how dark the previous books got, I could depend on there being some hope, whether it's regarding the relationship with the characters or the case, but I felt pretty hopeless reading this. I knew the topic wouldn't be a happy one, especially with how gritty these cases get for these two, yet I still wasn't prepared. On top of everything, Patrick and Angie's relationship takes another turn, for better or worse, into something more serious. I mean, these kids aren't getting any older. I'm rooting for them with all of my heart and believe that they're meant to be, if it comes down to it, but Lehane doesn't make it easy. It's perfectly understandable with the sort of work they're doing, and frankly makes even more sense for them to quit after oh, I don't know, the 2nd book. The stakes are raised even higher in this one. What I've always liked best about these books were how fleshed out Patrick and Angie were, not just in relation to each other, but as individual characters. They exist beyond their work and their relationship. They both have their own demons to deal with, and seeing that come into play with everything they do is something special. Every case leaves them more scarred, and it carries over. The struggle can be painful at times but the conflict is done so well.
So far I'm having a tough time ranking the books I've read so far, but an easy choice is [b:Sacred|425124|Sacred (Kenzie & Gennaro, #3)|Dennis Lehane|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388234249s/425124.jpg|1352373] being at the bottom of that list. I'm weak for prequels/backstory/first books so by default [b:A Drink Before the War|21685|A Drink Before the War (Kenzie & Gennaro, #1)|Dennis Lehane|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386921356s/21685.jpg|22786] would sit on the top spot, and then it's really a near tie between [b:Darkness, Take My Hand|21681|Darkness, Take My Hand (Kenzie & Gennaro, #2)|Dennis Lehane|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392049150s/21681.jpg|1356228] and this. I can't choose between the two. As far as emotional rollercoasters go, they're the most intense ones, and there's this dread and emptiness that lingers a bit, but this one may have the slight edge. I think I may have to prepare myself a bit before seeing the film - still haven't seen it - because it was almost too much to read about. I'm a lot weaker with dealing with seeing something come alive on screen with the imagery and the sound, so I'll put it on hold.
I'm not sure whether I feel like a lot of time has passed since I started this series or whether none has passed a lot because I've been trying to read them so quickly, but I'm happy I decided to give Dennis Lehane a shot. Kenzie/Gennaro is now up there in terms of my favourite partnerships in fiction. I don't exactly have a concrete list, but they're up there. Just two more books left! :(
At least I got my wish about this book being better than [b:Sacred|425124|Sacred (Kenzie & Gennaro, #3)|Dennis Lehane|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388234249s/425124.jpg|1352373]. It definitely was. I had more expectations coming into this one because of the film, actually! When I started the series, it was the recognition with this title that piqued my interest, along with the Kenzie/Gennaro partnership. So it was with some anticipation that I started this, and in terms of the plot and characters and everything, this book did not disappoint. Not at all.
No matter how dark the previous books got, I could depend on there being some hope, whether it's regarding the relationship with the characters or the case, but I felt pretty hopeless reading this. I knew the topic wouldn't be a happy one, especially with how gritty these cases get for these two, yet I still wasn't prepared. On top of everything, Patrick and Angie's relationship takes another turn, for better or worse, into something more serious. I mean, these kids aren't getting any older. I'm rooting for them with all of my heart and believe that they're meant to be, if it comes down to it, but Lehane doesn't make it easy. It's perfectly understandable with the sort of work they're doing, and frankly makes even more sense for them to quit after oh, I don't know, the 2nd book. The stakes are raised even higher in this one. What I've always liked best about these books were how fleshed out Patrick and Angie were, not just in relation to each other, but as individual characters. They exist beyond their work and their relationship. They both have their own demons to deal with, and seeing that come into play with everything they do is something special. Every case leaves them more scarred, and it carries over. The struggle can be painful at times but the conflict is done so well.
So far I'm having a tough time ranking the books I've read so far, but an easy choice is [b:Sacred|425124|Sacred (Kenzie & Gennaro, #3)|Dennis Lehane|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388234249s/425124.jpg|1352373] being at the bottom of that list. I'm weak for prequels/backstory/first books so by default [b:A Drink Before the War|21685|A Drink Before the War (Kenzie & Gennaro, #1)|Dennis Lehane|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386921356s/21685.jpg|22786] would sit on the top spot, and then it's really a near tie between [b:Darkness, Take My Hand|21681|Darkness, Take My Hand (Kenzie & Gennaro, #2)|Dennis Lehane|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392049150s/21681.jpg|1356228] and this. I can't choose between the two. As far as emotional rollercoasters go, they're the most intense ones, and there's this dread and emptiness that lingers a bit, but this one may have the slight edge. I think I may have to prepare myself a bit before seeing the film - still haven't seen it - because it was almost too much to read about. I'm a lot weaker with dealing with seeing something come alive on screen with the imagery and the sound, so I'll put it on hold.
I'm not sure whether I feel like a lot of time has passed since I started this series or whether none has passed a lot because I've been trying to read them so quickly, but I'm happy I decided to give Dennis Lehane a shot. Kenzie/Gennaro is now up there in terms of my favourite partnerships in fiction. I don't exactly have a concrete list, but they're up there. Just two more books left! :(
sarkiste's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book. First of all reason for me to read this book was because I wanted to watch movie. I didn’t plan to read it just happens that I’ve got couple of Dennis Lehane’s books and even though I never got chance to read any of his books I love movie based on his book –Mystic River. So because I wanted to watch movie directed by Ben Affleck and I had this book (plus when it’s director’s favorite book you should read it) i decide to go for this one. It was fine. I like how concept of book was and the fact that this is mystery –crime book (first contemporary I’ve ever read) and that made to keep me up until very end was good job done. It’s written very real (missing better word here) but still kept nice writing style. I wanted change I go change you know. I liked his mane character Patrick Kenzie I find him very charismatic character. Not just him but also the author himself trough the words gives me feeling of charismatic person. IMO is 3,5 but between 3 and 4 I’ll give 4 because it’s very quality written.
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Svidela mi se ova knjiga. Pre svega razlog za čitanje ove knjige je bio jer sam želela da gledam film. Da sam planirala da je ničam ali se desilo da sam slučajno nabavila set knjiga Denisa Lehana i mada nikada nisam čitala ni jednu njegovu knjigu, obožavam film baziran na njegovoj knjizi Mistična Reka. Pa zbog svega toga (plus činjenice da je ovo omiljena knjiga reditelja filma Bena Afleka, a kada reditelj uradi adaptaciju svog omiljenog dela želiš da je pročitaš pre nego što gledaš) rešila sam da je pročitam. Fina knjiga. Svideo mi se koncept knjige i činjenica da kao misterija –krimi žanr (prvi savremeni koji sam ikada čitala) je uspela da me do kraja drži u neizvesnosti –do bukvalno pretposlednje glave ne znaš ko je oteo devojčicu, odlično odrađen posao. Napisana je jako realno (nemam bolju reč) a opet je uprkos psovkama i realnom govoru je uspela da zadrži lep stil. Svideo mi se glavni lik Patrik Kenzi, veoma harizmatičan lik. Ne samo da je on harizmatičan, već sam autor je kroz svoje reči meni stvorio sliku harizmatične osobe. Lično smatrm da je realna ocena 3,5 ali između 3 i 4 radije biram da dam 4 zbog lepog stila pisanja.
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Svidela mi se ova knjiga. Pre svega razlog za čitanje ove knjige je bio jer sam želela da gledam film. Da sam planirala da je ničam ali se desilo da sam slučajno nabavila set knjiga Denisa Lehana i mada nikada nisam čitala ni jednu njegovu knjigu, obožavam film baziran na njegovoj knjizi Mistična Reka. Pa zbog svega toga (plus činjenice da je ovo omiljena knjiga reditelja filma Bena Afleka, a kada reditelj uradi adaptaciju svog omiljenog dela želiš da je pročitaš pre nego što gledaš) rešila sam da je pročitam. Fina knjiga. Svideo mi se koncept knjige i činjenica da kao misterija –krimi žanr (prvi savremeni koji sam ikada čitala) je uspela da me do kraja drži u neizvesnosti –do bukvalno pretposlednje glave ne znaš ko je oteo devojčicu, odlično odrađen posao. Napisana je jako realno (nemam bolju reč) a opet je uprkos psovkama i realnom govoru je uspela da zadrži lep stil. Svideo mi se glavni lik Patrik Kenzi, veoma harizmatičan lik. Ne samo da je on harizmatičan, već sam autor je kroz svoje reči meni stvorio sliku harizmatične osobe. Lično smatrm da je realna ocena 3,5 ali između 3 i 4 radije biram da dam 4 zbog lepog stila pisanja.
deepakchecks's review against another edition
4.0
I am already familiar with the premise, as I've watched and loved the Ben Afflect directed movie. Hence, the suspense did not enthral me as it would have if it was the first time. Having said that, the writing was atmospheric (but I would say not as atmospheric as the James Ellroy ones), the characters well defined. What really defines a Dennis Lahane's work for me is the way the peculiar way the reveal is crafted - clues are delivered in the form of casual dialogues mostly in the early part of the book that you would most definitely won't care to remember, and we get to see the same thing in a different light towards the end pages of the book. A masterful work.
walkingtalkingeye's review against another edition
5.0
The second best book in the series after Darkness Take My Hand. This one had a twisting plot and there was a few times where I thought Lehane had written himself into a corner. I'd look at the pages remaining in the book and wonder "What else happens? Seems like it's wrapping up soon." Then it would take a turn and the plot would be even more twisted. Lehane is so good at this shit.