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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
This book was far too long and the plot was overly convoluted - cutting the book in half would have been an improvement. But the issue that really bothered me was that this book was in the first person POV, from Reacher's perspective.
Park of what's interesting about Reacher is that he's hard to read (pun intended). You're never quite sure what's going through his head, and that brings a pleasing element of tension to these stories. Our lack of access to his interiority adds to his air of mystery. Unfortunately, using the first person both strips away some of his mystique (apparently some of his thoughts are rah rah support the troops-style patriotism, which, as a veteran myself, gets boring in a hurry) and is also totally useless, in that it didn't add anything to the story.
As the concept of using sensitivity readers becomes more and more accepted and even expected in the publishing industry, I'd like it if veterans were included in the category of those characters needing sensitivity reads. If only so that I can avoid cringing when I read things like "You won the Purple Heart that day." Admittedly, it's the villain who says this, but he's not corrected, so for the record please note that medals are never won, only received, and that goes doubly so for the Purple Heart, which a service member only receives if they've been wounded in combat. That's not a win, that's just a really bad day.
Park of what's interesting about Reacher is that he's hard to read (pun intended). You're never quite sure what's going through his head, and that brings a pleasing element of tension to these stories. Our lack of access to his interiority adds to his air of mystery. Unfortunately, using the first person both strips away some of his mystique (apparently some of his thoughts are rah rah support the troops-style patriotism, which, as a veteran myself, gets boring in a hurry) and is also totally useless, in that it didn't add anything to the story.
As the concept of using sensitivity readers becomes more and more accepted and even expected in the publishing industry, I'd like it if veterans were included in the category of those characters needing sensitivity reads. If only so that I can avoid cringing when I read things like "You won the Purple Heart that day." Admittedly, it's the villain who says this, but he's not corrected, so for the record please note that medals are never won, only received, and that goes doubly so for the Purple Heart, which a service member only receives if they've been wounded in combat. That's not a win, that's just a really bad day.
I've read 6 books written by Lee Child this year and that's the reason i picked this book, expecting the thrill i had while reading the other books
This book just wasn't it
This book just wasn't it
Приятен трилър със сравнително изненадващи плот-туистс. Не се чете на един дъх, но не разочарова.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was the weakest in the series for me. Just couldn’t connect to it.
The writing in this is so awful that I finally had to abandon it, and I’m not even going to count it as a book read. Not only is the sentence structure not like the usual Jack Reacher, but even the internal tone, his sudden sense of uncertainty, it’s all off.
It simply doesn’t sound like Reacher,
It simply doesn’t sound like Reacher,
3 stars...barely. Reacher is continuing the trend, under the "new administration," to be chattier than he has been historically and also his motives are getting a bit muddier.
Is it still an ok beach read, sure, but it misses some of the purity of when the books were just being written by Lee Child. I understand Andrew wanting to put his own imprint on the character, I'm just not sure the changes are for the better.
Is it still an ok beach read, sure, but it misses some of the purity of when the books were just being written by Lee Child. I understand Andrew wanting to put his own imprint on the character, I'm just not sure the changes are for the better.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Maybe better than the last one? Still a stretch of credulity to believe the story and Reacher’s involvement in it. Child has always played the coincidence card, deliberately and quite tongue in cheek at times, but this was quite the sequence of unlikely events and connections.
More than a few plot holes and some characters who I have no recollection of being in previous books (the FBI guy?) who go way above and beyond to help?
More than a few plot holes and some characters who I have no recollection of being in previous books (the FBI guy?) who go way above and beyond to help?
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the better entries in the largely disappointing latter half of this series. Might just wrap up the few left to be done with the series for now.
I fully recommend getting into these books, at least they first dozen or more are pretty excellent, and there are still some surprises to be found in the modern stuff however diminishing those returns appear to be.
I fully recommend getting into these books, at least they first dozen or more are pretty excellent, and there are still some surprises to be found in the modern stuff however diminishing those returns appear to be.