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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
reflective
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:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
You might think this book is, like the title suggests, a predictable hike with little surprises along the way, but it turns out to be far from it. It twists and turns until the very end. It goes from being incredibly silly and funny to dark and harrowing, with an occasional emotional gut punch. It’s a book that is firing on all cylinders yet surprisingly manages to stay entertaining and cohesive all throughout to the end.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was THE Worst book I have ever read. I enjoyed his other books and writing on Deadspin, but this is just plain AWFUL! I've read other strange sci-fi like books like John Dies At The End etc. but this was beyond pointless and completely ridiculous.
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
The Hike is whimsical, fantastical and occasionally nightmarish, featuring giants, talking crabs, magic beans, human-rottweilers and murderous crickets. It all makes for an adventure that is subtly reminiscent of a video-game quest, but while wacky and fun, Ben's journey is also emotional and introspective.
Overall I enjoyed this, but felt the story started dragging unnecessarily toward the end. Apart from the pacing feeling odd at times, there's also no tidy conclusion to Ben's journey, ultimately making it feel like little more than a bizarre dream. Still, for someone with an open-mind, The Hike is charming and delightfully weird.
Overall I enjoyed this, but felt the story started dragging unnecessarily toward the end. Apart from the pacing feeling odd at times, there's also no tidy conclusion to Ben's journey, ultimately making it feel like little more than a bizarre dream. Still, for someone with an open-mind, The Hike is charming and delightfully weird.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book Review
“When I read the last few pages, I said, audibly, ‘holy shit.’” This, the text I received from my son when he finished the book 12 hours before me.
Later we talked about it in the phone and came to this conclusion, “I’m not sure I liked it but I’m not mad that I read it but I don’t know if I’d recommend it to anyone.” A truer statement has never been made.
Here’s what worked for me:
•It’s a wild fantasy in which the author leans in, in a sort of tongue-in-cheek way, to the world he creates.
•Cisco. This book was starving and Cisco arrived just in time to keep it from dying.
•The ending is a real holy shit moment, saving everything. (see above)
Here’s what didn’t work for me:
•Ben, our main character, is whiny and hard to like. I spent a good portion of the book wanting to slap him.
•It’s a bit corny.
Ben leaves home in Maryland to drive to Pennsylvania for a business meeting, his wife and three young kids at home, having the kind of harried response we’ve all had: thank god for a few minutes of peace and quiet.
That’s the farthest from what he finds.
Talking a hike through the woods on a path behind the hotel to clear his mind, Ben soon realizes he’s maybe entered another dimension…
He gets lost on a terrifying path through woods, oceans, ice, and deserts, all while being chased and tormented by a few dog faced men, a giant, some demons, enormous bugs, and forks in the path.
Along his quest, he’s helped by a crab and a Spanish explorer as well as an assortment of magical objects, all while seeking The Producer who might help him return home. At times it’s Alice in Wonderland, at others, a video game.
It’s a book about being lost, an existential journey akin to sliding doors. It makes no sense, it makes perfect sense.
Again, you should read it, but you might hate it while simultaneously loving it and cursing me for the suggestion.
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated