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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Maybe it's the current state of the world but I truly could not care less about the rich and famous being kidnapped.
I enjoyed the descriptive writing style but the ending was too abrupt and the story felt unfinished.
Set during the 1964 Cold war and Simba rebellion in the eastern Congo. Beloved movie star Katie Barstow hosts an all-expenses-paid photo safari to Kenya with her new husband, David Hill; her brother, Billy Stepanov; Billy’s pregnant wife, Margie; and their friends, including the actors Terrance Dutton and Carmen Tedesco, and Carmen’s husband, Felix Demeter. Shortly after they arrive, the group and their guides are kidnapped. Their captors are Russian with noms de guerre taken from American astronauts.
I have mixed feelings about this one, perhaps because I don’t want to believe how the animals in Africa behaved as if every human was seen as prey. There was a lot of violence and the kidnapping took a while to be revealed and then the book was over.
This teetered between 3-4 stars for me. Very engrossing. A lot of utilization of flashbacks (that sometimes I do not love) but it worked here. Also liked the different character perspectives (but do not get too attached). Good book for a train ride.
Tragic and suspenseful. Really excellent narration.
Think up a bunch of colorful characters (say, a 1960’s Hollywood movie star and her entourage), and place them in a vivid wilderness landscape brimming with both wonder and danger (say, on safari in remote East Africa). Tell us about key moments in these characters’ previous lives in ways that make us love them, admire them, or, if some prove worthy of our disdain, at least understand their pressing drives and motivations. Then, one by one, put each of these characters through the most wrenching, life-or-death ordeals imaginable to see how they react under severe duress.
This is the basic recipe for The Lioness, an irresistible character-based thriller plated and served up to perfection by a master novelist at the top of his game. It seems like it must have been fun to write. It’s surely fun to read, though it’s also a dark and profound contemplation of the decisive effects of cowardice and courage that recalls and explicitly evokes some of Hemingway’s great fiction set in the same part of Africa. This novel gets my highest recommendation!
This is the basic recipe for The Lioness, an irresistible character-based thriller plated and served up to perfection by a master novelist at the top of his game. It seems like it must have been fun to write. It’s surely fun to read, though it’s also a dark and profound contemplation of the decisive effects of cowardice and courage that recalls and explicitly evokes some of Hemingway’s great fiction set in the same part of Africa. This novel gets my highest recommendation!
Every time I read a new Chris Bohjalian book, I love it more than the last. The Lioness published in May.
It’s set in 1960s Tanzania when an actress and her new husband honeymoon there, also bringing some of their friends along for the “adventure.” The suspense starts at the very beginning and never lets go.
No spoilers, but the synopsis mentions a kidnapping and other attacks. Needless to say, this exciting trip becomes more exciting than the vacationers had in mind.
The Lioness is full of plot, and the characters are well-developed, too, even though it’s a larger cast. There are twists and turns I found unexpected throughout.
This book is a graphic, haunting, dark, and chilling adventure. I loved the Old Hollywood glamour and time period because it added so much richness to the storytelling. I just read this one has been optioned for television, and I cannot wait to see it on screen!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
It’s set in 1960s Tanzania when an actress and her new husband honeymoon there, also bringing some of their friends along for the “adventure.” The suspense starts at the very beginning and never lets go.
No spoilers, but the synopsis mentions a kidnapping and other attacks. Needless to say, this exciting trip becomes more exciting than the vacationers had in mind.
The Lioness is full of plot, and the characters are well-developed, too, even though it’s a larger cast. There are twists and turns I found unexpected throughout.
This book is a graphic, haunting, dark, and chilling adventure. I loved the Old Hollywood glamour and time period because it added so much richness to the storytelling. I just read this one has been optioned for television, and I cannot wait to see it on screen!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader