Reviews

The Midnight Line by Lee Child

revveryerin's review against another edition

adventurous relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

alyssabug711's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Reacher is my favorite thriller star, so I’m always impartial to his adventures. This one is a bit repetitive, but also fascinating in how it unravels narratively and how it explores the good and evil of opiates. The injured veteran angle complicates preconceptions of addiction. I found myself confronting my own biases and trying to see such challenges with more empathy.

Child is brilliant at hinting at character emotions and understandings without having to spoon-feed them to us. Reacher doesn’t say much, doesn’t offer much of what he’s thinking, but somehow…we know. We feel it and we understand it. We’re kept at a distance, yet we feel right there next to him, absorbing the world the way he sees it. 

There are true villains in this novel, yet law enforcement kind of bounces between “good” and “bad.” It is a help and a hindrance, working to stop illegality but roadblocking efforts to assist a woman relying on opioids to manage her pain and just generally function. This shifting grey morality is probably the element that most enticed me while reading. 

Also…that tumblr dryer scene. I literally think about it all the time. Love. 💅

debbiecollectsbooks's review against another edition

4.0

This was another great Jack Reacher novel!

kord's review

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

blindracer's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.25

malvaljun's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

lelia_t's review against another edition

3.0

Thoroughly enjoyable! I've tried to read two other Reacher books in the past, but didn't find them interesting enough to finish. Every other line seemed to be, "Reacher said nothing." And he seemed to think nothing, also. So I was quite surprised to find this book completely engaging. "Reacher said nothing" only one time, by my count. And he had lots of thoughts and insights to make him interesting. Plus, the sex scene was only a couple of paragraphs and highlighted Reacher's tenderness, rather than the prolonged scenes in the other books that gave an impression of stamina but no imagination.

mjporterauthor's review against another edition

5.0

There are not that many books that I will pay full 'hardback' price for when I'm reading on my kindle. Jack Reacher is one of them (as is Robin Hobb and Mark Lawrence). Each book should be a bit of a treat, and I confess, I was disappointed with last year's entry into the series. I found it both far too dark (literally - it was about the Dark Web) and really quite dull, not at all up to the usual Jack Reacher standard.
Fear not, I feel that The Midnight Line is back to 'proper' service. Reacher allows himself to get caught up in something, that as usual, is really none of his business, but I guess when your ambling around the US just going places, there is a luxury in being able to resolve a conundrum when it presents itself - something that most of us can only do via Google (other search platforms are available).
His accomplices are a good mix and the storyline ambles along at a regular pace. There is some action, there is a lot of driving (not by Reacher) and the vastness of the landscapes explored are cunningly depicted.
I was really quite 'hooked' from about 30% in.
More of this please.

taralynn1's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-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

3.75

mdinos's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

4.0