Scan barcode
emckeon1002's review against another edition
3.0
Hard to pull your eyes away from this one, but one wonders how, with forty or fifty words on a page, Winslow could consider this something other than a film outline. Considering his other estimable novels on the Mexican drug cartel, this is a trifle.
kinx128's review against another edition
4.0
Savages is a fast-paced, sexy thrill-ride through the drug wars of southern California. It is violent and bloody, and a fantastic read. The story revolves around a trio of friends who care about nothing, except getting high and each other. It is amazing the lengths they will go to save another. They will literally sacrifice everything for each other.
The entire story revolves around Ben and Chon trying to save Ophelia from the Baja Cartel. Ben, Chon and O have great chemistry. I found it to be a unique love story based on action and not sentiment. These characters are very flawed but have complete trust and loyalty to one another. Even though Ben, Chon and O have serious faults, you still like them and want them to win in the end.
Winslow succeeded in creating very unique and tough characters. O could have been a character that grated on your nerves that nails on a chalk board. However, her resilience and trust in “her boys” is admirable. Chon never knew he had any feelings for anyone until Ben and O are threatened. Ben’s transformation is the most disturbing of the three. He starts as pacifist, philanthropist and ends as a killer. I felt he paid the ultimate price for his lifestyle and his friends.
The dialogue was written incredibly well. Winslow didn’t bog down the story with a lot of description. It is mostly dialogue between the characters. He is able to maintain the story’s fast pace this way. You are not slowed down by any unnecessary details. I did enjoy Winslow’s little political diatribes throughout the book. He used Chon as his venting tool.
In no way, shape or form does Winslow romanticize the drug cartels. They are a nasty bunch of people. Lado is a soulless greedy bastard. No redeeming qualities at all. The bloodshed caused by the cartels is unfathomable. Winslow captured the incredible violence caused by the drug wars. It is sad and devastating.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a really fast read and I highly recommend it!
The entire story revolves around Ben and Chon trying to save Ophelia from the Baja Cartel. Ben, Chon and O have great chemistry. I found it to be a unique love story based on action and not sentiment. These characters are very flawed but have complete trust and loyalty to one another. Even though Ben, Chon and O have serious faults, you still like them and want them to win in the end.
Winslow succeeded in creating very unique and tough characters. O could have been a character that grated on your nerves that nails on a chalk board. However, her resilience and trust in “her boys” is admirable. Chon never knew he had any feelings for anyone until Ben and O are threatened. Ben’s transformation is the most disturbing of the three. He starts as pacifist, philanthropist and ends as a killer. I felt he paid the ultimate price for his lifestyle and his friends.
The dialogue was written incredibly well. Winslow didn’t bog down the story with a lot of description. It is mostly dialogue between the characters. He is able to maintain the story’s fast pace this way. You are not slowed down by any unnecessary details. I did enjoy Winslow’s little political diatribes throughout the book. He used Chon as his venting tool.
In no way, shape or form does Winslow romanticize the drug cartels. They are a nasty bunch of people. Lado is a soulless greedy bastard. No redeeming qualities at all. The bloodshed caused by the cartels is unfathomable. Winslow captured the incredible violence caused by the drug wars. It is sad and devastating.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a really fast read and I highly recommend it!
sandin954's review against another edition
4.0
Highly entertaining thriller set in Southern California with an interesting plot about the drug trade that combined graphic violence, sex, and humor. The author is one of my favorites and I loved the writing style he used for this book. Listened to the audio version which was narrated by Michael Kramer who did an excellent job.
amycrea's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like I should give this a higher rating, because truthfully I tore right through it, could hardly put it down. It's got some characterization and style issues, and some loose plot points, which is what dropped it to a 3 for me. And yet, a really fun romp. In a very dark way.
sandin954's review against another edition
4.0
Highly entertaining thriller set in Southern California with an interesting plot about the drug trade that combined graphic violence, sex, and humor. The author is one of my favorites and I loved the writing style he used for this book. Listened to the audio version which was narrated by Michael Kramer who did an excellent job.
yoe's review against another edition
3.0
I couldn't decide if I hated or loved this book.
His writing threw me off it's so different, but I enjoyed that. I found his quirky, fast style fascinating and entertaining. His prose was beautiful and at times irreverent (and explicit). It was by far my favorite part of the book.
The story is also interesting, if maybe a bit frustrating.
And yet, overall, I did not like it.
His writing threw me off it's so different, but I enjoyed that. I found his quirky, fast style fascinating and entertaining. His prose was beautiful and at times irreverent (and explicit). It was by far my favorite part of the book.
The story is also interesting, if maybe a bit frustrating.
And yet, overall, I did not like it.
smit1286's review against another edition
2.0
I was hoping for more out of this book given some of the media it received. I was let down. I didn't particularly care about any of the characters and the main girl annoyed me to no end. It seemed as though the book may have been trying to make a statement about how people become "savages" or what is perceived to be a savage, but it wasn't done in a way that was very interesting to me. The over-the-top hip writing was distracting to me and I felt like the author was trying to hard. And, maybe this will make me sound like a prude, but all the sexual talk during the first 2/3 of the book kind of eeked me out and was a turn off.
pattydsf's review against another edition
2.0
I am still trying to figure out what I thought of this book. I am not sure if I would have finished this if it had not been such a quick read. There were 290 chapters in 302 pages and lots of white space - so very quick.
I have never read Don Winslow before so I don't know if this book is typical of his writing. I wish I knew more about his style because World Cat labels this book humorous fiction and I found nothing humorous in a book where there is so much blood shed. Some of the social commentary might be considered humorous, but I spent so much time being appalled that my sense of humor deserted me.
This story is about a hostile takeover of a drug company. The drug company makes the best dope in California. Even the "good guys" are bad guys in this story. For me there were no sympathetic characters.
I suspect that if you liked the movie Pulp Fiction (which I never saw) you might really like this book - black humor with lots of death. Since I like staying abreast of what our patrons read, this was not a total waste. But it will never make my favorites list.
Since I am reading this for The Morning News Tournament of Books, I am now prepared to root for The Finkler Question during the opening round. Although I have not read The Finkler Question yet, it has a couple of things in its favor - it won the Booker and it is scheduled to go up against Savages. I want Savages out of the running as soon as possible.
I have never read Don Winslow before so I don't know if this book is typical of his writing. I wish I knew more about his style because World Cat labels this book humorous fiction and I found nothing humorous in a book where there is so much blood shed. Some of the social commentary might be considered humorous, but I spent so much time being appalled that my sense of humor deserted me.
This story is about a hostile takeover of a drug company. The drug company makes the best dope in California. Even the "good guys" are bad guys in this story. For me there were no sympathetic characters.
I suspect that if you liked the movie Pulp Fiction (which I never saw) you might really like this book - black humor with lots of death. Since I like staying abreast of what our patrons read, this was not a total waste. But it will never make my favorites list.
Since I am reading this for The Morning News Tournament of Books, I am now prepared to root for The Finkler Question during the opening round. Although I have not read The Finkler Question yet, it has a couple of things in its favor - it won the Booker and it is scheduled to go up against Savages. I want Savages out of the running as soon as possible.
kaylecorey's review against another edition
4.0
Quick, unique read. I probably won't ever read it again, but it captivated me for the brief time it took to read.