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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
Normally I really like police procedural stories, but this was very political and not for me. There was also a bunch of side stories and extra characters that made it very confusing. Didn't think I would need to make a chart to keep track of everyone. Riley is an okay character but comes off very immature in a few parts. I did not mind the graphic descriptions, the writing was good, but there was just a lot going on, and I honestly read for enjoyment not to learn a lesson about politics.
*Received an ARC from a goodreads giveaway*
*Received an ARC from a goodreads giveaway*
I wanted so badly to like this one. I love police procedurals, especially with female leads, AND this is set in the midwest, so it felt a little bit like home to me. However, it was so slow and so hard to read. I didn't feel like I cared much about the characters and I just felt confused more often than not. Thank you to Flatiron for the advanced copy!
I never thought that I'd be reading an agricultural thriller, but here we are! And these corn fields hold a loooot of secrets. We get a lot of different storylines in this book - varying from processing the trauma of a sexual assault to investigating the pharmaceutical drug trade to political espionage. At times I had some issues keeping all of the storylines straight, but I did feel like everything worked in the book. Some of the dialogue was a little clunky at times and the first 20% of the book was pretty slow for thriller standards. If you're a fan of Criminal Minds, you'll love the procedural elements of this book.
*Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*
*Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Fields by Erin Young (thriller) was a dark and gritty story set against the backdrop of industrial agriculture and rural poverty, embedded with so many twists and turns
Maybe 3.5. Fuck cops also when will a mystery thriller actually impress me???
ARC provided by Goodreads: solid start to a series. We got to know Riley and her go get them attitude. I am looking forward to the second book
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Trigger warnings: murder, death, blood, death of a friend, gun violence, car accident, rape (in the past), cannibalism
I picked this up because I'm trying to read a book set in each US state because sometimes I challenge myself to do stupid things and I needed something for Iowa and my library had this available bing bang boom SORTED.
Anyway. The blurb sounded intriguing, but I definitely didn't expect this to be as dark and as creepy as it was. This was downright unsettling, and while at times it DID feel like there were a few too many plot threads running simultaneously, this definitely kept me guessing and I absolutely did not see how it was going to play out coming at ALL. Wild.
I picked this up because I'm trying to read a book set in each US state because sometimes I challenge myself to do stupid things and I needed something for Iowa and my library had this available bing bang boom SORTED.
Anyway. The blurb sounded intriguing, but I definitely didn't expect this to be as dark and as creepy as it was. This was downright unsettling, and while at times it DID feel like there were a few too many plot threads running simultaneously, this definitely kept me guessing and I absolutely did not see how it was going to play out coming at ALL. Wild.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence
Minor: Rape
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I was pleasantly surprised by this. It felt kind of like a criminal minds episode on steroids, and I mean that in a good way. The reveals felt organic and I felt like I was realizing them at the same time as the protagonist, Sergeant Riley Fisher. I liked Riley just fine, although she could have done with a bit more personality.
I think it’s interesting that a lot of the reviews say they wanted less of the politics because I usually don’t like that in books, but thought they were really interesting in this one!!
My only complaint was that it started feeling like a few TOO many different threads needed to come together, and the end had to happen fast. Some of the storylines could have definitely been tightened up and combined, but the ending was still pretty satisfying.
I’m definitely interested to see where this series goes!!
I think it’s interesting that a lot of the reviews say they wanted less of the politics because I usually don’t like that in books, but thought they were really interesting in this one!!
My only complaint was that it started feeling like a few TOO many different threads needed to come together, and the end had to happen fast. Some of the storylines could have definitely been tightened up and combined, but the ending was still pretty satisfying.
I’m definitely interested to see where this series goes!!
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
As I got going on this one, I thought I was getting a tough female detective with a troubled past unraveling a series of murders that seem to involve a conspiracy, a serial killer, or both. That seemed promising enough that I overlooked some of the heavy-handed bad writing in the first few chapters. And because I was on vacation and convinced this book would redeem itself, I stuck with it to the bitter end.
What I got was corn. So much corn. Did you know they grow corn in Iowa? Boy does this British writer want to tell you all about that, and the evils of Big Agriculture, using as much corn-related imagery as she can stuff into this slow, too-long novel. The resolution of the central mystery? Ridiculous. Just so very dumb.
Do not recommend.
What I got was corn. So much corn. Did you know they grow corn in Iowa? Boy does this British writer want to tell you all about that, and the evils of Big Agriculture, using as much corn-related imagery as she can stuff into this slow, too-long novel. The resolution of the central mystery? Ridiculous. Just so very dumb.
Do not recommend.