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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
This book was so much fun! I loved the main character, footnotes and all. It was fresh, interesting, quick, and not stupid. If you don't like this book, well, I feel sorry for you.
Fast-paced, gritty, and interesting. Reminds me of a Frank Miller tale (like Sin City) take that’s a little bit sick but also darkly funny. Some parts don’t read as realistic (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you get there), but are certainly creative and unexpected!!! I enjoyed this a lot when I wasn’t grossed out by some of the graphic details of blood and gore.
AH SO GOOD. Couldn't put it down. Laughed actually out loud.
Peter Brown is a doctor at Manhattan Catholic Hospital with a horrible secret in his past. He is part of the Federal Witness Protection Program. Raised by his grandparents, Pietro Brwna, as he was known as at that time, comes home to find them brutally murdered. Having nowhere else to go, he attends an exclusive prep school and becomes friends with Adam Locano, the son of a Mafia lawyer. The Locanos treat him like family and eventually, Peter becomes a member of the Mafia.
Things go fine for a while but then Peter meets Magdalena and wants out of the mob. It looks like he’ll be able to once he helps Adam get “made.” When Peter is tried for the murders he and Adam execute, he is offered a place in the Witness Protection Program, but refuses. Peter is acquitted and assumes things will be fine until Adam blames him for killing another member of the mob and targets Magdalena, her brother and Peter. Peter realizes then that he has to go undercover.
One day, while making his rounds in his new identity, Peter encounters a patient who knew him in the Mafia. The patient tells him that he has called someone so that Peter will be targeted if the patient dies. What happens after that is an action packed, thrilling ending.
Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell is a fast-paced thriller with a bit of a medical mystery thrown in. There are a lot of twists and turns in the story, but it’s not hard to follow the plot. Peter’s attitude reminded me a little bit of Dr. House. While I was reading this book, I could picture it being made into a movie. I really enjoyed it, even though it has some foul language and can get a bit gruesome at times. Gory scenes don’t usually bother me in a book, but I have to admit that the one at the end of this one made me cringe a little bit.
Josh Bazell is a medical resident, and he has a Bachelor’s in Writing. Beat the Reaper is his first novel. He included some interesting medical footnotes in this book. He is currently working on his second novel, and I can’t wait to read it. I wonder when he sleeps.
Things go fine for a while but then Peter meets Magdalena and wants out of the mob. It looks like he’ll be able to once he helps Adam get “made.” When Peter is tried for the murders he and Adam execute, he is offered a place in the Witness Protection Program, but refuses. Peter is acquitted and assumes things will be fine until Adam blames him for killing another member of the mob and targets Magdalena, her brother and Peter. Peter realizes then that he has to go undercover.
One day, while making his rounds in his new identity, Peter encounters a patient who knew him in the Mafia. The patient tells him that he has called someone so that Peter will be targeted if the patient dies. What happens after that is an action packed, thrilling ending.
Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell is a fast-paced thriller with a bit of a medical mystery thrown in. There are a lot of twists and turns in the story, but it’s not hard to follow the plot. Peter’s attitude reminded me a little bit of Dr. House. While I was reading this book, I could picture it being made into a movie. I really enjoyed it, even though it has some foul language and can get a bit gruesome at times. Gory scenes don’t usually bother me in a book, but I have to admit that the one at the end of this one made me cringe a little bit.
Josh Bazell is a medical resident, and he has a Bachelor’s in Writing. Beat the Reaper is his first novel. He included some interesting medical footnotes in this book. He is currently working on his second novel, and I can’t wait to read it. I wonder when he sleeps.
I pretty much adored this book.
It had everything including the kitchen sink and even jumped some sharks and I STILL loved this book!
Oh, and the end ... the end ... let me just tell you - no, no .. you go read this book to the bitter end and find out for yourself - simply AMAZING!
It had everything including the kitchen sink and even jumped some sharks and I STILL loved this book!
Oh, and the end ... the end ... let me just tell you - no, no .. you go read this book to the bitter end and find out for yourself - simply AMAZING!
nothing amazing, but pretty entertaining. Sarcastic and funny. And violent.
Couldn't put it down! I loved Josh Bazell's brash humor throughout this novel.
Very entertaining!
I listened to the book on tape the actor they hired to read is GREAT. Totally crazy and out there, but addictive, too.
I listened to the book on tape the actor they hired to read is GREAT. Totally crazy and out there, but addictive, too.
My star-rating system is incredibly subjective and seems to change every time I use it, but I was debating giving this two or three stars and thought..."three stars are usually for books that were enjoyable but forgettable" - and I'm not sure I would go that far with this one. I found myself undulating between boredom and interested with the random drops of information (such as...BASF has a history of Auschwitz III)...the story tended to veer in the "bored" realm, even though I did like the irreverent tone. I guess I'm just not really into mafia/mob stories.