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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
This book was disappointing. I never really got into it. I've read some Kathy Reichs books before and this one wasn't a good one. It goes into Da Vinci Code territory- theories of Jesus' having a family etc..It did take me a while to figure out who was behind everything, but that person ended up being a boring character too. Everything was wrapped up too neatly at the end. Which I don't like.
Wow... I usually don't write reviews, but this book has got me a but riled, so here goes:
There are so many things I did not like about this book. I listened to this on audiobook. At least the narrator was better than the previous ones in the series, though she too mispronounced some words. I think the French-English is a bit too much for most narrators. And in this book there was also Hebrew. The narrator did a respectable job :-)
This book really rubbed me wrong. Like so many others have mentioned, the author uses cheap-thrill techniques to keep you going, like having Tempe "discover" something, which is absolutely mind blowing, but not telling you what it is until 5 pages (or chapters) later. If the plotline were interesting enough, she wouldn't have to use these stupid cliffhangers. Also, the back-and-forth of unanswered calls, emails, questions - just a cheap ploy to fill in additional pages. At least in this book a close friend/relative of Tempe wasn't in jeopardy. That was getting really ridiculous.
There are may forced things going on - Tempe and Ryan travelling together, Tempe's buddy Jake (a very unsympathetic character in his own right) paying for her trip... too many subplots, too many unimportant characters. Just feels like she was trying to fill up paper.
The plus for me was the scientific stuff - I like how she uses DNA and other techniques, and I think she basically explains them well (though a bit condescendingly). But in this case, it was repetitive. Also - how do you not check your email when you're expecting a lab result?
I can't say I like the characters too much. I have been listening to the series from the beginning and I find Tempe very annoying. She behaves like a child a lot of the time (especially romantically, with Ryan, though in this book, she finally grew up a bit), has no respect for her own limitations and a very high regard for her own intelligence. She puts herself in serious danger all the time, and there's no real excuse for that, if you remember her job description. It's ironic that the author constantly blasts TV series like CSI, Law&Order, etc, for making audiences think that technicians also do detective work, when she herself uses a forensic anthropologist as a lead detective. This is just one example of how the author is forever dropping hints about her own pet-peeves, beliefs and prejudices. One example is the slamming of cop shows. In this book. what I found to be very transparent is the author's dislike of Israel and Jews in general. She portrays the Israeli government as though it is willfully withholding evidence, and the official offices as full of nasty people. Even her physical descriptions of Jewish people are offensive - ear poking, mustachioed, mean-tempered, unattractive women mostly; corrupt, belligerent men, as well. Her description of Israel as a dangerous warzone is not only wrong, it is also prejudiced, and she uses her picture of the city to very clearly show her biased political leanings. Her description of the Chevra Kadisha are also biased, and though some of their actions are objectionable to me as well, her portrayal of them is harmful and unfair. Note, also, that throughout the book, it is only the Jewish guys/girls who are depicted negatively. She makes some lame attempt to appear fair by including some mysterious Palestinian men who are following her around, but that evaporates quickly, as does the suspicion of an Arab guy trashing her hotel room. I don't usually take books too personally, but this seemed really glaring to me.
There are so many things I did not like about this book. I listened to this on audiobook. At least the narrator was better than the previous ones in the series, though she too mispronounced some words. I think the French-English is a bit too much for most narrators. And in this book there was also Hebrew. The narrator did a respectable job :-)
This book really rubbed me wrong. Like so many others have mentioned, the author uses cheap-thrill techniques to keep you going, like having Tempe "discover" something, which is absolutely mind blowing, but not telling you what it is until 5 pages (or chapters) later. If the plotline were interesting enough, she wouldn't have to use these stupid cliffhangers. Also, the back-and-forth of unanswered calls, emails, questions - just a cheap ploy to fill in additional pages. At least in this book a close friend/relative of Tempe wasn't in jeopardy. That was getting really ridiculous.
There are may forced things going on - Tempe and Ryan travelling together, Tempe's buddy Jake (a very unsympathetic character in his own right) paying for her trip... too many subplots, too many unimportant characters. Just feels like she was trying to fill up paper.
The plus for me was the scientific stuff - I like how she uses DNA and other techniques, and I think she basically explains them well (though a bit condescendingly). But in this case, it was repetitive. Also - how do you not check your email when you're expecting a lab result?
I can't say I like the characters too much. I have been listening to the series from the beginning and I find Tempe very annoying. She behaves like a child a lot of the time (especially romantically, with Ryan, though in this book, she finally grew up a bit), has no respect for her own limitations and a very high regard for her own intelligence. She puts herself in serious danger all the time, and there's no real excuse for that, if you remember her job description. It's ironic that the author constantly blasts TV series like CSI, Law&Order, etc, for making audiences think that technicians also do detective work, when she herself uses a forensic anthropologist as a lead detective. This is just one example of how the author is forever dropping hints about her own pet-peeves, beliefs and prejudices. One example is the slamming of cop shows. In this book. what I found to be very transparent is the author's dislike of Israel and Jews in general. She portrays the Israeli government as though it is willfully withholding evidence, and the official offices as full of nasty people. Even her physical descriptions of Jewish people are offensive - ear poking, mustachioed, mean-tempered, unattractive women mostly; corrupt, belligerent men, as well. Her description of Israel as a dangerous warzone is not only wrong, it is also prejudiced, and she uses her picture of the city to very clearly show her biased political leanings. Her description of the Chevra Kadisha are also biased, and though some of their actions are objectionable to me as well, her portrayal of them is harmful and unfair. Note, also, that throughout the book, it is only the Jewish guys/girls who are depicted negatively. She makes some lame attempt to appear fair by including some mysterious Palestinian men who are following her around, but that evaporates quickly, as does the suspicion of an Arab guy trashing her hotel room. I don't usually take books too personally, but this seemed really glaring to me.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was looking for more pages. I still don't know how Masada Max was. I might have to take my frustrations out by writing something about him.
I am always thrilled by Kathy Reichs work. I have been a fan since I discovered Bones was based on her books. her writing style is scientifically accurate and manages not to make me feel talked down to.
I really hope that some day the truth of Masada Max may be known. I also understand it if it never is. Some things are too sacred.
I am always thrilled by Kathy Reichs work. I have been a fan since I discovered Bones was based on her books. her writing style is scientifically accurate and manages not to make me feel talked down to.
I really hope that some day the truth of Masada Max may be known. I also understand it if it never is. Some things are too sacred.
Hier haben wir einen Fall, wo Tempe wegen eines Skeletts nach Israel fliegt. Sie betreibt dort sozusagen wieder Archäologie, während sie sich mit der Religion, Verfolgung und Mord auseinander setzen muss. Teilweise werden die Theorien sehr skuriel, ich verstehen den Vergleich zu Brown daher gut. Man hat dennoch einige Informationen bekommen, aber der Killer am Ende hat mich doch enttäuscht, da es irgendwie zu einfach war - schließlich war Liebe bzw Eifersucht das Tatmotiv.
I was really hoping this was gonna be a good book..and I was excitied to read it BUT..it was really bad, it took me like 2 weeks to read it!
"Read" this as a book on tape. It wasn't as good as I hoped, but was still intriguing. I probably would have liked it more if the reader was better.
Not one of Kathy Reichs better efforts. I should have stopped reading it, but kept hoping it would get better. Too much like a bad DaVinci Code. Best part of the book was the afterward, where Reichs describes how the book came about.
Not a terribly deep book by general literature standards, and certainly intended to ride the Da Vinci Code hype (at one point in the story the main character even reads what can only be The Da Vinci Code on a flight), but I enjoyed it more than the other Bones series book I read, and also felt like I gained a lot of insight into daily life in modern Israel / Palestine and learned some things I wouldn't have known otherwise. And even though this wasn't your typical police / forensic procedural novel (as other commenters have said -- very mild spoiler alert -- there are a lot of loose ends when it's over), I liked some of the questions it raised: What is the value of unique archaeological artifacts, especially when weighed against current human life? When certain claims of faith are verifiable by scientific means, is it reasonable for religions to destroy evidence so that the "truth" doesn't have to be altered? How do even well-meaning religious practices cause problems when it comes to truly "doing the right thing"?