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A review by thepeachmartini
The Boy from Reactor 4 by Orest Stelmach
3.0
Initially I purchased this because a portion of the proceeds went towards the Chernobyl Children's Project International organization. After reading the synopsis, I wasn’t sure what to expect – hockey, Ukrainian and Russian mafia members, Chernobyl references – how on Earth can you fit all that into one plot?!
The chapters in this book are VERY short – like two pages and then you’re on to the next chapter; this makes it very tricky to keep up with the different vantage points in the book – you’re never quite sure who the narrator is.
Back to the story line – some parts are easy to predict what happens, and the prologue of the book already gives away the ending, which is a little disappointing. I really enjoyed, though, how the author explained a lot of the cultural references, or the historical significance of many of the locations or events. If anything, perhaps it will give readers a renewed interest in the Chernobyl accident and the aftermath which still plagues the country today. There is an interesting depiction of Ukrainian culture - corruption and greed, which seems to plague the government even today.
The characters of “the good guys” (Nadia, Adam, Damian, and the array of folks who help them along the way) are likeable enough, but you still question their motives. No one helps for the sake of helping or out of care – there are always ulterior motives and hidden agendas. Of course, those characters portraying the Ukrainian and Russian mafia are not to be liked – they are ruthless, cold-blooded, and money-hungry. There is definitely some foul language to deal with – so be warned of that. There are some violent scenes as well, though nothing that would traumatize you after reading them.
Overall, it was a decent read…Would I pick it up again? I’m not sure. Would I recommend it to others? Maybe, depending on their interests.
The chapters in this book are VERY short – like two pages and then you’re on to the next chapter; this makes it very tricky to keep up with the different vantage points in the book – you’re never quite sure who the narrator is.
Back to the story line – some parts are easy to predict what happens, and the prologue of the book already gives away the ending, which is a little disappointing. I really enjoyed, though, how the author explained a lot of the cultural references, or the historical significance of many of the locations or events. If anything, perhaps it will give readers a renewed interest in the Chernobyl accident and the aftermath which still plagues the country today. There is an interesting depiction of Ukrainian culture - corruption and greed, which seems to plague the government even today.
The characters of “the good guys” (Nadia, Adam, Damian, and the array of folks who help them along the way) are likeable enough, but you still question their motives. No one helps for the sake of helping or out of care – there are always ulterior motives and hidden agendas. Of course, those characters portraying the Ukrainian and Russian mafia are not to be liked – they are ruthless, cold-blooded, and money-hungry. There is definitely some foul language to deal with – so be warned of that. There are some violent scenes as well, though nothing that would traumatize you after reading them.
Overall, it was a decent read…Would I pick it up again? I’m not sure. Would I recommend it to others? Maybe, depending on their interests.