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A review by antonio507
The Border by Don Winslow
4.0
ya know, every book has its strengths.
i wasn’t feeling the first 100 pages. i thought it was corny, ridiculous, and self-serious. but i kept on going and quickly found myself sucked in, and i mean sucked in. i was dumping 50 - 80 pages per sitting easily. sometimes more, upwards of 100. yeah, the book has some corny, over-the-top thriller moments. yeah, the characters are pretty thin, if distinct enough. but the plotting, the structure, the world. INCREDIBLY strong. the simple writing helps you not to get lost in the complexities of corruption and cartel politics. there’s a great forward momentum with each chapter, good surprises. it is a REALLY fucking engaging and entertaining story. if you want a comprehensive and complex account of the war on drugs, you’d best look elsewhere. i couldn’t tell ya where to start. but this does a really good job of prodding. it’s a fascinating, tragic, and frustrating world
if you’re a trumpie you might not like this. honestly i would argue that it’s a pretty straightforward depiction for the most part. if you don’t like the tweets... well, that’s how the guy tweets. as for the later, far more fictional turn later in the book, idk. wouldn’t be surprised if it was true. i would advise you not to put it away though cause it’s a lot of fun and it says a lot of important things
i wasn’t feeling the first 100 pages. i thought it was corny, ridiculous, and self-serious. but i kept on going and quickly found myself sucked in, and i mean sucked in. i was dumping 50 - 80 pages per sitting easily. sometimes more, upwards of 100. yeah, the book has some corny, over-the-top thriller moments. yeah, the characters are pretty thin, if distinct enough. but the plotting, the structure, the world. INCREDIBLY strong. the simple writing helps you not to get lost in the complexities of corruption and cartel politics. there’s a great forward momentum with each chapter, good surprises. it is a REALLY fucking engaging and entertaining story. if you want a comprehensive and complex account of the war on drugs, you’d best look elsewhere. i couldn’t tell ya where to start. but this does a really good job of prodding. it’s a fascinating, tragic, and frustrating world
if you’re a trumpie you might not like this. honestly i would argue that it’s a pretty straightforward depiction for the most part. if you don’t like the tweets... well, that’s how the guy tweets. as for the later, far more fictional turn later in the book, idk. wouldn’t be surprised if it was true. i would advise you not to put it away though cause it’s a lot of fun and it says a lot of important things