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A review by miraboo
Fire on the Island by Timothy Jay Smith
1.0
Honestly? This book was bad. And I have many thoughts about it. This has mild spoilers!!
First of all it was boring, the pacing felt kind of off, and most of the characters weren't built well enough to keep the reader interested in their stories, when they weren't outright despicable like in the case of the priest.
Furthermore if you're going to write a book about a culture you're not part of, and I place you haven't properly experienced, research is of the outmost importance. As a Greek person I can say that it is more than obvious that Timothy Jay Smith did not conduct said research.
From the Greek words that are written wrong and that have no reason for being not written in English (a café is still a café whether you write it in English or call it a kafeneio) to the incorrect description of island life. Can and do the issues (such as homophobia or xenophobia etc) that center the story exist in local communities? For sure. But due to the way they were handled, both in the "light" way they were often written but also simultaneously having them be a central part of the characters, it read to me more as a device to make the FBI agent more likable rather than to send any actual message.
I have many more thoughts but let's just leave it at that for now. Just don't bother with this book.
First of all it was boring, the pacing felt kind of off, and most of the characters weren't built well enough to keep the reader interested in their stories, when they weren't outright despicable like in the case of the priest.
Furthermore if you're going to write a book about a culture you're not part of, and I place you haven't properly experienced, research is of the outmost importance. As a Greek person I can say that it is more than obvious that Timothy Jay Smith did not conduct said research.
From the Greek words that are written wrong and that have no reason for being not written in English (a café is still a café whether you write it in English or call it a kafeneio) to the incorrect description of island life. Can and do the issues (such as homophobia or xenophobia etc) that center the story exist in local communities? For sure. But due to the way they were handled, both in the "light" way they were often written but also simultaneously having them be a central part of the characters, it read to me more as a device to make the FBI agent more likable rather than to send any actual message.
I have many more thoughts but let's just leave it at that for now. Just don't bother with this book.