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authorandreader's review against another edition
Once I looked into Heller's novels I knew I had to read one. This was a simple enough story and the writing is subtle, slow and fast-paced, and full of character, life and struggle. I kept looking for reasons to sit down and read it. That's always a good sign.
luka420's review against another edition
1.0
It was certainly entertaining. I didn’t like the way the author wrote about women. Kind of ruined the book.
jmarchek's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a fan of PH's writing; this one is set at Yellowstone. I had a colleague from Wyoming who always complained about all the idiot tourists at Yellowstone and their interactions with the wildlife. Here we see that from the side of a Ranger, a researcher, and the locals. There's a mystery about poaching at the park. It's not a speed thriller, but slow and thoughtful, with many good/quotable observations.
allisonwebster's review against another edition
I loved the descriptions of the Park, the wildlife, and the community. But the book was just too slow for me.
melfry01's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
cmkittle's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bostonkatebooks's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
carriepond's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The Last Ranger follows Ren, a Yellowstone park ranger, as he attempts to uncover who has been poaching wolves inside the park's boundaries and set up a trap that almost killed his close friend, a wolf biologist. The novel alternates between the present-day, as Ren follows clues and performs his duties at the park, and Ren's past, reflecting on his childhood and his strained relationship with his mom.
I liked this a lot. I had previously read The River, which I remember being relentlessly paced. This moves slower, but I didn't mind that because Heller does an excellent job fleshing out Ren's character and the novel is full of beautiful descriptions of wildlife and nature. I read somewhere that this may be the first of different novels with Ren as a main character and if that is the case, I think this novel did a great job setting up Ren as a character people will want to follow through a series. I read this for a book club, and it fit the bill nicely, as there is a lot to discuss with what makes a person "good" versus "bad" and whether people who do horrible things can be redeemed.
I liked this a lot. I had previously read The River, which I remember being relentlessly paced. This moves slower, but I didn't mind that because Heller does an excellent job fleshing out Ren's character and the novel is full of beautiful descriptions of wildlife and nature. I read somewhere that this may be the first of different novels with Ren as a main character and if that is the case, I think this novel did a great job setting up Ren as a character people will want to follow through a series. I read this for a book club, and it fit the bill nicely, as there is a lot to discuss with what makes a person "good" versus "bad" and whether people who do horrible things can be redeemed.