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bones_jackson's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Achei meio enrolado no início e é bem pesado, mas foi rápido de ler. É uma história muito interessante, bem diferente de “o silêncio dos inocentes” que é do mesmo autor
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
sianw1992's review against another edition
1.0
It's been a while since I read The Silence of the Lambs and Thom bought me Cari Mora when he saw that it was Thomas Harris' new novel.
I don't even really know where to start. Cari herself is alright. Her story as a child is somewhat interesting and in my opinion would make a better story. Also, every character that meets her only views her as a sexual object, which gets tired really quickly. Instead, we're given Hans-Peter Schneider, a stereotypical villian. There's no depth to him, no depth to any of the characters really. His crew are so unremarkable that I can't remember who's who and as they get killed a new one comes along with another unremarkable name and description. The basic plot is that there is gold buried under a house that used to belong to Pablo Escobar, in a box that has been booby-trapped. It's a shame because it had the real potential to be a great story, but it was just... *meh*. I considered giving up several times and now that I'm finished, I don't really remember much of what happened. Stick with Hannibal.
I don't even really know where to start. Cari herself is alright. Her story as a child is somewhat interesting and in my opinion would make a better story. Also, every character that meets her only views her as a sexual object, which gets tired really quickly. Instead, we're given Hans-Peter Schneider, a stereotypical villian. There's no depth to him, no depth to any of the characters really. His crew are so unremarkable that I can't remember who's who and as they get killed a new one comes along with another unremarkable name and description. The basic plot is that there is gold buried under a house that used to belong to Pablo Escobar, in a box that has been booby-trapped. It's a shame because it had the real potential to be a great story, but it was just... *meh*. I considered giving up several times and now that I'm finished, I don't really remember much of what happened. Stick with Hannibal.
ultramarine316's review against another edition
5.0
There's a lot of book packed into this novella; it has a protagonist who is exactly what you want in a protagonist (relateable and human but also way more competent and up to the task at hand than the average reader could ever hope to be) vs. a villain who is a carnival of depravity, with a setting that lives and breaths.
angiebradley's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, and Murder
feathersfootnotes's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
knitreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
beccajbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Unfortunately not for me. Wanted to read it for a long time, but in the end didn't pack the punches I had come to expect from Harris.
Perhaps going into the book with expectations in the region of RED DRAGON was my mistake, but this one was so boring and predictable that I found it a hard slog just to finish it.
It feels like it is written to be an action movie and not a very good one at that. The plot is far fetched, but predictable and lengthy. Quite complex, but also really mundane. I didn't care for the characters - I mean they are all bad anyway, and Cari was just a bit meh.
Loaned this one out so not as disappointed as if I had bought it :)
www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com
Perhaps going into the book with expectations in the region of RED DRAGON was my mistake, but this one was so boring and predictable that I found it a hard slog just to finish it.
It feels like it is written to be an action movie and not a very good one at that. The plot is far fetched, but predictable and lengthy. Quite complex, but also really mundane. I didn't care for the characters - I mean they are all bad anyway, and Cari was just a bit meh.
Loaned this one out so not as disappointed as if I had bought it :)
www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com
k3rmoon's review against another edition
I can't believe this is the same guy who wrote The Silence of the Lambs.
ashleybreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
laytongraph's review against another edition
2.0
I simply do not understand the polarizing reviews for this book. I really liked it, even though I have enjoyed some of Harris’s other work better. I’m better at lists than full-fledged reviews so here is a list of some of the things that I love about this book (as well as my few qualms):
1. This book is, on the surface, a crime/thriller novel, yet the true heart of this book is the city of Miami, richly detailed and described by Harris throughout. Much like the object of conflict, I could almost feel the golden rays of sunshine and the heat of the Miami sun. This is Harris’s love letter to the city he has resided in for many years now, and his love shows on every page.
2. The soul of the book, and a noticeable concern of the author, is the plight of illegal immigrants in the United States. Cari’s story, slowly revealed, is heartbreaking and the best part of the book, and made me sympathize for her even more.
3. The writing style. Harris’s recognizable short, yet incredibly atmospheric prose is on full display throughout the book. At times I felt his prose style was a bit clunky, with short simple sentences and repetition of certain words, but I think Harris was aiming to make the book move at a quick, almost cinematic pace. This book was written almost like an Ellroyvian crime novel, with short bursts of dialogue and action, and I think it works for the most part.
4. Character development was a bit of a mess. While the titular main character and the main antagonist are relatively well fleshed out, the development of many of the secondary characters is missing, making it difficult to relate or care for them.
5. Hans-Peter Schneider is a meh villain. Sex-traffickers are absolutely terrifying to me, but Hans-Peter sometimes comes off as a goofy character, a villain almost Disney-movie bad. He resembles Hannibal in some aspects, yet Hannibal is far more intriguing. I wish Hans-Peter was more interesting, and that Harris had approached the villain in this book differently than he has multiple villains before.
Did I love Cari Mora? Somewhat. The plot was interesting, and I couldn’t put the book down for many reasons, none of which I want to spoil here. There are problems with it, but I am so happy that it was published and would love to read more about Cari, just preferably not have to wait 13 years for a sequel.
3 golden stars.
(My original rating was 3.5 rounded to 4 but I believe it really deserves 3.)
EDIT:
I have now lowered my rating yet again. I cannot shake the feeling that this book could have been so much more than it ultimately was. The greatest disappointment I have felt towards a book in recent memory.
2 stars.
1. This book is, on the surface, a crime/thriller novel, yet the true heart of this book is the city of Miami, richly detailed and described by Harris throughout. Much like the object of conflict, I could almost feel the golden rays of sunshine and the heat of the Miami sun. This is Harris’s love letter to the city he has resided in for many years now, and his love shows on every page.
2. The soul of the book, and a noticeable concern of the author, is the plight of illegal immigrants in the United States. Cari’s story, slowly revealed, is heartbreaking and the best part of the book, and made me sympathize for her even more.
3. The writing style. Harris’s recognizable short, yet incredibly atmospheric prose is on full display throughout the book. At times I felt his prose style was a bit clunky, with short simple sentences and repetition of certain words, but I think Harris was aiming to make the book move at a quick, almost cinematic pace. This book was written almost like an Ellroyvian crime novel, with short bursts of dialogue and action, and I think it works for the most part.
4. Character development was a bit of a mess. While the titular main character and the main antagonist are relatively well fleshed out, the development of many of the secondary characters is missing, making it difficult to relate or care for them.
5. Hans-Peter Schneider is a meh villain. Sex-traffickers are absolutely terrifying to me, but Hans-Peter sometimes comes off as a goofy character, a villain almost Disney-movie bad. He resembles Hannibal in some aspects, yet Hannibal is far more intriguing. I wish Hans-Peter was more interesting, and that Harris had approached the villain in this book differently than he has multiple villains before.
Did I love Cari Mora? Somewhat. The plot was interesting, and I couldn’t put the book down for many reasons, none of which I want to spoil here. There are problems with it, but I am so happy that it was published and would love to read more about Cari, just preferably not have to wait 13 years for a sequel.
3 golden stars.
(My original rating was 3.5 rounded to 4 but I believe it really deserves 3.)
EDIT:
I have now lowered my rating yet again. I cannot shake the feeling that this book could have been so much more than it ultimately was. The greatest disappointment I have felt towards a book in recent memory.
2 stars.