texreader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Accomplished explorer, scientist, and college professor tells his heartbreaking search for his missing son, also an explorer & scientist, in the jungles of Costa Rica. A memoir, he describes his own worldwide adventures, expands to his explorations with his new wife, and then shares the love with their kids. This long build-up feels like a begging for forgiveness. If he hadn’t done all of these things, his son wouldn’t have been an adventurer and gone missing. The search took 2 years dealing with bureaucracy, strong-arm politics, a deadly jungle, & not-quite honest reality tv producers supposedly helping him. If you’re looking for adventure, this isn’t the book for you, and if you just want a true crime novel, this book isn’t for you. It’s a long plea for atonement & confession. It is excellent. I’m also surprised that Costa Rica is quite the tourist destination. Its jungles sound pretty brutal to me.
readindigo's review against another edition
5.0
So good. A difficult read for sure but I am so glad I read it.
buffalokid's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
2.75
Surface. Fear. Parenting?
I dont know what I was looking g for when I grabbed this book, which turned out to be a good thing because it sits on a shelf of half-way books. I able to give me a complete...anything, except an end. Half adventure, half parenting, half reflective. The author never gives me the depths I am looking for and crave from adventure stories, especially nonfiction ones. The story of a parents view of a missing child is surreal and terrifying. The stories of an dventurer are interesting enough. The reflection that comes with both of those identities are surface level, offering a half step into the authors heart. What made it worse was the omission of privilege in this tale - a true symptom of early nat geo travelers.
I dont know what I was looking g for when I grabbed this book, which turned out to be a good thing because it sits on a shelf of half-way books. I able to give me a complete...anything, except an end. Half adventure, half parenting, half reflective. The author never gives me the depths I am looking for and crave from adventure stories, especially nonfiction ones. The story of a parents view of a missing child is surreal and terrifying. The stories of an dventurer are interesting enough. The reflection that comes with both of those identities are surface level, offering a half step into the authors heart. What made it worse was the omission of privilege in this tale - a true symptom of early nat geo travelers.
coffeeneur's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
sad
medium-paced
3.75
Slightly too long story of an accomplished alpinist and backcountry Alaska man who searches for his son after the son went missing in Costa Rica. We only know the son through the father's eyes and I found that limiting. It bothered me that so many federal resources were spent to find this kid, but the man had privilege and pull and I guess we might also do whatever it takes to try to find our kid.
kellyroberson's review against another edition
4.0
A quicker read than I expected and I really liked it. Dragged a bit at the end, honestly; I felt like he danced too much around who his son was for us to really understand what perhaps led him into the jungle. But maybe I’m searching for reasons that aren’t there? Regardless, the author digs deep into grief and loss and it’s a good read.
kitkat2500's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy reading about outdoorsy, adventurous people doing things that i would never do myself. It’s the armchair adventurer in me, the me who has never camped outdoors. It’s why I have a thing about reading every article/book about people who climb Everest, but would never want to climb Everest myself.
This book was fascinating to me, because the life that Roman Dial describes about himself and his family is so outlandish to me.
Couple this with the book being a memoir (which is also something I enjoy reading) AND the emotional impact of a father writing a book-length love letter to his son....yes, the title says it all. The father-son relationship is beautifully described and so tragically cut short.
Highly recommended if any of the above sounds appealing to you :-)
This book was fascinating to me, because the life that Roman Dial describes about himself and his family is so outlandish to me.
Couple this with the book being a memoir (which is also something I enjoy reading) AND the emotional impact of a father writing a book-length love letter to his son....yes, the title says it all. The father-son relationship is beautifully described and so tragically cut short.
Highly recommended if any of the above sounds appealing to you :-)
nickle34's review against another edition
3.0
I struggle to write this, as it feels cheap to write critiques of someone's memoir of losing their son, and coming to terms with how your parental choices may have somehow contributed. I did enjoy this book's journey from fear to denial to acceptance. I felt like I was making the journey through the Kubler-Ross stages with the author, even including the bargaining he did with a reality TV show. In the end, he had great insight and depth into his role as father to his son, but also as an adventurer. So: It is a good book, and well worth your time to read. But I felt I needed to mention the things that were less positive. My complaints are largely around misogyny that I perceived throughout the book. First, the author misgendered (repeatedly) his graduate advisor, who is a well known biologist who is transgendered. I know that this biologist presented as male when Dr. Dial worked with her, but now she has transitioned and is female. She was a "she" long before this book was written. I don't know why that would be so hard to acknowledge, simply out of respect for person. The second issue is that I was very put off with how the author describes and portrays women throughout the book. His wife's appearance and how adept she is at caregiving is a recurring theme. She is really described as a one note person - the loving wife and mother - when I am certain there is so much more to discuss and write about there. I yearned for more. I was also put off by the repeated descriptions of the nurturing ways of his daughter (who is really barely mentioned in this memoir, even though it is a memoir about parenting and the effects that parental choices make.) I also struggled to get past that the author makes some shockingly selfish choices throughout his life yet rarely takes personal responsibility. I feel bad writing this, because who am I to judge, but I feel compelled to put this out there.
nikcc's review against another edition
3.0
A rollercoaster of a journey that kept me hoping for the best and hanging on for the next adventure