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lalawoman416's review against another edition
4.0
Fun times. Crass times. And a real doctor wrote it. Lol.
searser's review against another edition
3.0
Beat the Reaper is does not fit my usual choice in fiction, but I generally enjoyed Josh Bazell’s debut thriller. It’s a quick read, one that is perhaps short by design. The fast pace and Dr. Peter Brown’s life on the run are equally matched. I would have preferred a longer read with more detail. Less gruesome/gory detail, but more detail nonetheless. Most of the details that are included are shocking and vivid. If this were ever made into a movie, there are parts when I would have to cover my eyes. Bazell fits a lot into the space he has, and I’m glad to have gotten out of my usual genre to find this story. I think I’ll lay low for a bit with a quieter book until this one wears off.
blueperbloop's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really enjoyed this book! I finished it in about 24 hours. The story was engaging and interesting. But, there are two things I didn't like...obviously not enough to NOT give it 4 stars.
1) I've never been a big fan of switching between current day and the past over and over again. It breaks me out of the little world that I've put myself in and makes the story go more in fits and starts than fluidly. Maybe that's just me.
2) It was a little more gruesome than it probably needed to be in places. But again, I'm sure that's just me.
Other than that, I absolutely loved the story and I loved the author's use of wit and humor. And basically...the main character, Peter Brown, is a badass! :o)
Looking forward to the next one in February!
1) I've never been a big fan of switching between current day and the past over and over again. It breaks me out of the little world that I've put myself in and makes the story go more in fits and starts than fluidly. Maybe that's just me.
2) It was a little more gruesome than it probably needed to be in places. But again, I'm sure that's just me.
Other than that, I absolutely loved the story and I loved the author's use of wit and humor. And basically...the main character, Peter Brown, is a badass! :o)
Looking forward to the next one in February!
loreopoly's review against another edition
3.0
i picked this up on a whim. i actually thought it said "beat the READER" and i am enough of a loser that that alone would have had me pick it up.
turns out i really enjoyed it! not a book i would have chosen to read but thank goodness it called to me because i had lots of laughs and genuinely like the character. yay!
turns out i really enjoyed it! not a book i would have chosen to read but thank goodness it called to me because i had lots of laughs and genuinely like the character. yay!
vegantrav's review against another edition
5.0
great debut novel from Josh Bazell; best new work of the 2009 crop of fiction that I've read this year; synopsis: a former mob hit-man goes into the witness protection program, becomes a physician, and then runs back into trouble when one of his new patients turns out to be an old mafia associate; the novel jumps back and forth between the narrator's (the story is a 1st-person narrative from the protagonist's perspective) present conundrum and his former life; this is not a novel whose ending you will be able to see coming, and the denouement is fabulous (not to mention one of the most cringe-inducing passages I've ever read); Bazell himself is an MD, and you will pick up a lot of interesting trivia about the medical profession as well as the witness protection program; there really is never a dull moment in this novel; no, it's nothing terribly deep or serious, but it is just a great read from beginning to end; highly, highly recommended
prufrockcoat's review against another edition
3.0
This is a half-assed review because interning with a literary agency means all I do is read manuscripts and write reviews on them, page-long summarizations of plot, character, and strengths and weaknesses that will determine whether an agent actually looks at the thing or if I write the author a nice 300-word pass saying no thanks and here's why, or worse, copy and paste the their name into a polite but generic form letter.
However. I don't know how I feel about this yet. I don't know if I would've written a nice report for this, or recommended that my agents read it, because my agents take on nice books about family conflict and interpersonal dynamics, not horrific, insane and sometimes self-inflicted violence. I've been to the darker side of the internet. I've seen some shit.
I could not read what happens near the end of this bitingly hilarious novel. I love the main character. I love his voice, and unlike some reviewers I was fascinated by his flashbacks. The medical jargon was ridiculous and off-putting and so bad it gains the ring of truth... but oh man. This was 127 Hours level bad, guys. This is not a fun, light-hearted book. This is not light-hearted reading, at least at the end.
Does this mean it's a bad book? Not really. It's well-written and it's entertaining. Just... also horrifying. Keep that in mind if you decide to read it.
However. I don't know how I feel about this yet. I don't know if I would've written a nice report for this, or recommended that my agents read it, because my agents take on nice books about family conflict and interpersonal dynamics, not horrific, insane and sometimes self-inflicted violence. I've been to the darker side of the internet. I've seen some shit.
I could not read what happens near the end of this bitingly hilarious novel. I love the main character. I love his voice, and unlike some reviewers I was fascinated by his flashbacks. The medical jargon was ridiculous and off-putting and so bad it gains the ring of truth... but oh man. This was 127 Hours level bad, guys. This is not a fun, light-hearted book. This is not light-hearted reading, at least at the end.
Does this mean it's a bad book? Not really. It's well-written and it's entertaining. Just... also horrifying. Keep that in mind if you decide to read it.
mereman's review against another edition
3.0
Fun book at times but lotsa bumps here and there - easy read - but nothing special... might consider another of his - but the reviews look pretty mediocre so i'll move on to the other hundreds in my collection so i can clear soem space off my multiple bookshelves!
Though i do have to say - i'm giving this to my brother in law who works as an ER doctor -should be fun to find out what he thinks! hehe - and he's been up in northern cal - always love hearing his emergency room stories whenever i see him!
Though i do have to say - i'm giving this to my brother in law who works as an ER doctor -should be fun to find out what he thinks! hehe - and he's been up in northern cal - always love hearing his emergency room stories whenever i see him!
theeclecticreview's review against another edition
4.0
This book is not for persons with weak stomachs. It is very graphic and tells a unique story about a man, Pietro "Bearclaw" Brnwna, who finds his grandparents' murdered bodies in their home and vows revenge on their deaths. Ironically, the killers were in the mafia and he becomes a hitman for the family that takes him in. Unfortunately, he pisses off his adoptive family and goes into the witness protection system and eventually becomes a doctor.
An unusual story that when you get past the violence, is a real page turner.
An unusual story that when you get past the violence, is a real page turner.
trin's review against another edition
4.0
I knew I was going to like this book as soon as I got to the first funny, clever footnote. Few things win me over as wholly and easily as novels with entertaining footnotes. See: [b:Good Omens|12067|Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch|Terry Pratchett|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255627540s/12067.jpg|4110990], [b:Jonathan Strange Mr. Norrell|14201|Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell|Susanna Clarke|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410A553CR8L._SL75_.jpg|3921305], [b:The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao|297673|The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao|Junot Díaz|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255571633s/297673.jpg|3281466], and most of the Discworld books for further examples.
This book has great footnotes. It’s also got a doctor in witness protection on the run from the mob—and the medical parts are as fascinating and suspenseful as the mob bits. (The author is a doctor.) The mob aspects of the novel are interesting as well, and I am normally not a fan of mafia stories—The Godfather excepted. This mafia story, however, has a shark tank scene that seems like something out of a more realistic James Bond movie, not to mention an act of sheer badassery that would leave even Benton Fraser impressed. It’s a romp in the best sense of the word. A romp with footnotes!
This book has great footnotes. It’s also got a doctor in witness protection on the run from the mob—and the medical parts are as fascinating and suspenseful as the mob bits. (The author is a doctor.) The mob aspects of the novel are interesting as well, and I am normally not a fan of mafia stories—The Godfather excepted. This mafia story, however, has a shark tank scene that seems like something out of a more realistic James Bond movie, not to mention an act of sheer badassery that would leave even Benton Fraser impressed. It’s a romp in the best sense of the word. A romp with footnotes!