cricci's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This thriller had some very good aspects, but many things could be improved.
Let's start with the good:
Well-written, tense, suspenseful, particularly the first third of the book.
Interesting, if cliché (I mean, "Gay Jay," really?), characters with distinct personalities. When we step into the story, the main character, Eve, is just going through the motions of life, but it takes a true life or death situation (not the divorce) to wake her out of that path. Eve's transformation ended up being one of my favorite aspects of this novel. I loved how Gregg Hurwitz incorporated Eve's inner dialogue, so the reader could see how her thoughts diverged from what she actually said. Then, eventually, as Eve's inner strength grew, her inner voice became less frequent and then abruptly went away as she took command of herself, a group of people, and a dangerous situation. I also appreciated that each character had different motivations and personalities.
The setting and its beautiful descriptions. While I may not have traveled to the jungles in Oaxaca, I have been to the jungles in Belize and Costa Rica, and I felt Gregg Hurwitz took me right back. The plant descriptions and local names immersed me in the setting -- adding to the tenseness.
Eve's motivation to live. I loved this. Eve's motivation was all the little moments in her live, particularly shared moments she wanted to have with her son, like getting woken up early on weekend mornings. Such motivation was the most real and, for me, the easiest place to connect with Eve. We all have little moments in our lives that maybe we just don't appreciate enough, but those are the moments for which we live. A knowing smile from your significant other, a special greeting from your friend, a syrupy kiss from your child. Even if silly, these are the things we miss when a loved one dies. We miss all the things that make that person. The way Hurwitz kept on this track felt very relatable and realistic. It was one of the best parts of the book.
The parts that need work:
A climax that dragged on forever. This novel started out with so much promise. I was on the edge of my seat and could hardly put the book down. By the time I got to the last third of the book, I was wondering when it would end. The prolonged climax was especially painful. We see Eve and her group attempt various escapes and eventually see Eve take on "the bad man" by herself multiple times. At one point, I think I shouted out loud, "Just let him die already!"By that point I felt we had been through enough turmoil, and we could get on with it. The last hundred pages felt as if Hurwitz was being paid by the word.
Unrealistic character knowledge. How did Eve come to know so much about this jungle after spending less than 24 hours hiking with Fortunado? Again, I've been to similar jungles, and maybe if I spend some serious time there I could recognize certain plants with the certainty Eve does, but not after 24 hours. There are a lot of plants in the forest, many of them appearing quite similar. Not every wrong plant is poisonous, but not every plant is helpful either. How did Eve come to know the plants and the trails so well? How was she able to discern the direction of the hut and the ecolodge when only yesterday she was directionally challenged? I ended up coming up with my own backstory for Eve: she studied biology as an undergrad with a minor in ecology. She studied abroad in the jungles of Mexico. Part of her excitement for this trip was going back to a place she loved with the man she loved (well, the last part didn't quite work out). With this background, I felt Eve's hike with Fortunado was more of an intense review. She was reminded of her experience years ago. I appreciate having to use my imagination, it really doesn't get used enough, but I don't feel I should have to fill a gap this large.
An Islamic terrorist ending up in Mexico, right next to a growing tourist ecolodge, outside a small village. I am not going to focus on how unlikely I think this is, but rather on how uncreative this is. I'm so tired of reading thrillers and other suspense novels where we have a villain and <i>hey! here's an idea, let's make him an evil, Islamic terrorist. That's original, right?</i> NOPE. Not even close. I commend Gregg Hurwitz for at least making the aspects of his religion somewhat realistic, even though the terrorist hating non-Muslims is not only uncreative but also overdone. I'm over it, and I'm bored.
Overall, this novel was average. While the characters were cliché, they were well-written. While the beginning was fast-paced, the climax and ending dragged. While the scenery descriptions were beautiful and immersive, the main character's instantaneous knowledge in it was completely unrealistic and distracting. And finally, while the character motivations were well-described (including the antagonist's), an Islamic terrorist is overdone and completely uncreative. With so much back and forth, I think this novel is a solid three-star -- well-written with potential to be more. I recommend this book for people who enjoy thrillers. You don't have to run to the nearest bookstore, but if you see this book in passing, you could pick it up.
Let's start with the good:
Well-written, tense, suspenseful, particularly the first third of the book.
Interesting, if cliché (I mean, "Gay Jay," really?), characters with distinct personalities. When we step into the story, the main character, Eve, is just going through the motions of life, but it takes a true life or death situation (not the divorce) to wake her out of that path. Eve's transformation ended up being one of my favorite aspects of this novel. I loved how Gregg Hurwitz incorporated Eve's inner dialogue, so the reader could see how her thoughts diverged from what she actually said. Then, eventually, as Eve's inner strength grew, her inner voice became less frequent and then abruptly went away as she took command of herself, a group of people, and a dangerous situation. I also appreciated that each character had different motivations and personalities.
The setting and its beautiful descriptions. While I may not have traveled to the jungles in Oaxaca, I have been to the jungles in Belize and Costa Rica, and I felt Gregg Hurwitz took me right back. The plant descriptions and local names immersed me in the setting -- adding to the tenseness.
Eve's motivation to live. I loved this. Eve's motivation was all the little moments in her live, particularly shared moments she wanted to have with her son, like getting woken up early on weekend mornings. Such motivation was the most real and, for me, the easiest place to connect with Eve. We all have little moments in our lives that maybe we just don't appreciate enough, but those are the moments for which we live. A knowing smile from your significant other, a special greeting from your friend, a syrupy kiss from your child. Even if silly, these are the things we miss when a loved one dies. We miss all the things that make that person. The way Hurwitz kept on this track felt very relatable and realistic. It was one of the best parts of the book.
Spoiler
Eve does not end up with Will. I give special kudos to Gregg Hurwitz for <b>not</b> having the female lead end up with the surviving male. I completely agree with this choice for Eve's character, and I appreciate that it gives a nod to the fact that woman can survive (pun intended) without a man. Eve doesn't need Will or any other man to help her rear her son. She can do it all on her own.The parts that need work:
A climax that dragged on forever. This novel started out with so much promise. I was on the edge of my seat and could hardly put the book down. By the time I got to the last third of the book, I was wondering when it would end. The prolonged climax was especially painful. We see Eve and her group attempt various escapes and eventually see Eve take on "the bad man" by herself multiple times. At one point, I think I shouted out loud, "Just let him die already!"
Spoiler
Since "Eve" means life, we know she lives.Unrealistic character knowledge. How did Eve come to know so much about this jungle after spending less than 24 hours hiking with Fortunado? Again, I've been to similar jungles, and maybe if I spend some serious time there I could recognize certain plants with the certainty Eve does, but not after 24 hours. There are a lot of plants in the forest, many of them appearing quite similar. Not every wrong plant is poisonous, but not every plant is helpful either. How did Eve come to know the plants and the trails so well? How was she able to discern the direction of the hut and the ecolodge when only yesterday she was directionally challenged? I ended up coming up with my own backstory for Eve: she studied biology as an undergrad with a minor in ecology. She studied abroad in the jungles of Mexico. Part of her excitement for this trip was going back to a place she loved with the man she loved (well, the last part didn't quite work out). With this background, I felt Eve's hike with Fortunado was more of an intense review. She was reminded of her experience years ago. I appreciate having to use my imagination, it really doesn't get used enough, but I don't feel I should have to fill a gap this large.
An Islamic terrorist ending up in Mexico, right next to a growing tourist ecolodge, outside a small village. I am not going to focus on how unlikely I think this is, but rather on how uncreative this is. I'm so tired of reading thrillers and other suspense novels where we have a villain and <i>hey! here's an idea, let's make him an evil, Islamic terrorist. That's original, right?</i> NOPE. Not even close. I commend Gregg Hurwitz for at least making the aspects of his religion somewhat realistic, even though the terrorist hating non-Muslims is not only uncreative but also overdone. I'm over it, and I'm bored.
Overall, this novel was average. While the characters were cliché, they were well-written. While the beginning was fast-paced, the climax and ending dragged. While the scenery descriptions were beautiful and immersive, the main character's instantaneous knowledge in it was completely unrealistic and distracting. And finally, while the character motivations were well-described (including the antagonist's), an Islamic terrorist is overdone and completely uncreative. With so much back and forth, I think this novel is a solid three-star -- well-written with potential to be more. I recommend this book for people who enjoy thrillers. You don't have to run to the nearest bookstore, but if you see this book in passing, you could pick it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
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