booksinstilllife's review
4.0
Named after the infamous Paul Revere’s own midnight ride during the American Revolution, this book is a wild ride through the heart of Boston. Reminiscent of books like ‘The DaVinci Code’, this is an intellectual thriller complete with a university professor to fill you in on all the necessary details, but with enough action that it was worth keeping a body count. Ben Mezrich has had other books turned into movies, and I could definitely see this cinematic book transfer well to the big screen. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
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Thanks to @grandcentralpub for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Thanks to @grandcentralpub for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
jasmine256's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
mistled's review
The “protagonists” are arrogant asses who can’t be bothered to communicate with each other or the reader. The book is too intentionally vague and too slow (not that it’s slow-paced, but it’s too slow paced for the story being told) to put up with them.
camrobbins's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
melissathereadingnerd's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The synopsis of this book sounded really intriguing, but I just thought the story as a hole was just okay. Reading the title, it didn't dawn on me that this book would center around Paul Revere and his midnight ride in Boston. This book was history heavy and not mystery enough to my liking.
lulu98's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
funnyguy69's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The Midnight Ride by Ben Mezrich is a fun, adventurous story that follows a slew of characters as they race to solve one of America's oldest mysteries. The book was fast-paced and gave me "National Treasure" vibes. It was a fun, entertaining read that kept me hooked the entire way through.
I felt that the story was strong, but the characters were lacking. The book follows the viewpoint of many characters, which made it hard to get to know them well. As a result, all of the characters felt somewhat one-dimensional and flat. Hailey was the most intriguing of the characters, and it is because we get the most backstory on her. There were several chapters where we read the viewpoint of a character who was never used again. I believe if Mezrich had focused the story more on a few select characters, the book would gain more depth. The Midnight Ride is very plot-driven. Striking a more equal balance between plot and character would have served it well.
Based off the ending, it appears there will be a sequel. I will most definitely be reading it if that's the case! I hope that will give the characters a chance to shine a bit more. I thought The Midnight Ride was a solid book and I anticipate reading more from Mezrich in the future.
I felt that the story was strong, but the characters were lacking. The book follows the viewpoint of many characters, which made it hard to get to know them well. As a result, all of the characters felt somewhat one-dimensional and flat. Hailey was the most intriguing of the characters, and it is because we get the most backstory on her. There were several chapters where we read the viewpoint of a character who was never used again. I believe if Mezrich had focused the story more on a few select characters, the book would gain more depth. The Midnight Ride is very plot-driven. Striking a more equal balance between plot and character would have served it well.
Based off the ending, it appears there will be a sequel. I will most definitely be reading it if that's the case! I hope that will give the characters a chance to shine a bit more. I thought The Midnight Ride was a solid book and I anticipate reading more from Mezrich in the future.
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