lassi's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
booksandlemonsquash's review
2.0
2.5 stars. A little predictable towards the end, though I like that it’s a bit of a bloodbath throughout. The plot is over complex and overdone though. When I first read one of Kernick’s books I was blown away and couldn’t put it down. I genuinely can’t tell if his writing has changed or my taste has! But this left me a little sad not to have enjoyed it more. A decent enough thriller, but nothing special.
hlmitch's review
3.0
As always, a fast paced read which pulls you in from page one and never quite lets go.
Target is a lot more clear cut with regard to who's good and who isn't than some of Kernick's previous books, which means that there aren't quite as many twists to the tale as there perhaps could have been, but it still works well.
The only complaint I can find to make is that although research has obviously been done into police procedure etc., and real life events are depicted as a guide to when the story is taking place, there are one too many instances where characters are written into a corner and then somehow pull off a miraculous escape. Some suspension of belief is required.
Target is a lot more clear cut with regard to who's good and who isn't than some of Kernick's previous books, which means that there aren't quite as many twists to the tale as there perhaps could have been, but it still works well.
The only complaint I can find to make is that although research has obviously been done into police procedure etc., and real life events are depicted as a guide to when the story is taking place, there are one too many instances where characters are written into a corner and then somehow pull off a miraculous escape. Some suspension of belief is required.
albatrossonhalfpointe's review
3.0
This was a good enough thriller that I might just read more of Mr. Kernick's work. It's interesting that the blurb calls it Hitchcockian, because I think it was Hitchcock who said, regarding telling good, thrilling stories: you can't just keep the action going full-tilt; you have to have moments for pausing and breathing, and then pick things up again. And I was thinking about that because that's exactly what Kernick did in this book. You feel like things are moving non-stop, but if you actually pay attention, you realize that there are very deliberate pauses in the action, usually right after something crazy just happened.
The plot was not completely predictable, although certainly some of the twists and connections were. Many people ended up dead, at least a few of whom I really didn't expect. There were some references to some events that presumably took place in an earlier book, but not so many that you were lost, or felt like you were missing a big chunk of understanding about the plot or the characters.
The characters themselves are ones you care about, complete with strengths and flaws that make them seem very real. He goes slightly overboard with names at times - if you're going to kill off a random cop within a page of introducing him, frankly, he doesn't really need a name. I realize that in the real world, they all do have names, and it's important to remember them, and every person who dies is a real person, and if this were real life, I'd have no objection to naming them. But it isn't, and quite frankly, such incidental characters are not really important to the story, and there's no clarity issues if they're not named, so there's no point. It's just one more name you wonder if you need to remember. Unnecessary clutter in the story. That said, it didn't really slow anything down, so it's all good.
Ultimately, this book is basically fluff, akin to chick lit, and it was great for that. Easy to chew through in a day, thoroughly enjoyable at the time, and, frankly, more or less forgettable once it's over. I would definitely recommend this for beach reading, or even curling up by the fireplace on a winter getaway vacation. It's perfect for that sort of thing.
The plot was not completely predictable, although certainly some of the twists and connections were. Many people ended up dead, at least a few of whom I really didn't expect. There were some references to some events that presumably took place in an earlier book, but not so many that you were lost, or felt like you were missing a big chunk of understanding about the plot or the characters.
The characters themselves are ones you care about, complete with strengths and flaws that make them seem very real. He goes slightly overboard with names at times - if you're going to kill off a random cop within a page of introducing him, frankly, he doesn't really need a name. I realize that in the real world, they all do have names, and it's important to remember them, and every person who dies is a real person, and if this were real life, I'd have no objection to naming them. But it isn't, and quite frankly, such incidental characters are not really important to the story, and there's no clarity issues if they're not named, so there's no point. It's just one more name you wonder if you need to remember. Unnecessary clutter in the story. That said, it didn't really slow anything down, so it's all good.
Ultimately, this book is basically fluff, akin to chick lit, and it was great for that. Easy to chew through in a day, thoroughly enjoyable at the time, and, frankly, more or less forgettable once it's over. I would definitely recommend this for beach reading, or even curling up by the fireplace on a winter getaway vacation. It's perfect for that sort of thing.
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