Reviews

Jack Reacher + Robert Langdon = Jack West Jr., but Matthew Reilly does not have the writing prowess of either. While none of the writers are overly subtle, Reilly's characters and situations are definitely more over-the-top and eye-rolling in their amazingness. I mean I get it; that's what I signed up for. It just went almost a little too camp for me.

That being said, it was still fun and enjoyable, and I'd recommend the books for fans of the aforementioned. Sort of like chick lit - everyone needs something that lets them essentially turn their brain off once in a while, and this does that in an action-packed way.

Side note for audio listeners - reader isn't my favourite, but does a stellar job with character voices, without making them too cheesy.

alphasyndrome's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

geeknb's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

Well, it was better than Scarecrow.

I thought the idea was great but lacked something in the execution, especially in the action scenes. Would have made a great movie though.

2.5*

ncalv05's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

alexandriam_rose's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

4.5 - this was mostly ridiculous, kind of like how the Da Vinci code was, but by saying that it was also ridiculous-good. And to top it off, the characters actually mention the Da Vinci code book in the story...

bookish_leslie's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

My rating scale, for reference:

1 Star: Hated it
2 Stars: Didn't like it
3 Stars: Meh
4 Stars: Liked it
5 Stars: Loved it

If I had to rate this book on the writing or characters alone, it probably would have been closer to 1 or 2 stars, but because I was so engaged with all of the action and adventure, I rated it a bit higher. But just know that to be able to enjoy this book, I think you have to go into it knowing what it is and what it is not.

It is: a fast-paced, testosterone-fueled, shoot-em-up action adventure - basically like if Indiana Jones and Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” had a baby (heavy on the Indiana Jones).
It is not: well-written, nor does it have any depth or character development. Don’t expect it to be credible or believable. So long as you set your expectations appropriately and keep an open mind, I think you’ll be fine (ish).

Why an open mind? Well, it requires some serious suspension of disbelief. Like, for starters, the fact that this hodge-podge group of military baddies is bringing a 10-year-old CHILD with them into the most dangerous situations imaginable - guns blazing, military-trained killers, ancient Egyptian trap systems, crocodile infested waters, quicksand lakes, etc. Maybe it’s a case of extreme measures being taken in a potential end-of-the-world scenario, but you definitely have to just shrug it off and move on. I could give sooooo many more examples of "it makes no sense," but let's just leave it at suspension of disbelief required and move on.

Things I Liked:

It was adventurous and fast-paced
The Americans were cast as the villains for once (a refreshing change from the usual hero worship treatment they receive)
There was wide diversity in the characters' ethnicities (though they were generically and stereotypically written, so the diversity rep was essentially negated)
It was reasonably entertaining and enjoyable

Things I Didn't Like:

The action sequences often weren't as exciting or as challenging as they could have been, as (spoiler)
most of the traps were easily overcome
.
The sexism. The only woman on the active team was constantly interrupted every time she opened her mouth in a way that did not happen to any of the men.
I obviously expected violence in a book like this, but it was a bit much for my sensitive soul, especially during the climax.
The cavalier attitude some characters had about other people's lives was just no.
Lily's (spoiler)
180 flip in how she related to Jack - suddenly calling him "daddy" when the plot required it when she had previously been calling him "sir"
.
And, le sigh, the writing. Don't even get me started on All! The! Exclamation! Points! Or the unnecessary italics. Or the weird line breaks where there would be a dash or an ellipses that cut a sentence in half...
...only for the sentence to be continued on the next line (like I've just done here).

Content Warnings

phateddie's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

More...