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A review by karenholmes
Refugio by Harlan Coben
3.0
I have read some Harlan Coben and liked it before. I've even read some of the Myron books and found them well built and with a compact plot. But somehow, this book didn't feel as well executed in the end as it should have been.
It might have been the translation, as I only found this book in Spanish, (and I don't really like reading translations, specially new translations as publishing houses are cutting on the editing and the translations budgets).
I like the concept and I like adding the characters from the adult novel in the background. Just it doesn't feel like Myron would stay on that background if his nephew was having this kind of trouble. Anyway, what nagged me wasn't the plot, was how it was developed.
First there are a few inconsistencies. In some places the character has 14 years old, and other places say that two years ago, when he was 14... So the character age is unclear. That has to do with some decent editing eyes. (It might have to do with the translator wanting to translate to actual Spanish years in high school and then forgetting, because I haven't seen anyone reading the English version complain about that).
Also, there are moments that characters appear out of the blue and you don't know how they got there. And this bothered me.
And finally I know it is a series that is supposed to establish the overall mystery and the characters. But sometimes it felt a bit too rushed. The characters weren't really complex, they seemed a bit cartoonish. Mickey is too perfect for a teen who shouldn't feel so well in his own shoes after what he's endured. Ema is cool, and so Spoon (hated that the translator called him Cuchara, doesn't ring the same tone as Spoon!) and his random fact way of talking was a bit the comic relief.
In general, I liked the book for will try to stick to original language when I read the next one. And see if I can find less inconsistencies.
It might have been the translation, as I only found this book in Spanish, (and I don't really like reading translations, specially new translations as publishing houses are cutting on the editing and the translations budgets).
I like the concept and I like adding the characters from the adult novel in the background. Just it doesn't feel like Myron would stay on that background if his nephew was having this kind of trouble. Anyway, what nagged me wasn't the plot, was how it was developed.
First there are a few inconsistencies. In some places the character has 14 years old, and other places say that two years ago, when he was 14... So the character age is unclear. That has to do with some decent editing eyes. (It might have to do with the translator wanting to translate to actual Spanish years in high school and then forgetting, because I haven't seen anyone reading the English version complain about that).
Also, there are moments that characters appear out of the blue and you don't know how they got there. And this bothered me.
Spoiler
I mean, when first Ema and Mickey start to text and he tells her he is at his place and not feeling well, she appears in his garden when she hasn't been there before, right?And finally I know it is a series that is supposed to establish the overall mystery and the characters. But sometimes it felt a bit too rushed. The characters weren't really complex, they seemed a bit cartoonish. Mickey is too perfect for a teen who shouldn't feel so well in his own shoes after what he's endured. Ema is cool, and so Spoon (hated that the translator called him Cuchara, doesn't ring the same tone as Spoon!) and his random fact way of talking was a bit the comic relief.
In general, I liked the book for will try to stick to original language when I read the next one. And see if I can find less inconsistencies.