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Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Find You First by Linwood Barclay

5 reviews

dblue236's review against another edition

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

4.0

 While there were definitely times this book felt a bit repetitive and wildly unrealistic, I really enjoyed it for the most part and reading it felt like watching one of those popcorn action movies full of explosions and plot holes. You definitely can't take it too seriously, but sometimes that's a good thing and it definitely was here. I was invested in the story right from the beginning and never lost interest even when I had to scoff a bit. If you like a good thriller you don't have to take too seriously, you will likely enjoy this. 

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nreyno's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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jhbandcats's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

For what this is, it’s pretty good: an action thrill-a-minute tale of good guys and bad guys and all sorts of evil machinations culminating in a great big bang. Kind of like a Hollywood blockbuster but on paper (or, in my case, my Kindle).

I envy the author that he can spin such a convoluted story and have it make sense in the end. If all you want is something light and fairly meaningless, this is good - it’s diverting and amusing and passes the time. Unfortunately, there’s nothing really behind the superficial plot to make the book substantial. It does address the issue of grief in the absence of a parent - all the adopted kids wonder what their father would have been like - but nothing weightier. 

It was an entertaining hodgepodge and I enjoyed reading it but I don’t think I need to read anything else by the same author. I need something with a little more substance. 

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stephbakerbooks's review against another edition

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mysterious tense 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

3.0

If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller with red herrings, high stakes, lots of tension, crazy scenarios—a book that knows it's over the top and is over the top anyway (picture an RV in someone's third-floor office)—then this is the book for you!

It's definitely plot-driven, and the mystery was intriguing and unique enough to hold my attention the whole time. I thought I knew certain things, and then other twists completely surprised me. I felt the ending wrapped up way too fast, but the pacing previous to that was good.

Short chapters and multiple POVs keep you from getting too connected with any one character. I liked Chloe a lot and Miles grew on me, but their development doesn't get a lot of time to breathe on the page. Miles's driver Charise was a standout character, but she only has a minor role. We get the perspectives of some really terrible people that will leave you with an icky feeling (particularly a Jeffrey Epstein–type character). (Is it a spoiler to say pretty much everyone gets what's coming to them by the end though?)

This is not the kind of book I normally pick up; I read it for my work book club. It was good, but, if you know my reading tastes, you know I prefer a lot of time with the characters, and it just didn't give me that.

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orlagal's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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