Retro Review: Memorial Day
Okay, this is a review I wrote for the book Memorial Day by Vince Flynn. You can find it on the page for MD on barnesandnoble.com.
JackBauer24, a thriller fan from Metro Detroit, June 7, 2004,
Average
This book is entertaining enough, but there is nothing about it that makes it stand out. The whole terrorist-with-a-nuke storyline was done better in Tom Clancy's novel (not the movie, the novel), The Sum of All Fears, and in the second season of the television show 24. If that storyline is all that is drawing you to this book, check out SOAF or 24 instead. The book's lowest points come during the briefing scenes about the nuke, which were supposed to come out as tense and nerve-racking, but instead seem tedious and unnecessary, especially because Rapp tended to ignore the events of the briefing--the scenes could probably have been dropped without losing much of the story. The book's strongest points are in the scenes of interrogation, which are as intense as I've seen before, but these are too few to lift the book. The book's storyline was predictable, and the few surprises it offered were not enough to lift it. Normally a champion for the hero stopping the nuke, I found myself wishing that the bomb would just go off, if only to break the predictability. Rapp seemed to me to want to break the rules just to break the rules, not because of any desire to actually help the country. Now, I will say that this is my first Mitch Rapp novel, so I'm sure fans of the series will enjoy it. I just didn't see the point of his extreme measures. Bottom Line: The book is entertaining, but it's not good enough to merit the price of the hardcover. Wait until it hits paperback, or better yet, check out something else.
Also recommended: Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series (The Sum of All Fears especially relates to the subject of this book), 24 [TV SHOW](Seasons 1 and 2 are on DVD-season 3 due on DVD this fall, and season 4 airs in the 04-05 Season)
JackBauer24, a thriller fan from Metro Detroit, June 7, 2004,
Average
This book is entertaining enough, but there is nothing about it that makes it stand out. The whole terrorist-with-a-nuke storyline was done better in Tom Clancy's novel (not the movie, the novel), The Sum of All Fears, and in the second season of the television show 24. If that storyline is all that is drawing you to this book, check out SOAF or 24 instead. The book's lowest points come during the briefing scenes about the nuke, which were supposed to come out as tense and nerve-racking, but instead seem tedious and unnecessary, especially because Rapp tended to ignore the events of the briefing--the scenes could probably have been dropped without losing much of the story. The book's strongest points are in the scenes of interrogation, which are as intense as I've seen before, but these are too few to lift the book. The book's storyline was predictable, and the few surprises it offered were not enough to lift it. Normally a champion for the hero stopping the nuke, I found myself wishing that the bomb would just go off, if only to break the predictability. Rapp seemed to me to want to break the rules just to break the rules, not because of any desire to actually help the country. Now, I will say that this is my first Mitch Rapp novel, so I'm sure fans of the series will enjoy it. I just didn't see the point of his extreme measures. Bottom Line: The book is entertaining, but it's not good enough to merit the price of the hardcover. Wait until it hits paperback, or better yet, check out something else.
Also recommended: Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series (The Sum of All Fears especially relates to the subject of this book), 24 [TV SHOW](Seasons 1 and 2 are on DVD-season 3 due on DVD this fall, and season 4 airs in the 04-05 Season)
