First Family
by David Baldacci
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Book Reviews of First Family
Book Review: Best Book of the Spring
Summary: 5 Stars
I knew First Family was going to be released on Tuesday and I rushed to catch up on my reading so I could get it on the release date. I got the book early afternoon and could not put it down! First of all I would like to thank Mr. Baldacci for putting out back to back solid reads. I agree with another reviewer that stated that Grisham and Patterson's is becoming watered down and in my own opinion they are just phoning in their books.
First it is nice to see Mr. Baldacci still working on character development of Sean and Michele, I really feel that Michele is coming along nice and Simple Genius would be nice to read again before starting First Family. The plot which as you know involves a kidnapping of the presidents niece. Our heros are off on another adventure which will pit them against a elderly mastermind from Alabama.
As all of Mr. Baldacci's books there were more than enough twist plots and surprises to keep me interested. It was a great read and left me wanting a few more hundred pages. I would recommend First Family over any recent thrillers that have been released in the last several months.
Book Review: One To Miss
Summary: 3 Stars
I did have the unfounded expectation of some "meat on the bones" with First Family and I came away disappointed. It does not live up to the hype and I did not find it to have much suspense or to be a "thriller" in any way. In fact the whole premise is silly and the only character of interest is the villan, Sam Quarry who is a tortured and confused man seeking retribution from the First Family for their evil deeds done in the past.
Sean King and his partner Michelle devolve into cartoon-like characters chasing all over trying to solve a kidnapping and not making much progress until they somehow get lucky. There are so many holes in the story. In the meantime they also help to solve the murder of Michelle's mother which is another plotline added since the original one was so thin.
All of the FBI, Secret Service and First Family ties-ins really get boring and so little is plausible which gets in the way of taking any of the story seriously.
I did like Absolute Power and a couple of his earlier books but lately I find little interest in his books. He has a formula which is in need of help.
Book Review: Do not take advantage of my TIME..
Summary: 1 Stars
It seems to me that some authors continue to take their readers for granted after they have achieved success (monetary or repect from peers); whatever! I would just hope that in the future, after initially roping us in, that you so-called big time authors present a decent story to your fans.
Yes you can make it the NY TIMES and Amazons top lists but there are those that you cannot fool. Reading is serious business.
In this political mush of a story, you took me down so many unnecesary backroads that I came to the conclusion that you, (the author), definitely lost your driving skills and sense of direction.
You may not need my little bit of hard earned money since you auction off your circle of friends names to be characters in the book and sorry about the names you killed off..give me a break..I guess that is the joy of having blind devotion. I usually reserve my disappointment to writer's with lesser skills but I just don't like to be taken advantage of by those who are supposely creative and imaginative. You truly duped me on this latest piece of junk.
Unbelievable..the jokes on me...nuff said.
Book Review: Disbelief
Summary: 2 Stars
Novelists ask readers to suspend our disbelief while they present their imagined characters and situations in ways that lead us to recognize something about human nature or relationships. Some novelists, like David Baldacci, have created brands with their novels that reprise characters and place them in new situations. Protagonists Sean King and Michelle Maxwell return in Baldacci's latest novel, First Family. Sean and Michelle are competent private investigators, and former Secret Service agents. In First Family, they've been hired by the First Lady to find a missing child. What unfolds has all the qualities of a thriller: fast-paced action and plot twists and turns. For me, the novel fell apart in the middle when there were few characters that had any complexity or multiple dimensions. Past the middle, the plot became so implausible that any surrender of disbelief became impossible. I plodded through to the end, shaking my head at the drivel that can sell a lot of books. If you're looking for an escape from reality, and little need to engage your mind, consider reading First Family.
Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)
Book Review: Disappointing and Sad
Summary: 2 Stars
This is very sad to write since Baldacci is my favorite author. I really looked forward to the return of Sean and Michelle. I just couldn't get into it. Lame plot and predictable. Worse was the writing. Did a ghost writer write this one? Not close to the usual cleverness from Baldacci. Is anyone else tired of Michelle's inner deamons? Enough already. Atleast she seems to have it all solved. The book has the feel of just throwing a couple of stories (not compelling stories either) together. I usually buy Baldacci books the day they come out and finish them before dawn the following day. Not this one. I had to slug it out for a week and a half (and it was only that fast because I was stuck on a two hour flight with nothing else to do but read). If you are new to David Baldacci books, read any of the others. All the rest are excellent. Of course I hope for the return of the Camel Club (doubtful), but I really hope he gets back on track with the Sean and Michelle series and comes out with stories up to par with the other books in the series.