Promise Me (Myron Bolitar, No. 8)
by Harlan Coben
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Book Summary Information
Author: Harlan CobenEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-03-01
ISBN: 0451219244
Number of pages: 512
Publisher: Signet
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780451219244
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Promise Me (Myron Bolitar, No. 8)
Book Review: My introduction to Myron and gang..
Summary: 5 Stars
I thought I'd let everyone know right up front, this is my first Coben book, and my introduction to Myron and gang. Had I known there was a whole series before this I may have started with one of them, but I didn't. But here is my brutally honest review of this book as a new reader in hopes this will help someone unfamiliar with Coben's work.
What I liked:
The storytelling was great, and the plot was superb. I admit when I started reading, it took off kind of slow and I had my doubts about the story. It seemed too simple at first and a little bland. But as it started to unwind, and the plot took shape it really pulled me in. By the last half of the book there was no doubt I was hooked and had to finish the book. There was a fresh plot, sufficient twists, and unpredictable moments. At it's core this is storytelling as it should be done. It pulls you in, keeps you hooked then throws you a few surprises and "gee I never thought of that" moments.
The character development was done well. As I said this was my introduction to the already developed characters, and I still did OK. Myron is presented as the well intentioned and somewhat humble jock who is driven by his loyalty to his friends and maybe a sliver of ego. Win is the very egotistical but also loyal problem solver who everyone would want on his side. Many times I found myself thinking "things are getting tense, I hope Win is nearby". I think his character shines above all as you become convinced that he's the "go to" guy when the bad stuff needs to be done. You may not like what he does or how he does it, but you know it needs to be done. He has a dark streak and it comes in quite handy in this story. Despite all his faults he's loyal to Win, and strangely enough loyal to a good moral cause (despite doing immoral things to help the greater good). The other characters were also fleshed out very well and were very convincing.
Often in my reviews of books I criticize character development because I seldom see it well done. But Coben does manage to carve out his characters very well and create "real" people you can truly identify with. I commend him for that.
The ending was a bit of a dramatic twist. Part of me thought it was a bit of a stretch at first but after further thought it did tie together well. When you look at the "big picture" everything makes a bit more sense.
What I didn't like:
If I put a review on Amazon saying everything is perfect, you'll know that someone either hacked my account, or I caved in and received a check with a lot of numbers in it. This book is not without it's faults.
I wasn't a huge fan of the dialog. I criticize a lot of works based on this because I feel some authors create dialog that is simply not believable. This book does contain some of that sort of dialog. In my opinion authors should never use the character's dialog to tell the story. Show us, don't have the characters tell us. This might seem nit-picky and it probably is, but I don't want some contrived dialog from a character give me details on a story. Find another way to convey it and put in dialog we'd expect to hear. Coben is guilty of this in a few areas, but not enough to lose a star.
Speaking of dialog, the way it's laid out in this book can be somewhat annoying. It's not the first time I've seen it, but the line-by-line quotes can be somewhat annoying to a reader. Example:
Sam runs into Sally on an elevator, and wonders what she's up to. Sam asks how she's doing.
"Hey how are you?"
"Well, I'm pretty good, I'm just heading to the market."
"What are you getting there?"
"Oranges and a loaf of bread"
"Awesome. White or wheat?"
"Well, I've found that there is little nutritional difference between the two"
"White and Wheat?"
"Yeah."
See how that goes on and eventually it becomes easy to confuse who is saying what? A lot of authors do this and it become confusing to even the most seasoned of readers. Cohen does this at times and it becomes a bit annoying.
And my last pet peeve is the author speaking directly to the reader. The author does this a few times, and it seems contrite and somewhat annoying. Also he uses outdated slang,directed at the reader, and it's a distraction. It's almost so bad that it appears highlighted on the page. The author throws in some things that are just unnecessary such as jabs at certain types of people and other personal grandstanding that serve as distractions.
Is it worth losing a star? Absolutely not. Are the imperfections enough to keep me from recommending this book to others? No way. This is a book I have no problem giving a good rating to.
Final Word:
This is a great book, by a very talented author. Even if you have not read any other books in the series this book stands very well on it's own. If you're looking for a thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat, this book is one of them. It will keep you reading, keep you guessing, and and leaving you wanting more. Well worth the cover price and though it starts slow, you won't be disappointed in the end. Give it a chance and enjoy the ride.
Summary of Promise Me (Myron Bolitar, No. 8)
It has been six years since entertainment agent Myron Bolitar last played superhero. In six years he hasn?t thrown a punch. He hasn?t held, much less fired, a gun. He hasn?t called his friend Win, still the scariest man he knows, to back him up or get him out of trouble.All that is about to change . . . because of a promise.
The school year is almost over. Anxious families await word of college acceptances. In these last pressure-cooker months of high school, some kids will make the all-too-common and all-too-dangerous mistake of drinking and driving. But Myron is determined to help keep his friends? children safe, so he makes two neighborhood girls promise him: If they are ever in a bind but are afraid to call their parents, they must call him.
Several nights later, the call comes at 2:00 am, and true to his word, Myron picks up one of the girls in midtown Manhattan and drives her to a quiet cul-de-sac in New Jersey where she says her friend lives.
The next day, the girl?s parents discover that their daughter is missing. And that Myron was the last person to see her. Desperate to fulfill a well-intentioned promise turned nightmarishly wrong, Myron races to find her before she?s gone forever. But his past will not be buried so easily - for trouble has always stalked him, and his loved ones often suffer. Now Myron must decide once and for all who he is and what he will stand up for if he is to have any hope of saving a young girl?s life.
?Harlan Coben is the modern master of the hook-and-twist - luring you in on the first page, only to shock you on the last.? - Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code
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