Author: Vince Flynn
# 1 in Mitch Rapp series
published 10/12/2010
448 pages
Setting: Virginia, Europe, Middle East
A talented college athlete, Mitch Rapp is recruited to become one of a group of new secret operatives trained to meet the rise of Islamic terrorism on their home turf. After losing his girlfriend in the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack, Mitch wants retribution. Six months of training leaves him more than qualified to seek his justice with brutal force. From America to Europe and across the middle-east to Beirut this action-packed, fast-paced story tells how it all began.
Elements of Thrillers:
Fast-pacing- The action starts on page one and keeps going.
Plot Driven- There is some character development but the main focus is the action.
Political Focus- The theme is fighting terrorism on the enemy's doorstep.
Gritty Details- Physical training, hand to hand combat and torture are all described in detail.
Danger/Violence- There is a high-body count in the story, and Mitch faces danger on numerous occasions.
Read-Alikes:
The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy
Foreign Influence by Brad Thor
The Bell Ringers by Henry Porter
Hi Mindy. This sounds like a page-turner! You mention there is torture and definitely violence in this military thriller. If you were suggesting this title to a patron, are the torture passages in the book detailed enough that you would warn potential readers or is the book fast-paced enough that it may not be an issue?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure. I guess it would depend on the patron. It does describe the torture, but it doesn't go on and on and on. It just made me tuck my fingernails inside my hands while I read!
DeleteThis book definitely sounds interesting to me! I have never been bothered by violence in books and I have always been interested in Vince Flynn. I might have to give this a try!
ReplyDeleteThis book definitely sounds interesting to me! I have never been bothered by violence in books and I have always been interested in Vince Flynn. I might have to give this a try!
ReplyDeleteHi! The book you choose sounds really interesting. In one of the RA readings, the author mentioned being on the lookout for things that could offend some readers, like heavily espousing right- or left-wing politics. Does this book lean heavily in any political direction, or are the politics serve more as fuel for revenge for the protagonist?
ReplyDeleteIt didn't seem to lean any one way or the other. The focus is on fighting terrorists on their hometurf, which I guess might offend some extreme-left pacifists, but it didn't smack of fascism either. I though it struck a patriotic but neutral balance.
DeleteHi! The book you choose sounds really interesting. In one of the RA readings, the author mentioned being on the lookout for things that could offend some readers, like heavily espousing right- or left-wing politics. Does this book lean heavily in any political direction, or are the politics serve more as fuel for revenge for the protagonist?
ReplyDeleteI was also wondering about this - whether any really strong political views would turn some readers off.
DeleteI'm not usually a thriller reader but this book does sound really good. Interesting how a school athlete would end up fighting terrorism. Somewhere an athlete may not think about ending up. This could be an interesting topic for a paper.
ReplyDeleteYour annotation is very readable! I think you've summed up the important elements of the book and included the key appeals without including unnecessary details. I've always wondered what Vince Flynn's writing is like, so this gives me a good glimpse into it.
ReplyDeleteYour description really brings this book to life. It wouldn't be high on my list of choices, but I would definitely recommend it to my son who is a big non-fiction reader but often has trouble finding fiction he'd like to read.
ReplyDeleteExcellent annotation, full points! Your summary is intriguing and you did a great job outlining the elements and offering good read a likes!
ReplyDelete