Make Me

The merits of this book are well explored in other reviews here. I wanted to use my review to take on one of the very few negative reviews, by a certain R. Loe. It goes off on two basic points: first, that Lee Child makes a number of errors of fact in his narrative; second, that his English is deficient. Loe has written reviews of other Child novels to much the same effect. As to the errors, you can read Loe's list for yourselves. In my opinion, they don't amount to anything important. The book is classified as fiction. Here we can let Jack Reacher speak for himself, in this book: "He liked fiction better than fact, because fact often wasn’t. Like most people he knew a couple of things for sure, up close and eyeballed, and when he saw them in books they were wrong. So he liked made-up stories better, because everyone knew where they were from the get-go." As to Child's command of English, Loe is just plain wrong. Child writes well within the norms of this genre, including the broken or incomplete sentences. It is very rare that even an average reader would have difficulty with his sentence structure, or with figuring out who is saying what. The abruptness moves the narrative right along. There is little or nothing that an intelligent copyreader (and I've known a great many) would feel the need to correct. I just can't understand this level of consistent pedantry.

Lee Child's latest book is a fun read. It's certainly the darkest, with a fairly gruesome twist at the end. But the formula is right there: fast-paced, highly suspenseful writing that is the hallmark of Child's writing. Unfortunately, Lee Child (aka Jim Grant, a British writer) had sloppy technical errors that marred the suspension of belief. For example: - One cannot just buy go out and buy a machine gun in the US. Machine guns are illegal and not available to the public (and certainly an MP5 is completely out of the question). He lost me at that part. Completely. - The description of TOR and searching the dark web was inaccurate and was something out of a Hollywood film. Sure, it worked for the story, but a few technical corrections would have made it far more interesting and believable. There were other minor little errors throughout the book which continued to get in the way of fully enjoying the story. Good story? Sure. It's a Jack Reacher novel. But I do wish Child had had a few technical checks of his writing. Other authors in the same genre, such as Daniel Silva and Stephen Hunter are very careful with the facts, using experts to side-check their work. It allows the reader to immerse themselves fully in a great story. Perhaps if Child/Grant actually spent a year or two in the US, rather than writing about the US from the UK, he would really start to understand how things really are over here.

As a long time Lee Child/Jack Reacher fan, I anxiously await the new book each year. Yes, there is a certain formula. Yes, trouble seems to find Reacher wherever he goes. But isn't that the point. What else are we going to read about? Reacher showing up at Mother's Rest, learn what he wants to know, and on to the next city? We'd be board in two seconds! As with every book I've ever read, there are some things that I wished were different, but I'm not the author. Just a fan of the character Mr. Child created. I also picked up, as I'm sure many others did, on some furthering plot lines that will hopefully be addressed in future writings. I'm sure this series will one day have to end. As much as I will dread that day, I understand Mr. Child can't go on indefinitely. We as fans can really only ask that he does Reacher right, and doesn't produce "lazy" stories. I think Make Me shows that Lee Child still takes his writing seriously. No spoilers here because let's face it, if you're reading this novel, you've probably read most of the others so you don't really need me to tell you about the plot. However, if you're a first time reader of the Reacher series, this is still a good story, despite the complainers, but you might want to start from the beginning and work your way here. The character of Reacher is awesome, and there are 19 other books out there to enjoy. To Lee Child: (On the off chance that you ever read reviews) I've heard that you're pretty tired with this series. I can only imagine. However, if it's any consolation, I for one still love these books, read the new book in a day, and count the days until the next one. If/when you do end the series, please consider an ending more towards happily ever after, vice a dead Reacher. Thanks

Well despite what some other reviewers are saying, I really enjoyed this book. I have read all of the previous Reacher novels and each one has it's own merits but I thought this one was among the best of the bunch. It is a little slow to start but on the other hand, it makes you curious to know what is going on and continues to draw you in ever further not wanting to stop turning page, despite the fact that you have other things you need to be doing. To being with it's not the action packed Reacher novel that we are used to but there is a slow build up and gradually, as events start to unravel, we see the Reacher of old with his brilliant battle plans and fighting techniques. A little love interest too, which at the end of the day he deserves. Plenty of mystery and intrigue and at the end a rightful conclusion. As always, I enjoy Lee Child's witty comments and remarks which always make me laugh and I was sad to get to the end. But of course there will be more Reacher to come (I hope).

Slow reading.

Gosto muito das estórias de Jack Reacher e sou uma fā. Sempre bom para descansar, viajar por essas aventuras impossíveis!

Loved it.

Dieser Jack Reacher hat mir sehr gut gefallen: Der Held mal weniger lakonisch, sondern menschlicher, verletzlicher und nicht so eindimensional. Ein wesentlich komplexerer und dadurch glaubhafter Jack Reacher. Die Story intelligent und spannend. Bis kurz vor Schluss ist die Auflösung kaum vorhersehbar. Für mich neben "Never go back" der beste Roman der Serie.