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William Richter

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2 verk 193 medlemmar 29 recensioner

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Verk av William Richter

Dark Eyes (2012) 163 exemplar
Tiger: A Dark Eyes Novel (2013) 30 exemplar

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Richter, William
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Dark Eyes by William Richter i Reviews of Early Reviewers Books (mars 2012)

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This review first appeared on The Book Zone(For Boys) blog

The words they used in the publisher's blurb for this book seemed designed to suck me in: thriller, fast-paced, intelligent - just my kind of thing. Add in a female protagonist and a tagline of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo for teens and I was equal parts excited and intrigued, and although I'm not sure it is a particularly valid comparison, Dark Eyes is still a thoroughly entertaining and fresh YA story.

Main character Wally is not a particularly easy character to warm to. Adopted from Russia as a child by a wealthy American couple she has never had to want for anything. However, this is not enough for her and she now spends her life squatting in empty New York buildings, helping her small group of friends to live off the streets, selling on anything they can scavenge. She comes across as somewhat spoiled and arrogant at first, but persevere as she will begin to grow on you.

Her fake ID having been stolen, Wally heads out to Brighton Beach to score a new one, and her life suddenly gets turned completely upside down, as the guy she goes to see hands over a package containing a gem stone, a manila folder of documents, and a letter addressed to her using her original Russian name. What's more, Wally also finds herself being followed by person or persons unknown. So begins an exciting, modern thriller that twists and turns as Wally becomes obsessed with finding out the meaning of the letter and thus the truth behind her adoption, putting her life, and those of her friends, in extreme danger.

I suggested that readers need to persevere as far as warming to Wally's character is concerned, and this also applies to the story as a whole. Unlike many YA stories it doesn't race along at a breakneck pace from the first chapter. Instead, it builds slowly, gradually building the tension as Wally puts together the various pieces that reveal a story involving russian mob bosses, betrayal, deception and murder. Once the back story is covered the pace then picks up, and I found it very difficult to put the book down, desperate to get to the story's conclusion.

I recently posted a review for Crusher by Niall Leonard, in which I applauded the author's inclusion of swearing, violence and a small, non-graphic sex scene. William Richter does exactly the same in Dark Eyes - the violence isn't tempered and the language is exactly what you might expect to hear from teenagers who have been living on the streets. Just like Crusher, this book is just one step from being an adult thriller, just as its intended readers are knocking on the door of adulthood, and as such it is right that includes these more adult elements, although I know that some parents, teachers and librarians will disagree with me.
… (mer)
1 rösta
Flaggad
book_zone | 26 andra recensioner | Apr 1, 2013 |
Following the events in Dark Eyes, Wally Stoneman is now an emancipated minor living alone in a Brooklyn loft, working for the Ursula Society to help find missing persons. Of course the missing person she wants to find most is her brother Tiger, currently on the lam. Soon Kyle, a guy about Wally's age walks in to the Ursula office seeking help in finding his mother. Wally soon finds herself involved perhaps to the point of crossing the line; as well as finding out somehow her search for Tiger is interconnected.

Good title for those who like intense action, which is not in short supply, as is the violence and profanity. Feels like you're watching a Hollywood action film; after all, the author has worked as a screenwriter. I was glad I read Dark Eyes first; I definitely got more out of it as far as the background. Teens will like Wally's tough-as-nails demeanor as well a cliffhanger ending, which has me thinking another sequel is coming soon!
… (mer)
 
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WickedWoWestwood | 1 annan recension | Mar 21, 2013 |
Warning: This is the second book in a series and this review may contain slight spoilers of the first book.

After the tragic events at the end of Dark Eyes, Wally is now emancipated, living on her own and working for the Ursula Society — an organization that helps people find missing loved ones. Though Wally is only allowed to work on updating the files, she can’t help herself when Kyle, a troubled and obviously abused young man, comes into the center. She is drawn to him, and since her search for her brother, Tiger, has turned up no new leads, she needs a distraction.

But there are people after Kyle — dangerous people — and by agreeing to help him, Wally’s opened herself up to even more danger, and this time, she may not get out alive.

I loved Wally in the first book. She’s strong, determined, and even though her curiosity leads her into danger, I loved her impulsiveness. That Wally is still here, but there were things that happened in this book that left me scratching my head a bit. Red flags popped up early in the book, and she seemed oblivious to them. I couldn’t help but wonder why, after everything she went through in the first book, these dangers weren’t blatantly obvious to her.

I also wanted more Tiger. It was nice to learn more about him, but I felt like he wasn’t in the book as much as I would have liked. I mean the book is named Tiger after all. I thought it would primarily be his story.

The action is just as fast-paced as in the first book, and despite my character expectations, the story was great. I read this in a day — I couldn’t put it down. My only complaint was the abrupt cliffhanger ending. The first book ended so nicely with a hint of hope, but this one is like a hit and run.

Despite a few minor flaws, I really enjoyed this book. This series is a nice change of pace for someone looking for an action-packed story that will leave you breathless.
… (mer)
 
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booktwirps | 1 annan recension | Mar 15, 2013 |
Sixteen-year-old Wallace “Wally” Stoneman was adopted by a wealthy family in NYC when she was younger. The posh lifestyle never suited Wally, so she left home to live on the streets. She feels more at home with her street crew, and the bond they share feels more familial than the rich lifestyle she led with her adoptive parents.

When a girl Wally knows is murdered, a chain of events is set into motion that will lead Wally to answers of who she really is, where she came from and who her birth mother is. What Wally doesn’t know is that she is the daughter of a hardened Russian arms dealer who has recently escaped from prison and is also after her mother. When father and daughter cross paths, there will be blood.

The book takes place in and around New York, focusing mainly on Wally’s life on the streets. I loved the atmosphere the author created. The streets held a sense of danger, but they never felt as dangerous as some of the other, more serene places that Wally travels to as she searches for her mother, and tries to evade her murderous father.

All of the characters are very well-drawn. I liked Wally, though at times I felt she was almost a little too determined. Luckily she had her “crew” (Jake, Ella and Tevin) to help her out and keep her grounded. I really enjoyed the family they’d created. One thing I wish I’d gotten a better handle on was Wally’s relationship with her adoptive mother, Claire. It seemed weird to me that Wally would pop in on occasion and Claire would try and connect, and then Wally would up and leave again. I think if I were Claire, I would have locked her ass in her room so she couldn’t leave again. The fact that Claire was willing to let her come and go like this surprised me, because Claire did love Wally. It wasn’t one of those “I don’t want you around” type of relationships.

The writing fit the tone of the novel perfectly. This is more of a plot-driven, than character driven book, which is fine. I expected that. The pace is very fast and there are a ton of twists and turns. Some of them didn’t surprise me, but it was still enjoyable. After reading so many paranormal books, it was nice to step into a fast-paced crime thriller.

Before I started reading YA, I primarily read adult thrillers and mysteries, so it was nice to be able to combine my love of crime thrillers and YA. This was just the book I needed to break up the monotony of all of the paranormal and end-of-the-world books I’ve read lately. This is definitely a series I will continue to follow.
… (mer)
 
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booktwirps | 26 andra recensioner | Mar 6, 2013 |

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Statistik

Verk
2
Medlemmar
193
Popularitet
#113,337
Betyg
½ 3.7
Recensioner
29
ISBN
10
Språk
2

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