SUSPENSE
&
THRILLERS
|
|
Debbie
Wiley
Book Reviews |
|
Dog sled near Fort
Clark. Watercolor by Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied 1833.
|
An Animal
Liberation Front raid removing 82 beagles and 26 rabbits from
Interfauna in Cambridge on St Patrick's Night 1990.
|
Cougar
|
|
BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
HOME
ROMANCE
FICTION SUSPENSE & THRILLERS
MYSTERY HORROR
URBAN FANTASY
AUTHORS REVIEWER
PROFILES
|
Primitive
by Mark Nykanen
Sonya
Adams thinks she’s heading to just another modeling shoot in her fast
fading career when the unspeakable happens. She is kidnapped by
environmental extremists (calling themselves Abolanders) who want
nothing more than to use her to spread their message of the dangers of
“climate chaos” to the world. The only family Sonya has is an estranged
daughter, Darcy. Darcy is determined to rescue her mother but she soon
finds herself caught in the middle between her own government and the
environmental underground.
PRIMITIVE is a fast paced book in which the tension never lets up. The
sense of urgency permeates every page as Mark Nykanen does a marvelous
job at ramping up the frenetic pace without sacrificing plot or
character development. Some of the scenes are brutal in their intensity
and the more squeamish readers may find themselves horrified by some of
the torture scenes.
PRIMITIVE reminds me a bit of a Michael Crichton tale in that Mark
Nykanen seeks to educate while telling a very powerful story. The core
of the story centers on a clash between extremists. On one hand, you
have the radical environmentalists who are willing to kidnap an
innocent civilian and set off bombs in order to save the world, while
on the other hand you have the government sponsored military who are
willing to torture or kill anyone in order to stop the extremists and
keep their secrets safe. Both sides are willing to sacrifice smaller
groups of people for what each considers the greater good. The story is
chilling, particularly in light of animosity often seen between
clashing political agendas over the last few years.
The characters in PRIMITIVE are far from likable and yet Mark Nykanen
creates sympathy for some of them regardless. Sonya, despite
representing consumerism in its worst form to the Abolanders, is
perhaps the most balanced character as she sees the goal of both sides
but wants to maintain her own individual freedom and right to choose.
Darcy is a very compelling character as she has to look deep within her
own convictions and beliefs, particularly when it’s her own mother
whose life is at stake in this deadly chess match.
PRIMITIVE shows what happens when black and white thinking on either
side dominates as the story offers a powerful message about the dangers
of extremism in any form. What could have been an even more powerful
message about fanaticism in any form is diluted somewhat by the
sympathy displayed towards one side of the issue while portraying the
other side in its vilest form. As such, PRIMITIVE will probably appeal
more to readers who are more politically aligned with the Abolanders
rather than enticing the audience as a whole and showing the evils of
extremism in every form. Regardless, PRIMITIVE is a powerfully intense
story that provokes a wealth of emotions and encourages the reader to
look deeply within one’s one belief systems.
Publisher: Belle
Bridge Books (October 2009)
Reviewed
by Debbie, Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
|
|
