To answer questions about
Night School,
please sign up.
Tim Shaw
I agree with all the comments below, one of the worst Reacher novels of the series. I thought Reacher back in the army, that he would be rougher and tougher. Found it a bit boring and repetitive. Think there were one or two lines in the book that Lee Child just copied and pasted in. i.e The dress, the hair, the nylons" must have been in the book 5 times or more. Not a spolier but for much of the book I thought the bad guy was selling Bull semen !!!!!! Not a strong or interesting story at all.
Arlene
I was wondering this as well. It feels as though someone else is attempting to write in Lee Child's style. This book is painful to read.
Italklaas
I agree... the first 100 pages were so boring. The rest was acceptable, but nothing more than that. I'm afraid Jack Reacher is dead... :(
Doris Luther
I can usually read a Jack Reacher book in as little as two days. I'm still working on this one after two weeks. I agree with your comment. It makes me think all authors reach a point with reoccurring characters when they just can't think of anything else. No excitement at all.
Margie
Glad to read the following comments. I felt something was really off with this story. Usually I can't put a Lee Child book down and will lose sleep from reading far into the night, but not with this one.
Teresa
Another glaring mistake was at the start of Chapter 21. "They had Wiley's service numbers, which in the modern way was the same as his Social Security number."
The book is taking place in 1996 and Wiley had been in the service for around 4 years (or less). The Service Numbers would not have been used in the Army for 30 years.
This is a very easy Google search to find the answer: Service numbers were eventually phased out completely by the social security number; the Army and Air Force converted to social security numbers on 1 July 1969.
Also, the whole sentence was unnecessary anyway. By that time in the book, anyone reading it knows that all the alphabet agencies they had helping in the investigation, they could find what they wanted on anyone they wanted.
The book is taking place in 1996 and Wiley had been in the service for around 4 years (or less). The Service Numbers would not have been used in the Army for 30 years.
This is a very easy Google search to find the answer: Service numbers were eventually phased out completely by the social security number; the Army and Air Force converted to social security numbers on 1 July 1969.
Also, the whole sentence was unnecessary anyway. By that time in the book, anyone reading it knows that all the alphabet agencies they had helping in the investigation, they could find what they wanted on anyone they wanted.
Mark Hebwood
I feel the same. I used to love Lee Child but in my view he's lost it several novels ago. It feels as he's losing the grip on his character Jack Reacher. For example, Reacher has always had a highly developed ability to do arithmetic in his head, but in one recent novel (I even forgot which one) Lee allows this gift to develop into something near-autistic. Another one of Reacher's uncanny abilities is to pinpoint locations of people with absolute no information about their whereabouts. In this last novel, this ability appears to have defined the entire plot. The main characters know next to nothing about the terrorist they need to find, and yet Reacher and Neagley manage to narrow the search down by staring into the air and inventing things. Like, for example, when Jack comes out with the insightful conclusion that the unknown subject cannot be a particular person shown on a photograph because that guy had a styled haircut, and those who care about their hair cannot be confident about themselves, and hence they cannot be paid assassins because people who murder others for money need to be confident in themselves and hence will not care about their hair. I dont even have a sarcastic comment on this. It's a shame - I feel the Jack Reacher I knew from the early novels has disappeared. I think this was the last Lee Child novel I picked up.
Luigi Borde
This book is nothing like the Lee Child that we all love to read. It's confused, painful to read. I got through 75 pages on my Kindle, and just erased the book completely. Wasted my money....sad.
Lynn Conchado
Thank you, thank you. I was afraid I was losing my mind, because I have loved the previous Reacher books. I just (gratefully) finished it, and I cannot recommend it to anyone else. And yes, the first 100 pages were difficult to get through.
Harmien
Same here. read the first appr. 100 pages, put it down and read a few middle chapters, then last 5 pages. No redeeming value whatsoever.
I mean really, no cell phones? Emails just beginning stages ? Still working with the 'Little Professor' calculator, Lee?
When he walked into the 'airstream' diner, I detected a slight rush, but no....
We need ( Jack needs) to move forward. Either that or just give up the ghost.
I mean really, no cell phones? Emails just beginning stages ? Still working with the 'Little Professor' calculator, Lee?
When he walked into the 'airstream' diner, I detected a slight rush, but no....
We need ( Jack needs) to move forward. Either that or just give up the ghost.
Kathleen
I'm convinced he has had writing help for at least the last 10 books.
Dave
I'm not sure that I'd say this was written by another author, but it felt like it was written in a hurry. It never felt like any of the main characters were ever in any real danger. There was very little action in the book; the few fight scenes that were in the book seemed to be thrown in and had little to do with the plot. And they followed the usual Reacher formula: punch the first guy, elbow the second guy on the return...etc). The ending seemed rushed.
I do like Reacher's ability to think like the villian/victim and use his reasoning to deduce where he might be found. But it was way overdone in this one. Not the worst Reacher novel I've read, but definitely down there
I do like Reacher's ability to think like the villian/victim and use his reasoning to deduce where he might be found. But it was way overdone in this one. Not the worst Reacher novel I've read, but definitely down there
Kevin Schaeffer
I have binge read the first 20 Reacher books in the last two months, but I'm half-way through Night School and i just stopped. This book is terrible.
Mike Marsbergen
Felt like Lee Child to me.
Kathy
This was the first Lee Child book I read and it took me a month to read it. I thought it was slightly boring and a lot of characters to keep track of.
Jane Holland
Yup. Very worrying.
Jonathan
I hate to agree with a negative sentiment.
But unfortunately for the first time a Jack Reacher novel is a let down.
I understand that Lee Child has it really hard keeping up with his old work (which is amazing!) and also JacK Reacher as a character is in a tough spot to develop because today (May 2017) he is in is fifties (if I'm correct) and even Jack Reacher will eventually be old, right?
So, Lee Child takes us to 1996 and we all hope that now we have a Younger and stronger Reacher... Also he's still in the Military so we're expecting a Jack Reacher with the power of the U.S. Military...
What a disappointment!
But unfortunately for the first time a Jack Reacher novel is a let down.
I understand that Lee Child has it really hard keeping up with his old work (which is amazing!) and also JacK Reacher as a character is in a tough spot to develop because today (May 2017) he is in is fifties (if I'm correct) and even Jack Reacher will eventually be old, right?
So, Lee Child takes us to 1996 and we all hope that now we have a Younger and stronger Reacher... Also he's still in the Military so we're expecting a Jack Reacher with the power of the U.S. Military...
What a disappointment!
Kim
I agree. Worst book of the entire set. I was so looking forward to this one and it was a big disappointment. Didn't have the same cadence, tone, or depth.
G80csr
The Davey Crockett in this book bears no resemblance to the DC I was in in 1962-3. Search "Davey Crockett" in Wikipedia and get the true story.
Elaine
Sadly, I have to agree. This one was a struggle to finish, something that I've never experienced with his previous Reacher books.
Tom Holehan
It's a great question! I felt exactly the same way. All talk, no action!
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more
Jan 26, 2017 07:56PM · flag