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IQ
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IQ by Joe Ide (with spoilers) - June 2018
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This one was definitely not for me.Although I enjoyed how he determines the actual facts of each case he solves through deductive reasoning, I was turned off by the flashbacks and time jumps throughout IQ. Also, he is a criminal himself. If you do not like swearing, don't read this because it is fraught with it.
I loved this one because it seems so real! Swearing? Yeah! But who never swears? A guy living in the middle of criminals just can't live without hearing a few once in a while. A few days ago, I heard a rapper being interviewed on TV and it was exactly like the guy interviewed in this book!
It's a great story.
Hello, I'm the discussion leader for IQ and a lover of investigation stories. I think IQ is the perfect book for summer.Here is my short review of this book that I read lately:
Frankly, this book surprised me. I imagined myself in the same situation as Isaiah (IQ, the MC). How would I have reacted to everything happening to me? Could I have solved the attack on the crazy rapper faster than him? And this pit bulls trainer... Wow! What a story!
I went into the book not really thinking I would like it, but I ended up really liking the story. A little of it may have been a tad unbelievable, but overall I thought it was a great book!
Top marks. Must read. Completely delicious! A fabulous journey into Tarantino-esque dialog and characters, a bling noir, a poor black's Sherlock and money-driven, a'hole Watson, a completely guilty pleasure.
I loved it to bits!
Jonathan wrote: "I went into the book not really thinking I would like it, but I ended up really liking the story. A little of it may have been a tad unbelievable, but overall I thought it was a great book!"May I ask you which part you found unbelievable?
Partly the hitman. They made him out to be this cold blooded crazy killer, but then when IQ confronted him at his place and talked all that trash on him, he just let him go. I feel like there were a few other instances where the hitman's actions just didnt follow true to how he originally was described. It wasnt anything major. I really did enjoy the book. I gave it a 5 star rating!
I have to say I did enjoy the cursing in this book. Whatever that may say about me, I don't know. The book had great one liners and I did enjoy the way IQ solved the cases.
I do agree with Jonathan that the hit man was not entirely credible.
This book was a weird mix of slapstick comedy and crime book and I loved it.
I have already bought the second book and the third book is coming out in October.
Jonathan wrote: "Partly the hitman. They made him out to be this cold blooded crazy killer, but then when IQ confronted him at his place and talked all that trash on him, he just let him go. I feel like there were ..."I did not notice that Skip was particularly bright or coherent. I thought that maybe he just didn't want his puppies to get hurt. That's why his behavior then did not seem particularly out of character to me. On the other hand, that Isaiah and Dodson took the risk to insult him while they were surrounded by Pitt Bulls and that there was a giant one ready to jump out of the house seemed more surprising.
Maybe this scene needs editing. ;)
Jonathan wrote: "Partly the hitman. They made him out to be this cold blooded crazy killer, but then when IQ confronted him at his place and talked all that trash on him, he just let him go. I feel like there were ..."I agree, the hitman Skip should have tried to kill IQ. After all there was no secret that there was a hitman floating around. While Cal was sequestered, IQ was right out in the open and not only had he dissed Skip, he was clearly an impediment to the hit on Cal as he was the one not willing to be bribed which would also have been known by Skip.
I agree with you guys, that part of the story is lacking realism. The author could have used here the scene with the monster of a dog running after Dodson (that happens farther in the story). The dog could have run after IQ and his friend instead. I don't understand how an editor didn't notice that flaw.
I also really enjoyed this book. It was a fresh, modern spin on the genre and, even though there are a lot of very serious topics involved, there was also some great humor in it as well. I think most mysteries tend to have some moments that are unrealistic and just the idea of a hit man using a dog seemed pretty silly to me to begin with so I felt wherever he went with that didn't really bother me if I accepted the idea from the start. Even though my life experience is in no way close to his, I found the character to be easily relatable and likeable despite his many flaws. I will definitely be on the lookout for future books in this series.
Ninna wrote: "I also really enjoyed this book. It was a fresh, modern spin on the genre and, even though there are a lot of very serious topics involved, there was also some great humor in it as well. I think mo..."The scene when Dodson is pursued by a giant dog is very funny. Particularly since Dodson is cynophobic.
Ninna wrote: "I also really enjoyed this book. It was a fresh, modern spin on the genre and, even though there are a lot of very serious topics involved, there was also some great humor in it as well. I think mo..."Excellent comment Ninna.
Jonathan wrote: "Partly the hitman. They made him out to be this cold blooded crazy killer, but then when IQ confronted him at his place and talked all that trash on him, he just let him go. I feel like there were ..."Seconded. I’ve found authors often try to write a character who’s utterly exceptional in one way but pretty average in others. That’s not how it works most of the time and it feels like poor research and writing. And honestly, the same thing could be said about Isaiah, as well.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. I though Isaiah was an interesting main character, though I struggled a lot with Dodson and his redemption. I don’t think the author quite nailed the mix of grittiness and humor, but this was different enough from your average thriller that it was a worthwhile read. I’m not rushing out to pick up the next book, but I’ll probably get to it eventually.
Summer wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "Partly the hitman. They made him out to be this cold blooded crazy killer, but then when IQ confronted him at his place and talked all that trash on him, he just let him go. I feel..."Well, aren't we all "exceptional in one way but pretty average in others"?
Sévérin wrote: "Summer wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "Partly the hitman. They made him out to be this cold blooded crazy killer, but then when IQ confronted him at his place and talked all that trash on him, he just let..."All people have strengths and weaknesses, sure. But the personality type it takes to train with a variety of weapons to become a proficient and successful assassin is generally not the personality type of a slacker who lives in a pigsty. It’s just a pet peeve of mine that in trying to write different and unique characters, authors often throw together a lot of different personality traits that you wouldn’t see in the same person.
You're right: often the author doesn't define very clearly what kind of personality their characters have.And it's also true that to be successful in the crime world, as in any other field, you need certain qualities and skills. But anyone can take out a gun and kill someone. Maybe the author wanted Skip to be somewhere between the jackass murderer and the hit man.
When I was little, I was shy. But if someone said or did bad things to family members or friends, I became a real fury. Sometimes, contradictory characteristics are found in the same personality. And I did not notice that Skip was such an effective killer. As for I.Q., apart from his analytical skills, it's clear that he is a very ordinary guy and that he doesn't always realize in what a mess he can put himself. To welcome Dodson home was a mistake that few would have made.
I loved IQ. I live in LA and am familiar with the subcultures within it. IQ is a little clueless and a little character jumpy fits just right with me. The thinking isn’t just that clear, even for genius level people who happen to be born in the hood. Motivations and family influences can create something like multiple personalities in people. They need to be chameleons. Little kids don’t play house, they play drug dealer. The giant dog killer was a fresh twist. Dog breeding was well explained but it would take lots longer to get the generations needed to get a giant without heart or other problems that giants of any kind may have. I enjoyed the observational acuity that IQ actively developed. It inspired me to be more situationally aware of of my surroundings. I am still playing that game of describing things and can tell you the license plate of the car in front of me at the signal light ...if you ask within 5 minutes. Then it’s gone. I look forward to book 2.
Diane wrote: "I loved IQ. I live in LA and am familiar with the subcultures within it. IQ is a little clueless and a little character jumpy fits just right with me. The thinking isn’t just that clear, even for g..."wow.
Erica wrote: "I have to say I did enjoy the cursing in this book. Whatever that may say about me, I don't know. The book had great one liners and I did enjoy the way IQ solved the cases.
I do agree with Jonath..."
I have to say I didn't even notice the cursing in this book. Whatever that may say about me. ;)
I just finished this a few minutes ago and really liked it! I found much of it unbelievable and not just the things that have been mentioned, but that did not stop me from enjoying this book. I liked both IQ and Dodson and imagine they will be the crime-fighting duo in subsequent books. I liked the humor, the "origin story", and the many situations they get themselves into and out of. I loved the radio psychologist as an example of the humor - the scene with Cal in the bathroom was hilarious. I thought the swearing and street language made this all that much more authentic. I also thought the ending was perfect with his putting his brother's ashes to the wind. My rating will probably have a star deducted because of the way Ide bounces back and forth in time. I actually like books that do that, but I felt this one was often confusing. I wondered if I was in the 2005 or 2013 portion of the book many times.
Thanks for nominating this, Severin - I've had it on my TBR list for a long time. Definitely I'll be moving on to book 2 as soon as I clear the wait list for the audio at my library. Speaking of that, I highly recommend this in audio if you like to listen to books!
Suzy wrote: "I just finished this a few minutes ago and really liked it! I found much of it unbelievable and not just the things that have been mentioned, but that did not stop me from enjoying this book. I lik..."Happy it pleased you. You review shows that you caught all the most fun details.
Suzy wrote: "I just finished this a few minutes ago and really liked it! I found much of it unbelievable and not just the things that have been mentioned, but that did not stop me from enjoying this book. I lik..."What are the other things that we haven't mentioned that were unrealistic? I'm just curious.
Diane wrote: "I loved IQ. I live in LA and am familiar with the subcultures within it. IQ is a little clueless and a little character jumpy fits just right with me. The thinking isn’t just that clear, even for g..."I don't know much about dog breeding, but a friend of mine was doing shih Tzu breeding. All she wanted was cute little puppies. Probably I'm wrong but it seemed to me that it was enough that the 2 parents were cute and small for the puppies to be cute and small. Isn't it the same with big and ugly dogs? ;)
Danny wrote: "Diane wrote: "I loved IQ. I live in LA and am familiar with the subcultures within it. IQ is a little clueless and a little character jumpy fits just right with me. The thinking isn’t just that cle..."I would say the dog-breeding parts were realistic in that breeders of animals often are going for an "ideal". In this case, the large and vicious sort. But as someone pointed out earlier it would take several generations of breeding to produce something so fantastic as the dog in the story.
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Summary
A resident of one of LA's toughest neighborhoods uses his blistering intellect to solve the crimes the LAPD ignores.
East Long Beach. The LAPD is barely keeping up with the neighborhood's high crime rate. Murders go unsolved, lost children unrecovered. But someone from the neighborhood has taken it upon himself to help solve the cases the police can't or won't touch.
They call him IQ. He's a loner and a high school dropout, his unassuming nature disguising a relentless determination and a fierce intelligence. He charges his clients whatever they can afford, which might be a set of tires or a homemade casserole. To get by, he's forced to take on clients that can pay.
This time, it's a rap mogul whose life is in danger. As Isaiah investigates, he encounters a vengeful ex-wife, a crew of notorious cutthroats, a monstrous attack dog, and a hit man who even other hit men say is a lunatic. The deeper Isaiah digs, the more far reaching and dangerous the case becomes.