Rating: 
Summary: The Smoke Jumper
Review: One of the best novels I've read in years. I could hardly put it down. Filled with all the things thatmake a great novel: friendship, loyalty, perserverance, passion, humor, suspense, and much more. I know I'll read this many more times in the future and pass it along to people that I care about. This is a definite keeper.
Rating:
Summary: A True Marvel
Review: As a wanna-be writer I have taken several courses on how to write. The main theme thru all is that you lead the reader up to the climax of the story slowly, teasing them, making them try to second guess you, then breaking the pinacle and climaxing coming down to the conclusion of the book. Well, Nicholas sparks does this for his readers three times plus in this fantastic book. True, every now and then I knew exactly where he was going, but for the most part his story telling was suspenseful and truly spellbounding. As an avid listener more then reader, this was one of those audio books that forced me to find long ways home and sit in front of my house to hear just a bit more. Where I didn't think he could ever top "The Loop", I have been proven vastly wrong. A superb read...or listen...and highly recommended! A great one for a long winter's day in front of the fire!
Rating:
Summary: His best so far
Review: I fell in love with the Horse Whisperer but didn't like the ending. I was captivated by the Loop but was disappointed by the romance. In the Smoke Jumper, I think Nicholas Evans got everything right. The friendship between three people who all loved each other in different ways was wonderful. I believe that it shows people can still be noble even in the face of great temptation. Thank you Mr. Evans.
Rating:
Summary: How about 6 stars instead of 5?
Review: Although I doubt that my review will be particularly beneficial to most, I feel compelled to take the opportunity to say this. Have you ever become so completely immersed in the lives of the characters in a book that you didn't want it to end? For me that happens quite infrequently but I "nursed" the last 50 pages of this book because I didn't want it to end. If you need a book to take you on a trip down a river or on a wilderness hike, read it. If you need a book to transport you to another country where you'll actually learn something about current events, read it. If you need a book to renew your belief in the power of love to transcend all, read it.
Rating: 
Summary: DISAPPOINTED AND ANGRY
Review: I was disappointed in this latest novel by Nicholas Evans because it was nowhere as good a story as his two previous novels, The Horse Whisperer and The Loop. I am angry because this had the makings of a "great" book and ended up being nothing more than a longer version of a Nicholas Sparks' novel. And, don't get me wrong - I enjoy a good Nicholas Sparks' book but not when I'm supposed to be reading a Nicholas Evans' book.Set in Missoula, Montana and inspired by real life smoke jumpers, this book follows the lives of its three main characters Ed Tully, Connor Ford and Julia Bishop over a period of about ten years. Ed and Connor are best friends brought together by their love of life and interest in "smoke jumping." Ed is exuberant in nature while Connor is reserved yet they both complement each other. Julia is Ed's girlfriend and she will become another thing in which the two men share an interest. This will become a book about choices with loyalty and friendship being at its core. Prior to this reading, I had no idea what a smoke jumper was and found out that there are only 400 of them in America. This is one of the reasons I always gravitate towards Evans' books - I always learn something from them. In The Horse Whisperer, I learned that people COULD talk to horses. In The Loop, I learned that the wolf is an endangered species and people invent elaborate traps in which to catch them. In The Smoke Jumper, I learned that these jumpers parachute out of planes into "fire areas" and have devised incredible ways of fighting and starving fires. For the first 100 pages, I loved this book until it became a predictable love triangle. Girl meets boy, girl meets boy's friend, girl is attracted to friend, girl feels obligated to boy, tragedy strikes boy and girl until it becomes like every other book of this type that I've read. I enjoyed the beginning, which had to do with the fires, and the wilderness and the program for which Julia worked whereby they brought troubled teens into the open country and helped them find themselves. Once tragedy struck on the mountain, the whole emphasis of the book shifted to the point where some portions were not even plausible. If only the storyline would have continued in the smoke jumper direction, I would have been happy but, in the off-season, Connor is a photographer and spends his time taking pictures of atrocities in third world countries such as Bosnia and Uganda. This book then becomes a convoluted tapestry of puzzle pieces that the reader should be putting together along the way as the main characters strive to find some kind of happiness in their lives. Once the setting shifted from Montana to Africa, I lost interest and found everything from that point on just plain boring and unbelievable to say the least. There are very few heroes in the world and this book had the ability to create a fictional one yet it failed, in my opinion, because so many of the choices made by the main characters were downright "stupid". Since the fires that the smoke jumpers put out are very damaging, they are also cleansing in that new growth will eventually appear. I'm sure this was probably the moral of the story but Connor's stint in Africa left me begging to get back on U.S. soil so this new growth could begin. While the characters in the end might have finally found self-fulfillment, this reader certainly didn't.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Great Literary Books of the Year!
Review: "The Smoke Jumper" has all the hope, love and compassion of "The Horse Whisperer" and "The Loop" and is a book fans of Nicholas Evans will not want to miss. Written in a pragmatic and compelling writing style, the author has the ability to hold the reader's attention from start to finish. The characters of Julia Bishop and Connor Ford are strong, bold and realistic. When a fire erupts and a desperate situation develops, Connor literally drops from the sky and seemingly becomes an angel with a mission. As a relationship grows, Julia finds herself caught up in a triangle of love and must choose between Connor and Ed Tully - both of whom she loves dearly. The story unfolds like a classic romance but the writing style and the author's ability to evoke emotion in the reader make this a sensational book. The nature of risk and love, which make up the plot of this book, bear similarities to another fantastic, five-star book, "A Bend in the Road" written by another Nicholas - Nicholas Sparks. Do not miss either of these books; they are both highly recommended even to those of us who are not die-hard fans of typical romance novels. They are more than just "another ushy-gushy love story with a happy-ever-after ending;" they are romance with a strong, impelling story attached.
Rating:
Summary: More Than Meets the Eye
Review: Nicholas Evans takes us through a decade of the lives of photographer Connor Ford, musician Ed Tully, and artist Julia Bishop. This is more than a story about a smoke jumper, more than a story about love. This is a story about friendship, spirituality, and courage. It's about abandonment and individuality. It's about sadness and it's about hope. The author is a good storyteller and even though the course of the story is diverse and unusual, he never loses the reader as he goes from one person to the next, from one continent to another, painting pictures of their lives through his words. While Connor is off photographing pictures across the ocean, Julia and Ed are living a quiet, "normal" life in Montana. But each of them is creating a mosaic of his or her life with the pieces that were left scattered behind them as they moved along. Life is a series of events, some connected, some not. Evans tells about the events in the lives of Connor, Ed, & Julia and pulls it all together into something that will stay with you for a long time.
Rating: 
Summary: Evans "Jumps" to a New High!
Review: Nicholas Evans' first two books were unique in their drama. His third book The Smoke Jumper has all but established him as one of the best storytellers around. The spine tingling path of three people in this new episode will leave you wanting more. Evans has a wonderful way of painting pictures with his words and places you in the middle. The Smoke Jumper is a must-read for its story of those who dream of more and don't always get it. It's a beautiful rendition of a love story gone awry...
Rating:
Summary: Rating the CD Version
Review: This was by far the most entertaining CD I have listened to in a very long time. I enjoyed listening to this story while commuting to work and back. I even obeyed the speed limits so I could hear more of the book before arriving at my destination. Luke Perry was the narrater and he did a remarkable job. Makes for an enjoyable stress reducer while commuting in work traffic. This had a great storyline and with Luke Perry reading it, you just can't ask for more!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely well-written, deeply moving
Review: Absolutely well-written, deeply moving : Nicholas Evans has a rare bright tale. He is a master at bittersweet spirutual stories. I recommend it highly, you will not be disappointed.
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