Rating: 
Summary: A book of real heros
Review: I was shocked to read so many negative reviews on this book. Yes, the setting was broader than Montana forest fire fighting but the title says something about the person's character as well, and that was the theme throughout the book. Perhaps so many found fault because they have difficulty respecting characters who don't put their own needs before all else. This is not a book for the ME generation. It is a wonderful story of good people facing life's difficulties with honor and dignity. The beauty with which it was written was like a salve to my soul, having recently read a string of popular novels with the descriptive power of fifth grade essays. I loved The Horse Whisperer and The Loop as well, and will certainly purchase the next Nicholaus Evans novel I see on the power of the author's name alone.
Rating: 
Summary: I loved it!
Review: After reading several of the customer reviews for THE SMOKE JUMPER, admittedly, I have to agree that yes, at times the novel was predictable, and that the Montana storyline was definitely the more interesting part of the book. With that being said, the one thing I did notice, even with all the negative comments by other readers, was that everyone who read THE SMOKE JUMPER finished it.
Nicholas Evans is a natural storyteller. With unassuming and graceful prose, convincing dialogue and fully realized characters, THE SMOKE JUMPER is an old-fashioned tear-jerker, a highly readable and captivating story about friendship, love, loyalty, guilt and honor. Despite some of the book's inevitabilities, THE SMOKE JUMPER is a lovely story and an enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: which came first?
Review: Today I was telling my husband about this horrible book I was reading and he said, "That's the exact same story line as the movie I just saw; The Mists of Avalon based on the book of the same name by Marion Zimmer Bradley." Hmmmm.That said, that was not why I disliked the book from the beginning. I was very disappointed at the quality of writing. I can't seem to get past whole paragraphs that consist of only one sentence with 6-8 "and"s. Don't we learn in jr. high school about run on sentences. This book is so full of the word "and" I find myself just reading words and not being able to read the sentences or even the story. I was excited to get this book because I enjoyed The Horse Whisperer and The Loop. I am disappointed in the story and also in the writing. Although I have only read a little over half of the book I don't hold out much hope for improvement. Overall it's a contemporary twist on the old legend and on countless other love triangle novels. If you still want to read it get it from the library and save your money. I hope this is not a preview of the quality of future Nicholas Evans books.
Rating:
Summary: Cinematic Material
Review: This book is wonderful - and impossible to put down. It is a tight and heartwarming story just waiting to be filmed.
Rating: 
Summary: Guilty pleasure
Review: This book was fun to read, but I was disappointed. It was predictable, and at times .... I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but the rest felt like a what-are-they-doing now sort of special. I also felt like the characters were cliche and not that realistic. It was a nice summer read, but not one of the best books I've ever read. I also thought this book could use a better title. If you're more interested in the smoke jumping aspect - which only the first part of the book was really about - read Young Men and Fire.
Rating:
Summary: Keep the kleenex handy
Review: In "The Smoke Jumper," Nicholas Evans has presented with all the phases and facets of "LOVE." This narrative is captivating and while keeping you on the edge of your seat with a tissue handy as you read through the pages, "The Smoke Jumper" leaves you with the feeling of completion. Although you may not agree with the characters' choices you will understand and eventually applaud the courage pictured by this talented story teller. Another Evan's bestseller.
Beverly J Scott author of Righteous Revenge
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: I listened to this book driving from Pittsburgh to New Jersey, a route I drive oftren, and that I dred, but listening to this I didn't even realize that I was driving the boring 4 1/2 hour trip! I eve made it hom quicker! This book had me wanting to narrator to read faster! I was confused for the first 20 minutes abotu how all the characters were going to make it into one story. I loved how the author accomplished this without much confusion. I loved the excitement of the fires, and the rest of the story made me laugh/CRY/then feel terribly bad for Ed. I wo't say why, you gotta read it! But, I now only have about 25 minutes left to listen to, and I can't wait to get back in my car and listen to it on the way to work! Read or listen to this, you will not be sorry!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Smoke and mirrors
Review: I picked this book up on the strong following that Horse Whisperer inspired - and I was very disappointed. What could have been a lyrical, exciting tale became mere soap opera with an obvious ending. The character development was stereotypical, written more for a screenplay then for a novel. It is hard to explain - the author tells you the history, the career choices, the hobbies, the motivations behind his characters and yet it never really clicks with how the author wants the story to move. You feel like you're watching a late night B movie - it is so cliched. Take Julia as an example - she is a trained therapist and yet she (and the other WAY counselors) are so superficial in their techniques, so unprofessional that the WAY kid's breakthroughs are totally unbelievable. As a student of psychology, one would think that Julia would have been a bit more in touch with her true feelings - as well as dealing with the inherent guilt that is part of the story. The author gave her a diploma and training - and then made her weak and rather stupid.
The author's need to take Connor into the horror of Bosnia and Uganda felt more like a personal rant by Evans rather than a believable journey by his laconic cowboy.
And finally, the pregancy was straight out of daytime drama and the ending was so over the top that I laughed. Evans would have better served his characters by exploring their depths in Montana than trying to put them out into the horrors of the world. What he ended up doing was dumbing them down, taking three ordinary people and making them fools. Skye was the only character holding her own for awhile - but then, she too, was painted with the same brush, losing her originality in the name of moving the story along. Perhaps this was all part of the Evan's purpose - however, I doubt it. The story is to pat, too obvious. I will not be going back to read his other books.
Rating:
Summary: Smoke Jumper Review
Review: This is a good book with an unpredictable storyline.
Rating:
Summary: Two men and a woman
Review: Best friends from two different worlds -- one a rich kid with health problems and a passion for music, the other a modern-day cowboy with a flair for photography. Both are handsome, charming and live on the edge as smoke jumpers, fire-fighters who sky dive into the smoke shrouded world of forest fires. Inevitable complications arise when Ed introduces his girlfriend, Julia, to Connor. Julia, a youth counselor who travels to Montana to be near Ed and to work for the summer with troubled youth, feels that magical and mysterious connection to Connor and he feels the same for her. Out of love and respect for Ed, their feelings go unspoken. However, a forest fire, which traps Julia and a teenage charge, leaves Julia, Ed and Connor dealing with multiple life or death situations and forever alters their lives. Connor reaches Julia in time to save her life, but Julia is devastated by the death of the young girl, Skye... I tip my hat to Sparks for writing in a genre (love story fiction) that few men want to venture into. There is a lot of action in this book; however, I found this book to be very disjointed. There was much jerking around of the plot, the characters and the timeline. Everything seemed so forced, lacking the smoothness of other Sparks novels.
|
