The Rhythm Section. (Mindscape Reviews)
Posted On March 3, 2020
Hi Readers! The year is NOT AT ALL going as planned. We’re already in March & I am way behind all my goals. I will have to revisit the 20 Things to do in 2020 because I’m failing miserably in it. It’s not just that I am unable to do it, it has got more with I don’t want to because I’ve lost all interest. I gave up watching TED Talks after one month of commitment in January. I haven’t learnt any recipes. I don’t have any ideas or will to write short stories. I haven’t even visited a temple yet which was the easiest thing to do. The only thing going a little bit on the path is reading & fitness. Everything else has gone wrong.
I have finished reading 6/52 books now & of these I liked only 2. I hate the fact that I am extremely picky about books and yet I pick the bad ones! Why does this happen! So, anyway, I read an extremely pathetic book named ‘The Rhythm Section’ by Mark Burnell. The sole reason I read this was because its movie adaptation stars Blake Lively. And secondary reason being I can check the ‘Read a book being made into a movie this year.’ It was SO NOT WORTH it. The movie turned out to be a flop which is obvious because the book itself is so horrible. And the only joy I’m going to get from this book is by writing an extremely CRITICAL REVIEW.
~~INTRODUCTION~~
It’s the story of a woman who changes names & personalities for one goal of vengeance. As the original Stephanie Patrick, she is a helpless 22-year old with no future & not that much life left in her. As Lisa, she is a prostitute. As Petra Reuter, she is a world-known assassin. As Marina Gadenzi, she’s just a girl next door. When Lisa lives her life off selling herself, she meets Proctor which is a journalist. He tells her how the unfortunate flight accident which killed almost her entire family was actually a terrorist attack.
Once she knows this, she sets firm on vengeance by killing her family’s killer. She takes a path where she joins an organization in which she starts with training, goes on with cold blooded murder & ends not so well.
~~OVERALL THOUGHTS~~
The story is not plotted very well. The base line is a helpless woman going after the person who killed her family. What starts with something this basic ends up with almost laughable twists & turns. There are a lot of terrorist names thrown around. There are many parts where there are so many names mentioned that you basically become clueless as to who exactly is who. There is a lot of pathetic attempts at adventure in the novel. Some sections are just pure meaningless & totally avoidable. Some parts which mention the history of irrelevant people is just a waste of time. I haven’t seen such confused perception from the author’s view point when it comes to character development. There are also a lot of flaws in it which I won’t bore you with. It was a complete waste reading this. I don’t have an iota of understanding as to how someone rational could like such a book. Please do not read it. It’s a shame on the Crime/Thriller genre & would definitely have you disappointed.
What astonishes me even more is this is the first book in a Five Part series of Stephanie Patrick. It is baffling that this book is the foundation of something big. Probably something even more boring & miserable. Please don’t think twice about it & pick another book instead. Anything else would be better. Also, don’t go by its Goodreads description which sounds way more interesting than the actual story. This is the first time Goodreads has deceived me so let me build up a bit on my trust & commitment issues.
Anyway, I hope I have made you aware from the real horrors of the book world. After reading The Rhythm Section, I had to read SOMETHING GREAT! After a lot of consideration, I started ready Anthony Doerr’s ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ which is the Pulitzer Prize winner, 2015. Five minutes in, I knew I chose right. I know that I am going to enjoy this one! Stay tuned for a good review!
Until next time,
About The Author
Aishwarya Shenolikar
Hello! I'm Aishwarya, an Introverted bookworm & writer. I have been reviewing books since 6 years on my blog - Mindscape in Words. My favourite genres are Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Magical Realism, Poetry, Fantasy & Memoirs. I like the kind of books which evoke emotions on several levels leaving me wrecked, but also incredibly content. I'm dreaming for the world to paint a landscape full of words, more like Mindscape in Words. Hope you enjoy the view.