PLOT: 5/5 CHARACTERS: 5/5 WRITING STYLE: 5/5 CLIMAX: 5/5 ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 5/5
Killing Strangers is a moving, stunning, terrifying and beautifully woven, educational and entertaining premiere in equal proportions, set in the Americas of recent times. There is so much going on at the same time in the novel that it is difficult to read it quickly. It is meant to be swallowed as it is intended to shake the reader and give them hope The beauty of the multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism that make up the American dream.
It doesn’t have too much philosophical thinking, but it ultimately combines loose ends for accurate and analytical reading that will make the reader reflect on contemporary American issues such as mass shootings, religious radicalization, and immigration. However, these issues are not American issues, but they do resonate worldwide. This adds to the depth of the argument that borders on the logical and the empirical with an emotional touch but has never become too sentimental. Therefore, it is a reading experience that attracts the reader and calls for careful reading.
The plot begins with Larry Watson, the character of a retired FBI agent, who goes to a job interview at Atlanta Tech Corridor. However, things take off immediately on the plot, as there is a massive shooting that takes place in the Atlanta Tech Corridor. Several people, witnesses, survivors and victims were shot and traumatized by the events.
Larry Watson is in the rescue. This special scene serves as the foreword to the rest of the story, which after this first chapter shows the character of Dave Pruitt, someone with Asperger syndrome but very active and obsessed with guns. Then comes Alim Mubarak, an Iraqi immigrant who, unlike his American-born and raised son Zamir, finds it difficult to balance his racial identity with constant media stereotypes. However, he is a dedicated American citizen.
After that, Mark McCarthy is the character of a young CEO who created Maverick Investments. His dream is to see his company rise in value for money. The plot ends when all the lives of these characters come together. This is where the twists and turns affect the high points of the shooting, such as racism, sectarianism and the rise of hate violence.
The plot is moderately fast-paced, but full of suspense and drama. It revolves around the shooting incident and takes the reader through the effects and consequences of this by portraying the role that each character plays in this issue. It provides a good precedent for getting closer to the past since the event took place. This provides a good background for understanding where these characters come from.
In Killing Strangers, the writing style is a mixture of third-person narration, interspersed with dialogue. Conversations help to understand the inner workings of the character’s mind. The writing style is clear and easy to follow. Strict adherence to the presentation of a realistic picture of contemporary issues is the unique selling point of the book. The perpetrator never commits any abuse.
In characterization, balance is maintained in the choice of words and expressions. It’s like watching a movie with a constant change of narrative between different characters, in which the scenes develop as the characters run parallel to each other. The descriptions are never overdone, but they are nonetheless accurate, which provides a good background for building the characters.
The main aspect of the novel is the characters, and the author pays close attention to making sure that each character is different from the other, and also to some extent indicative of the idea being addressed. This tends to become archetypal characters, but in their descriptions and behavior the touches of individuality remain fixed in the plot.
The aim is to reflect the issues of society and not to stereotype anyone. This is done successfully because the human side of the characters rises from the misery they face as Americans living in contemporary America. Overall, this is a very interesting thriller that deals with the crucial current issues that everyone lives in in a globalized world.
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