Helpful Score: 1
Definitely all that the blurb says - "raw, visceral, compelling" and yet for some reason I was underwhelmed. It has lovely language, amazing descriptions, but I cannot empathize with the protagonist Rice. It doesn't feel to me like the kind of guy he is would take on the bear poaching issue. And to me, it feels a little too "literary" for the kind of story it is. The setup of the story is good, the flashbacks are excellent, the characters well done. It certainly kept my attention. Rice's blackout moments are little weird, but I'm certain the author's intent was to have the reader be unsure along with Rice what is real and what is imagined. This is one of those times where I wish I were better at critical analysis so I could put my finger on exactly what bothered me about it. I can see why it got such great reviews, but it won't make my 10 best list this year.
