Review: Riveting crime drama
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 14, 2014
Is the phrase "page turner" anachronistic when you're using a Kindle? I couldn't put this one down. (Picture my last couple days: walking my dog while reading my Kindle, riding the bus while reading, trying to cook dinner one-handed with only half my attention.) Genre-wise it's as if Raymond Chandler were influenced by serialized crime shows like Breaking Bad or The Wire. It's entirely its own thing, but sometimes the style reminded me of James Patterson or Tom Clancy.I'm going to try to summarize without giving away any twists. So this is going to be a little vague! It's a rollercoaster, you'll want to be surprised. "I'm Living But I'm Not Alive" is the story of Daman, kingpin and family man. What makes a man walk on the wrong side of the law? How does someone go from scared little kid to a ruthless criminal mastermind?If it were just Daman's story it would be worth your time, but what makes it really interesting is the large cast. You get insights into all angles of the story, from the people who want to bring Daman down to the little people caught up in bigger things. That's why I would compare it to something like Breaking Bad, where the length lets you really explore the intricacies of the story. You'll root for Daman even though he's doing objectively bad things because he's a well-rounded and interesting character, but you'll also see the damage his empire does to other people. My heart broke for the hapless drug addicts forced into modern slavery by ruthless people and their own addictions.There is one caveat: the story could use an editor. Content fine, but if you're the type of person who gets hung up on little details, you'll have trouble. The author is British and the story is set in the US, so you'll notice a few odd idioms here and there.I'm very likely going to read the next installment in this series. I would have already downloaded it, but I know it's going to consume all of my attention!