Review: Thirst is a Thrilling Thirst Quencher
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 10, 2013
I’ve been a fan of Antarctica thrillers since John Carpenter’s 1982 horror film “The Thing” kept me up at night for a week after I watched it. In her nail-biting thriller “Thirst,” Author L.A. Larkin taps a similar vein of man (and woman) versus the unknown in the dreaded white and often hellish isolation of Antarctica. Her story about an attack on an Australian research station near Pine Island Glacier by terrorists offers spine-chilling suspense that rivals the frozen dread haunting “The Thing.” When the terrorists attack the station and kill most of its inhabitants in a secret operation to exploit the protected continent’s resources, it falls on maverick glaciologist Luke Searle and station leader Maddie Wildman to stop their attackers from committing an unthinkable act that will devastate Antarctica and the world.The author writes in an easy-to-read, fast-paced style that makes this thriller a breeze to read. An environmental specialist who visited Antarctica to gather research for this book, Larkin paints a realistic portrayal of Antarctica. The combination of the two results in one of the more unique novels I’ve read in a setting infrequently used in the genre. The action is relentless with some scenes that help make the main characters more realistic. One can sense the animosity between Luke and Maddie that softens as the novel progresses. While the evolution of their relationship is predictable, it’s still plausible. The penultimate chapter could have been written for a James Bond movie, while the final one brings the story to a close that makes the reader wish it would continue.If I have any qualms about the story, it’s the overuse of stereotypes. Although their Chinese ethnicity is a change from the stereotypical “bad guy” found in so many thrillers, the villains are caricaturized at times with bloodthirsty ambitions for power, inhuman cruelty, and issues with filial piety that leaves no room for redeeming traits. While this is no different than endless stories featuring villains who lack personality, making them more multi-dimensional would have improved the book.“Thirst” is a great read. I give it five stars and recommend it to anyone looking to read a thriller off the beaten path (in this case, Antarctica), an environmental-themed story, or an action-packed novel with shades of “The Thing” and James Bond’s “Die Another Day.”