Inside the Cage by Matt Whyman
Dec. 22nd, 2007 03:09 pmThe Blurb On The Back:
Under suspicion for a virtual break-in at Fort Knox, 17-year-old Carl Hobbes finds himself on a rendition flight for questioning by the US military. Taken to an isolated camp in the Arctic wilderness, dedicated to holding terrorists-for-hire, the boy finds all assurances about his safety blow away when one notorious detainee stages an uprising. Cut off from civilisation, and with overnight temperatures plummeting, Hobbes must decide whether his chances of survival are greater inside the cage - or out ...
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
The makings of a good thriller are there, but it doesn't come across on the page. In particular, I think Whyman takes too long to build up to the actual action and the effect is to reinforce the gullability of Hobbes, which sits at odds with the intelligent, intuitive character we're supposed to believe in.
Under suspicion for a virtual break-in at Fort Knox, 17-year-old Carl Hobbes finds himself on a rendition flight for questioning by the US military. Taken to an isolated camp in the Arctic wilderness, dedicated to holding terrorists-for-hire, the boy finds all assurances about his safety blow away when one notorious detainee stages an uprising. Cut off from civilisation, and with overnight temperatures plummeting, Hobbes must decide whether his chances of survival are greater inside the cage - or out ...
The Verdict:
The makings of a good thriller are there, but it doesn't come across on the page. In particular, I think Whyman takes too long to build up to the actual action and the effect is to reinforce the gullability of Hobbes, which sits at odds with the intelligent, intuitive character we're supposed to believe in.