Connect Bridgeport
Ad
FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeRSS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Community
    • Community News
    • Anniversaries
    • Announcements
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Calendar
    • Churches
    • Clubs & Organizations
    • Directory
    • Farmer's Market
    • File Complaint
    • Greeting Cards
    • Library
    • Lost And Found
    • Obituaries
    • Parks & Recreation
    • Sponsorships
  • Trading Post
    • For Sale
    • Local Deals
    • Services
    • Yard Sales
  • Visitors
  • Relocation
  • Education
  • Jobs
  • Alumni

Book Review: The First Hostage

By Douglas Soule on March 05, 2016 from Book Review

ISIS has attacked a peace summit in Amman, Jordan, and has bombed the surrounding areas into pieces. Even worse, President Harrison Taylor is missing, presumably captured by hostile forces. The head of state will lose his head in his current state, unless the combined forces of multiple armies can prevent it.
 
The First Hostage by Joel C. Rosenberg follows his previous novel, The Third Target. While it is recommended to read the first novel before you descend into the second, the plot is coherent without doing so.  From the beginning, the reader is Islammed with action. New York Times journalist J.B. Collins watches a Jordanian F-16 jet crash into a Jordanian palace, where the peace summit is being held. Chaos ensues. The United States president goes missing in the mayhem. The fate of human civilization is precariously balanced, and every action taken has the possibility of knocking humanity into annihilation.
 
One man has the chance to overcome this apocalyptic scenario, a man who has the power of penmanship and plot armor thicker than the metal of an atomic missile: journalist J. B. Collins. Middle-aged, out-of-shape, covered with cuts, and bald, Collins sounds more likely to be a user of heroin than a hero. Miraculously, despite meager military training, he escapes gunfights and explosions, dodging death like a politician dodges questions. While the main character is scarcely feared for, evidence shows that President Taylor may encounter an execution dissimilar to ones he previously experienced in his part of the executive branch. The reader is dragged through tense conflicts, political maneuverings, and national crises, but the survival of the president is a worry that constantly nags. For if ISIS murders the most important and guarded man in present times, who can’t they reach?
 
In the face of worldly warfare, political corruption spreads like sarin gas, infecting those near. When it is realized that there is a spy leaking data to ISIS, trust among even close governmental allies is strained. Collins finds himself between an Iraq and a hard place. With confidentially required for survival, suspicions are higher than a Jordanian F-16. Unfortunately, journalists aren’t acclaimed secret keepers. Collins is forced to confront his largest foe: secrecy. He has a tougher time with it than a high school’s gossip girl.
 
While Joel C Rosenberg writes many awesome scenes in The First Hostage, there are also awkward sections that burn the eyes. Rosenberg slips his political and religious views into his novel in ways that are blatantly obvious. These parts are poorly-executed, speed-bumping the reader’s immersion. Sometimes throughout the novel I had to stop and wonder, “Am I reading an editorial?” Every author’s story is written with a degree of bias, but Rosenberg puts his beliefs on a dais, flaunting them like a redneck parades a Confederate flag.
 
Even with its faults, The First Hostage remains an engrossing read. Gas attacks, drone strikes, gun fights, and plentiful explosions- this book is bursting with action, leaving audiences salivating for more.
                

Share


Sign up/stay connected

Create your profile to start adding photos, posting comments, and more.

SIGN UP

Ad
Ad
Ad

Blogs [ view all ]

  • Photo

    From the Bench: Why 5 State Titles Not C...

    With all due respect to Jon Griffith, winning five state championships in two different sports during a run of coachin...

    Posted by Jeff Toquinto

  • Photo

    Time Travel: Bridgeport High's Class of ...

    This is a photo of the Class of 1981 from Bridgeport High School holding its 20-year-reunion in 2001. This is from th...

    Posted by Dick Duez

  • Photo

    It's Happening: Project LIFT to Lift Up ...

    Being hospitalized is difficult enough, let alone in the COVID unit. Since the pandemic has begun, visitation has not been...

    Posted by Julie Perine

  • Photo

    Off the Shelf: Good News for Fans of Mys...

    Two brand new books have just been released that should please mystery and thriller fans everywhere.   ...

    Posted by Sharon Saye

  • Photo

    ToquiNotes: The Closure of One of Harris...

    The sign was depressing, even though it was not there the following day. It was not anything fancy; rather it was simp...

    Posted by Jeff Toquinto

  • Photo

    The Grapevine: Getting the Coronavirus V...

    Well, I did it!   If you are a regular reader of mine, I can just about guess what is going through y...

    Posted by Rosalyn Queen

  • Photo

    City Faces in Different Places

    Meet this week's City Face, Emily Moore!   How long have you lived in Bridgeport? If not a lifelong reside...

    Posted by Julie Perine

  • Photo

    Sweat & Smiles: The Importance of Beginn...

    I’ve been a certified personal trainer, teaching group fitness classes, and teaching yoga for 11 years. One thing that...

    Posted by Melissa Romano

  • Photo

    Healthy Faces: Meet Perris Oliverio Reed

    "Healthy Bridgeport" is comprised of health-concious individuals; the same group that served as the steering com...

    Posted by Julie Perine

Calendar [ view all ]

Thu
21

Lions Club Meeting

Feb
18

Lions Club Meeting

Mar
18

Lions Club Meeting

 



Bridgeport, WV
Editorial Board Advertise Privacy Policy Contact Us
FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeRSS

©2014 Connect Bridgeport.