Review by Alijem -- Escape by Belle Ami
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Alijem
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- Latest Review: "Escape" by Belle Ami
Review by Alijem -- Escape by Belle Ami
[Following is a volunteer review of "Escape" by Belle Ami.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Escape
The book entitled “Escape” written by the author Belle Ami is a modern day fiction novel with strong romantic and action themes. The theme of the book is primarily that of survival; circumstance driven lovers who must work together to survive unfortunate situations which will drive them to the epitome of the plaguing question “ how will it end?” and “ will I survive this?”
The scope of the book spans from the United States all the way into the Middle East which gives it a real world, 21st century perspective of events. The young protagonist, the lovely Layla Rose is a student finishing studies at Harvard, who is involved with a young but rich and spoilt Saudi man, who attends Harvard as well. As fate would have it, the young couple travels for a short vacation to Dubai where their lives are entirely changed. A series of events finds the lovely Layla Rose in a brutal fight for her survival where she encounters Cyrus. The male protagonist Cyrus is a plethora of conflicting characteristics. Scenes set in a Middle Eastern country allows the reader to obtain a good grasp of modern day conflicts involving warring Middle Eastern countries and the innocents caught in between. The story concludes with a truly spectacular ending.
I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I loved that the book was a modern romance with real world problems. It was very enlightening particularly with the increase in fear toward the Muslims and the general sense of unease in the Middle East. My favourite line in the book was “ He considered delivering a death blow, cooking and lovemaking a triumvirate of artistic accomplishment.” This speaks to the heart of the male protagonist. Conversely, the female lead is an educated and independent American woman with Jewish family history; enter the conflict between the two very real world antagonisms between Israel and Iran. If you have ever seen the anti-terrorist, “24” series starring Keifer Sunderland, and enjoy action packed thriller dealing with narrow escapes with a touch of sizzling romance then you will enjoy this book.
I also enjoyed that this book, though fictional in its story line, it focused on non-fictional places, with real countries, places and events. This makes it an interesting read for a millennial and the historical factors also makes it favourable to some of the older generation. It provides a brief education on Muslim faith and rituals. Abandonment also focuses as a mini theme in this romantic thriller. What happened to her Saudi Boyfriend? Is he part of the scheme? Can he be trusted? All these are questions keeps the reader entranced.
The reason that this book did not get 4 out of 4 stars was because, the book started extremely descriptive to the point I could taste, see and hear the events unfolding. However, the author could have done a better job in describing various poignant scenes. How could one man think he could prevent a nuclear apocalypse? The protagonist Cyrus seemed more realistic in the beginning of the book. There was a disconnect with the characteristic of Cyrus as the story progressed. What happened to Zamir? A brief summary of Zamir after the ordeal would have lent to a feeling of completion for that character, since all other characters (major and minor) had a story end.
“ She had become prey to be hunted and captured, her life in the hands of one man, an enigma. What have I gotten myself into?” In my opinion she was too calm during the height of her ordeal. The issue of homosexuality was briefly addressed. I did not like the fact that it was how it was portrayed. However, it was realistic given the cultural setting of the story.
The story was a good adventure; action packed and nerve wrecking especially the scenes detailing the escape. Do they make it out alive? What happens to these lovers who have found themselves on the verge of death? The story was very realistic with a beautiful ending not forgetting explicit and steamy sexual scenes.
******
Escape
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3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Escape
The book entitled “Escape” written by the author Belle Ami is a modern day fiction novel with strong romantic and action themes. The theme of the book is primarily that of survival; circumstance driven lovers who must work together to survive unfortunate situations which will drive them to the epitome of the plaguing question “ how will it end?” and “ will I survive this?”
The scope of the book spans from the United States all the way into the Middle East which gives it a real world, 21st century perspective of events. The young protagonist, the lovely Layla Rose is a student finishing studies at Harvard, who is involved with a young but rich and spoilt Saudi man, who attends Harvard as well. As fate would have it, the young couple travels for a short vacation to Dubai where their lives are entirely changed. A series of events finds the lovely Layla Rose in a brutal fight for her survival where she encounters Cyrus. The male protagonist Cyrus is a plethora of conflicting characteristics. Scenes set in a Middle Eastern country allows the reader to obtain a good grasp of modern day conflicts involving warring Middle Eastern countries and the innocents caught in between. The story concludes with a truly spectacular ending.
I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I loved that the book was a modern romance with real world problems. It was very enlightening particularly with the increase in fear toward the Muslims and the general sense of unease in the Middle East. My favourite line in the book was “ He considered delivering a death blow, cooking and lovemaking a triumvirate of artistic accomplishment.” This speaks to the heart of the male protagonist. Conversely, the female lead is an educated and independent American woman with Jewish family history; enter the conflict between the two very real world antagonisms between Israel and Iran. If you have ever seen the anti-terrorist, “24” series starring Keifer Sunderland, and enjoy action packed thriller dealing with narrow escapes with a touch of sizzling romance then you will enjoy this book.
I also enjoyed that this book, though fictional in its story line, it focused on non-fictional places, with real countries, places and events. This makes it an interesting read for a millennial and the historical factors also makes it favourable to some of the older generation. It provides a brief education on Muslim faith and rituals. Abandonment also focuses as a mini theme in this romantic thriller. What happened to her Saudi Boyfriend? Is he part of the scheme? Can he be trusted? All these are questions keeps the reader entranced.
The reason that this book did not get 4 out of 4 stars was because, the book started extremely descriptive to the point I could taste, see and hear the events unfolding. However, the author could have done a better job in describing various poignant scenes. How could one man think he could prevent a nuclear apocalypse? The protagonist Cyrus seemed more realistic in the beginning of the book. There was a disconnect with the characteristic of Cyrus as the story progressed. What happened to Zamir? A brief summary of Zamir after the ordeal would have lent to a feeling of completion for that character, since all other characters (major and minor) had a story end.
“ She had become prey to be hunted and captured, her life in the hands of one man, an enigma. What have I gotten myself into?” In my opinion she was too calm during the height of her ordeal. The issue of homosexuality was briefly addressed. I did not like the fact that it was how it was portrayed. However, it was realistic given the cultural setting of the story.
The story was a good adventure; action packed and nerve wrecking especially the scenes detailing the escape. Do they make it out alive? What happens to these lovers who have found themselves on the verge of death? The story was very realistic with a beautiful ending not forgetting explicit and steamy sexual scenes.
******
Escape
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Like Alijem's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "Escape" by Belle Ami
