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guylou's review against another edition
2.0
I won this book in a Goodreads give-away.
The book was very slow and did not hold together enough for my taste. It felt like the author could have gone a bit deeper with some of the sub-stories. The end did bring it all together, but was rushed and then it was over.
I was expecting more from this book... it did not deliver as expected.
The book was very slow and did not hold together enough for my taste. It felt like the author could have gone a bit deeper with some of the sub-stories. The end did bring it all together, but was rushed and then it was over.
I was expecting more from this book... it did not deliver as expected.
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
When Patrick Norris returns home after being discharged from the Marines, he finds the family avocado farm devastated by a recent wildfire. His older brother Ted still lives at home and is kind of a loser. How can Pat help his family when he's still adjusting to life away from Afganistan?
I got this ARC from Netgalley.
I've seen T. Jefferson Parker novels on bookstore shelves for years, right after Robert B. Parker. I don't know what I expected from T-Jeff, as I now call him, but it wasn't this.
I'd thought T-Jeff was a crime writer but this felt more like general fiction with a few crime elements. I expected a mystery around who set the wildfire but it was barely touched upon. The bigger story was the contrast between Pat and Ted, the Norris brothers.
I felt sorry for Ted. He tried as hard as he could to please his father and generally fit in but was socially inept and had bad feet and a history of drug abuse. Plus he had a pet tarantula. Since I had one for a brief time when I was a young teen, I felt some kinship for him. Pat seemed like a good guy but I sure wouldn't go drinking with him. He's really keyed up from life in the marines and can't seem to relax. Alcohol does NOT help.
The story wasn't what I expected but I still found it interesting. There was the mystery behind what Lucinda's deal with and what messed up thing Ted would do to prove himself. For me, the biggest mystery of the book was why Iris would put up with Pat's crap. She saw him beat the dog shit out of some guy and he and some of his ex-marine pals got tanked and trashed her place.
Besides Pat and Ted, I found the rest of the Norris family interesting, even when I didn't agree with them. The final scene of the book was my favorite part and I was worried a specific character wouldn't survive. I was pleased at how it turned out.
Final random thought:
Avocado farming seems like a hard life. Did you know it takes years and years for an avocado tree to bear fruit?
Three out of five stars. I think one of T-Jeff's Charlie Hood books would have been a better choice to bust my cherry with.
I got this ARC from Netgalley.
I've seen T. Jefferson Parker novels on bookstore shelves for years, right after Robert B. Parker. I don't know what I expected from T-Jeff, as I now call him, but it wasn't this.
I'd thought T-Jeff was a crime writer but this felt more like general fiction with a few crime elements. I expected a mystery around who set the wildfire but it was barely touched upon. The bigger story was the contrast between Pat and Ted, the Norris brothers.
I felt sorry for Ted. He tried as hard as he could to please his father and generally fit in but was socially inept and had bad feet and a history of drug abuse. Plus he had a pet tarantula. Since I had one for a brief time when I was a young teen, I felt some kinship for him. Pat seemed like a good guy but I sure wouldn't go drinking with him. He's really keyed up from life in the marines and can't seem to relax. Alcohol does NOT help.
The story wasn't what I expected but I still found it interesting. There was the mystery behind what Lucinda's deal with and what messed up thing Ted would do to prove himself. For me, the biggest mystery of the book was why Iris would put up with Pat's crap. She saw him beat the dog shit out of some guy and he and some of his ex-marine pals got tanked and trashed her place.
Besides Pat and Ted, I found the rest of the Norris family interesting, even when I didn't agree with them. The final scene of the book was my favorite part and I was worried a specific character wouldn't survive. I was pleased at how it turned out.
Final random thought:
Avocado farming seems like a hard life. Did you know it takes years and years for an avocado tree to bear fruit?
Three out of five stars. I think one of T-Jeff's Charlie Hood books would have been a better choice to bust my cherry with.
liberrydude's review against another edition
4.0
This book is due out in September, 2014. A Marine, Patrick, returns home to Fallbrook, CA (where Parker now lives) after a tough deployment in Afghanistan to find his family home almost in ruins-the avocado groves were destroyed by fire. His home still stands thanks to his older brother, Ted, who is a bit of a screw-up. This is more a book about brothers than a book about transition from war to peace. Parker does a good job of painting the canvas about service and camaraderie in the Marines. It has a few minor errors in Marine-speak. I like how Patrick is a strong guy who takes charge and is not portrayed as a helpless victim with PTSD. Yes, he has issues with loud noises and gets into a fight or two but he is a selfless guy who is always trying to do right. He's at a decision point in his life. Should he stay in the Marines or go after his dream of buying a boat and taking fishermen out off Point Loma. But then he has to stop everything and help his dad with the avocado farm. They are in danger of losing it. Plus his brother Ted must be bi-polar and is always making wrong decisions and getting into the wrong crowd. There's a grain of truth in this story as Parker focuses on a family of white supremacists that have returned to Fallbrook-based on the real Metzger family. We have elements of love as well as terrorism in this story. I'm wondering if it will be a stand-alone book or if we have another series like Charlie Hood on its way. It was a good read.
ashnight's review against another edition
3.0
Was a good read. Sad at parts but I liked it. Thanks for the chance to read it.
daynpitseleh's review against another edition
3.0
I received this from a Goodreads Giveaway.
The book was interesting at first, and I wanted to see where it would go. However, the book was predictable at times, and sometimes the characters weren't really full-fledged people. It was alright, but not something I would really read again.
The book was interesting at first, and I wanted to see where it would go. However, the book was predictable at times, and sometimes the characters weren't really full-fledged people. It was alright, but not something I would really read again.
kbskibum's review
3.0
Was a good read. Sad at parts but I liked it. Thanks for the chance to read it.
samhouston's review
4.0
T. Jefferson Parker has been writing crime fiction for three decades now, and he has done it consistently well. But, perhaps because his reputation as a crime writer is already as solid as it gets, he offers something very different to his fans this time around. Full Measure is a character-driven literary novel that, according to fellow novelist Stephen Harrigan, sees Parker “playing in the same league as John Steinbeck.” While that may be a little strong, do not make the mistake of underestimating this novel because it truly is a fine piece of writing.
When Marine Patrick Norris returns from Afghanistan, he believes that his fighting days are over. Little does he suspect that he is coming home just in time to help defend his family in a very personal battle that seems almost certain to overwhelm them. The California avocado farm the family has operated as long as Patrick can remember has been overrun by a fast-moving wildfire. Now, only a few trees are standing – and no one knows how many of them are still alive. And because the remaining trees may never produce avocados again, Norris Farms is unable to get the bank financing needed to carry it through the lean times just ahead. If the family can hold on long enough to prove that most of the standing trees are still alive, the farm has a slim chance of surviving. But hanging on will not be easy – and it cannot be done without Patrick’s help.
Ted, Patrick’s older brother has long been the weakest link in the family chain, and now his mental instability and carelessness around the trees are as big a threat to the farm as the rogue storm that appears to be headed San Diego’s way. Ted thinks little of himself, but he idolizes his younger brother and considers Patrick to be a true American hero, someone who has upheld the honor of his family and his country. Patrick is everything that Ted wants to be but knows he never can be – and it shames him.
Ready or not, Patrick Norris is in the fight of his life now. He wants to save his brother from himself, he will do whatever it takes to save the avocado farm, and his struggle with demons of his own is about to doom his relationship with the young woman he deeply loves.
Full Measure is the story of a family pushed to the brink by Mother Nature. It is about loyalty and duty to family, and the way that two very different brothers respond to the immense pressures of the situation. It is about life in all its beauty and all its ugliness.
When Marine Patrick Norris returns from Afghanistan, he believes that his fighting days are over. Little does he suspect that he is coming home just in time to help defend his family in a very personal battle that seems almost certain to overwhelm them. The California avocado farm the family has operated as long as Patrick can remember has been overrun by a fast-moving wildfire. Now, only a few trees are standing – and no one knows how many of them are still alive. And because the remaining trees may never produce avocados again, Norris Farms is unable to get the bank financing needed to carry it through the lean times just ahead. If the family can hold on long enough to prove that most of the standing trees are still alive, the farm has a slim chance of surviving. But hanging on will not be easy – and it cannot be done without Patrick’s help.
Ted, Patrick’s older brother has long been the weakest link in the family chain, and now his mental instability and carelessness around the trees are as big a threat to the farm as the rogue storm that appears to be headed San Diego’s way. Ted thinks little of himself, but he idolizes his younger brother and considers Patrick to be a true American hero, someone who has upheld the honor of his family and his country. Patrick is everything that Ted wants to be but knows he never can be – and it shames him.
Ready or not, Patrick Norris is in the fight of his life now. He wants to save his brother from himself, he will do whatever it takes to save the avocado farm, and his struggle with demons of his own is about to doom his relationship with the young woman he deeply loves.
Full Measure is the story of a family pushed to the brink by Mother Nature. It is about loyalty and duty to family, and the way that two very different brothers respond to the immense pressures of the situation. It is about life in all its beauty and all its ugliness.
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