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bhnmt61's review
5.0
Ren Hopper is a ranger in Yellowstone National Park. He lives alone in a cabin, a few yards away from another cabin where wildlife biologist Hilly lives. Shortly after the book opens, he finds Hilly near death, almost certainly due to the actions of a particular poacher. Ren is recovering from the death or loss of almost everyone he loves, so parts of this book are deeply sad. There is a bit of suspense as Ren tries to figure out exactly what happened and who is to blame, but mostly this is just the story of Ren, trying to figure out how to make it through the day, and then the next.
I loved this book. The writing is gorgeous, the main characters are flawed but lovable, and the issues that come up in the course of Ren's search for justice are all ones that are familiar to anyone who lives in the northern Rockies, or near a national park.
I'm hesitating to add this, because it seems kind of petty, but why write a review if you're not going to say what you think. So I will qualify my love for this book by saying that the very last paragraph--really the last couple of sentences-- seemed so out of character with the rest of the book that they seemed to come out of nowhere. But my spouse, who read The Last Ranger a couple of weeks ago, disagrees. He loved the ending. So there you go. Read it and see what you think.
I loved this book. The writing is gorgeous, the main characters are flawed but lovable, and the issues that come up in the course of Ren's search for justice are all ones that are familiar to anyone who lives in the northern Rockies, or near a national park.
I'm hesitating to add this, because it seems kind of petty, but why write a review if you're not going to say what you think. So I will qualify my love for this book by saying that the very last paragraph--really the last couple of sentences-- seemed so out of character with the rest of the book that they seemed to come out of nowhere. But my spouse, who read The Last Ranger a couple of weeks ago, disagrees. He loved the ending. So there you go. Read it and see what you think.
cmackrell's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
bella_cavicchi's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Oh, how disappointing! I love Peter Heller's books and think he's a gifted writer, but this was a misstep. Largely, I was bored: the characters didn't grab my attention, nor did the crime; the descriptions of the natural landscape (Heller's usual strength!) were bogged down in ranger vernacular.
The one chapter I adored was Ren's reflections on his adolescence. There was a story—and one I wish Heller gave more space to.
The one chapter I adored was Ren's reflections on his adolescence. There was a story—and one I wish Heller gave more space to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Medical content
Moderate: Death, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
Minor: Death of parent
velocityraptor's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
rustman's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
a0ri's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
An enjoyable read, though it felt like a lot of threads didn't come together in as satisfying a way as I expected.
mallorywylde's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
goformatt's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was a fantastic book with a plot that boiled and boiled and boiled until it exploded at the end.
simchareads's review
adventurous
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
I loved the character building & I would rate the first half of the book with 5 stars! After the first half, the pacing got a bit off & I found the main romantic storyline to not flow well. There are many storylines within this book that had fantastic, addictive swells that led to abrupt, anticlimactic / predictable endings.
finedanddandy's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0