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jane_austyn's review
3.0
This was fun, and in many ways more exciting than the Bestseller Job, but it was also incredibly convoluted. While "flashbacks within a flashback" might work alright on screen, it doesn't quite translate to book format, for me. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the character work and the story.
myidlehand's review
3.0
It's nice to read a little bit more about Leverage.
The author obviously knows the show and the characters very well and captured them pretty well.
I admit, being a huge Marvel fan and a geek in general I did enjoy the first book a little bit more because of all the references and the setting. But this story was nice as well, especially because it had more links to the show (especially with Eliot's backstory). That was something I enjoyed more in this second book. I feel that the author captured the characters a little bit better than in The Con Job.
The only negative I would have to say is that I think the author rely a little bit too much on flashbacks (especially on chapter 14 if I remember this correctly). I know it was a trademark of the show and I really loved that, but here it become confusing because there's too many and they aren't working as well as they did on the show (in the show, it was so important to the plot, but here it feels more forced and not as relevant).
In the end, I did enjoy it. I'm not a huge fan of tie-ins novels because they often fell to capture the characters properly, but the author did pretty good with this and even if it's not great literature (tie-ins rarely are but still, kudos because Leverage is not the easiest to catch on a book) it's still enjoyable!
The author obviously knows the show and the characters very well and captured them pretty well.
I admit, being a huge Marvel fan and a geek in general I did enjoy the first book a little bit more because of all the references and the setting. But this story was nice as well, especially because it had more links to the show (especially with Eliot's backstory). That was something I enjoyed more in this second book. I feel that the author captured the characters a little bit better than in The Con Job.
The only negative I would have to say is that I think the author rely a little bit too much on flashbacks (especially on chapter 14 if I remember this correctly). I know it was a trademark of the show and I really loved that, but here it become confusing because there's too many and they aren't working as well as they did on the show (in the show, it was so important to the plot, but here it feels more forced and not as relevant).
In the end, I did enjoy it. I'm not a huge fan of tie-ins novels because they often fell to capture the characters properly, but the author did pretty good with this and even if it's not great literature (tie-ins rarely are but still, kudos because Leverage is not the easiest to catch on a book) it's still enjoyable!
lizabethstucker's review
4.0
Leverage 2
The Team is asked to help a small zoo find their missing rhinos. The trail leads to Africa, sending Eliot and Sophie to the source of the sale. It isn't a country that Eliot wants to revisit, having some history there. The rest of the team try to determine who stole them and why, looking closely at the Board of Directors of the zoo.
DeCandido does a marvelous job capturing the characters, although it is tough to beat the aired version. The author also shows how some who want to do good can make bad choices. Even better, Jim Sterling makes an appearance. 4 out of 5
The Team is asked to help a small zoo find their missing rhinos. The trail leads to Africa, sending Eliot and Sophie to the source of the sale. It isn't a country that Eliot wants to revisit, having some history there. The rest of the team try to determine who stole them and why, looking closely at the Board of Directors of the zoo.
DeCandido does a marvelous job capturing the characters, although it is tough to beat the aired version. The author also shows how some who want to do good can make bad choices. Even better, Jim Sterling makes an appearance. 4 out of 5
wondertwinc's review
4.0
Oof
Better writing than the first, but I liked this plot a lot less and some of it was boring enough, but I powered through.
Better writing than the first, but I liked this plot a lot less and some of it was boring enough, but I powered through.
irrlicht's review
3.0
If you miss the TV show as much as I do, you absolutely HAVE to read this book. It's a very good and well thought-out case.
Just be prepared that the characterisation might piss you off a bit, because all the way through the story and the case you might get the impression that the team doesn't like each other very much, let alone respect each other, when, at THAT point in the series, they're pretty much a family. And a wonderful one, too.
That's incredibly annoying and the reason why it's only three stars instead of four. I honestly don't agree with more than fifty percent of every character's internal monologue, and almost all of them come across as selfish, conceited assholes, which... no. Just no.
I really wish there were a way to bring the TV show back, but... yeah. Not going to happen, sadly.
Just be prepared that the characterisation might piss you off a bit, because all the way through the story and the case you might get the impression that the team doesn't like each other very much, let alone respect each other, when, at THAT point in the series, they're pretty much a family. And a wonderful one, too.
That's incredibly annoying and the reason why it's only three stars instead of four. I honestly don't agree with more than fifty percent of every character's internal monologue, and almost all of them come across as selfish, conceited assholes, which... no. Just no.
I really wish there were a way to bring the TV show back, but... yeah. Not going to happen, sadly.
liriel27's review
3.0
This was much, much better in terms of structure and characterization, although there were still some clunky bits toward the beginning. Much truer to the show than the first.
hailandwellread's review
4.0
4 STARS
This time around, the team splits up, dividing their con efforts between the US and (a truthfully fictitious country in) Africa. A rhino never shows up at a struggling zoo, Eliot tangles with his past jobs under Moreau’s direction, and Sophie busts out an old alias from S2.
Like The Con Job, The Zoo Job isn’t a wonder of prose and finer detail. It is, however, another great foray into some of my favorite characters, complete with ever-increasing levels of ridiculousness. The cons they run this time are on an international scale, and once again, only this team could possibly pull it all off without it blowing up in their face. Really, this tie-in is a great example of keeping tie-in characterization darn near consistent with show characterization.
And if I remember correctly, it hovers somewhere between S3 and S4 or so, which covers a few of my absolute favorite character moments. Slotting the tie-in into the show timeline has been a special treat for me!
CW: loss of a loved one, animal death, violence (including gun violence), child death, alcoholism
This time around, the team splits up, dividing their con efforts between the US and (a truthfully fictitious country in) Africa. A rhino never shows up at a struggling zoo, Eliot tangles with his past jobs under Moreau’s direction, and Sophie busts out an old alias from S2.
Like The Con Job, The Zoo Job isn’t a wonder of prose and finer detail. It is, however, another great foray into some of my favorite characters, complete with ever-increasing levels of ridiculousness. The cons they run this time are on an international scale, and once again, only this team could possibly pull it all off without it blowing up in their face. Really, this tie-in is a great example of keeping tie-in characterization darn near consistent with show characterization.
And if I remember correctly, it hovers somewhere between S3 and S4 or so, which covers a few of my absolute favorite character moments. Slotting the tie-in into the show timeline has been a special treat for me!
CW: loss of a loved one, animal death, violence (including gun violence), child death, alcoholism
evilcallie's review
5.0
Really enjoyed this book, which was a pleasant surprise after the disappointment that was The Con Job. This was much better all around, from the plot to the characterizations to the structure of the story. I don't know if the author is/was a fan of the show before writing this, but it was clear that he had an understanding of the characters and the format of the show.