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pegasusjones's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Haunting and poetic. Rich characters communicate via superlative dialogue, moving through a story effortlessly weaving together elements of thriller, tragedy, and social commentary. Rarely can a book be so hard-hitting while demanding the pages continue to be turned. Absolutely excellent.
duparker's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first Richard Price book I've read, which considering how enjoyable it was, is a surprise. The characters are real, and use real dialog. The gritty, gripping and powerful story is clever and told in they perfect manner for a summer page turner.
daniellehines's review against another edition
4.0
This was hard to read. You know in your heart how it's going to end, but it's so well-written you stick with it.
samuelm's review against another edition
5.0
Freedomland grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. The suspense builds and reaches a climax, and then, for some reason, the books tails off. I found myself wanting to know what would happen to the main characters, and at the same time, I knew exactly the fates that lay in store for them. It is a powerful and prescient book that reflects the never-ending turmoil of race relations in the America.
jenaje's review against another edition
4.0
This book is like a really good episode of Law and Order, plus some. We followed this story of the carjacking from beginning to absolute end. It played out pretty much exactly how I thought it would, and I'm not sure how I knew what was up, probably because I'd heard of a real life story that this may or may not have been based on. Anyway, like a good episode of Law and Order (classic) we follow the crime, the police investigation, then we get to trial. The bonus is we follow the fallout after the arraignment.
This book was by no means chalked full of action and adventure; it was a procedural through and through. We followed the police detective assigned to the case, and a specific reporter the whole time, through their respective investigations. We really got to know both of these people.
Overall this was a 4.5.
This book was by no means chalked full of action and adventure; it was a procedural through and through. We followed the police detective assigned to the case, and a specific reporter the whole time, through their respective investigations. We really got to know both of these people.
Overall this was a 4.5.
atticusmammy's review against another edition
The first sentence of this book was 74 words long. Again, ONE sentence was 74 words long! That was enough to tell me this is not the book for me.
atmeans's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first Richard Price novel and I'm very happy that I got around to reading it. I'm also glad that I didn't find out until I had pretty much finished the book that it's based on actual events.
I first picked this up because I also never got around to watching the movie (with Julianne Moore and Samuel L. Jackson) which I thought looked pretty decent. This is the story of Brenda Martin (a white woman), whose car is jumped (by a black man) while her four-year-old son is asleep in the back and the investigation that follows.
The best part of this book for me was how as the story unfolds of what really happened that night, you're seeing how these events affect key players (Brenda - mother, Lorenzo - lead detective, Jesse - reporter) along with an entire community where the racial tensions this brings about are teaming in the background of every page. And all the while you remain unclear of who to put your faith into on not only about whose story to believe, but where your sympathies should lie. The finely drawn characters here pull at you from different emotional points where you can easily relate to each of them, even if they do or say things you wouldn't.
I am also a fan of stories where the perspective is switched from character to character and Price very successfully pulls that off throughout this novel. The timing is pretty much perfect because you never find yourself wondering what happened to a certain character, they are all represented and weaved in seamlessly so that you feel caught up on each of them and their contribution to the bigger picture.
I don't want to write any more only because I don't want to provide spoilers. I think this work stands not only on the plot, but even more-so on the writing and characters. For anyone who likes mysteries as well as crime novels, I'd say go for it.
I first picked this up because I also never got around to watching the movie (with Julianne Moore and Samuel L. Jackson) which I thought looked pretty decent. This is the story of Brenda Martin (a white woman), whose car is jumped (by a black man) while her four-year-old son is asleep in the back and the investigation that follows.
The best part of this book for me was how as the story unfolds of what really happened that night, you're seeing how these events affect key players (Brenda - mother, Lorenzo - lead detective, Jesse - reporter) along with an entire community where the racial tensions this brings about are teaming in the background of every page. And all the while you remain unclear of who to put your faith into on not only about whose story to believe, but where your sympathies should lie. The finely drawn characters here pull at you from different emotional points where you can easily relate to each of them, even if they do or say things you wouldn't.
I am also a fan of stories where the perspective is switched from character to character and Price very successfully pulls that off throughout this novel. The timing is pretty much perfect because you never find yourself wondering what happened to a certain character, they are all represented and weaved in seamlessly so that you feel caught up on each of them and their contribution to the bigger picture.
I don't want to write any more only because I don't want to provide spoilers. I think this work stands not only on the plot, but even more-so on the writing and characters. For anyone who likes mysteries as well as crime novels, I'd say go for it.
skolastic's review against another edition
5.0
The first page-turner I've read this year, Freedomland follows a police detective and an up-and-coming reporter on the frontlines of a racially charged kidnapping case in a poor New Jersey town. Price's characters are well-drawn (I could read another 3 books with Council and Haus bouncing off of each other), and the plot almost never lets up. I gave Price's other novel Lush Life five stars last year - Freedomland is so good that I feel like I might have to knock Lush Life down to four.