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A review by dawn_marie
Prodigal Son by Gregg Hurwitz
2.0
Prodigal Son the latest in Gregg Hurwitz's enjoyable Orphan X series picks up not to long after the events of book five's cliffhanger - that is to say after declaring he is done as the Nowhere Man Evan Smoak (aka Orphan X) receives a call for help from a woman claiming to be his mother . . . and this, as is wont to happen, causes him to be entangled in some messy business involving powerful and dangerous people.
I find Evan Smoak to be an interesting character: plucked at a young age from a group foster home and enrolled in the Orphan program - an über secretive government program that trains assassins for covert, government missions. After deciding he is tired of the government making his mission decisions, missions that do not really help the "every day" individual, Evan leaves the Orphan program and becomes the Nowhere Man. As the Nowhere Man, Evan tries to "do good" by helping those that have no where else to go . . . and he often does so by engaging in some horrific activities.
I like that the character is trying to do good while engaging in some awful behavior - it makes you (along with Evan) question what is it that defines a person as good or bad? I only wish that the supporting characters were as interesting as Evan. Joey Morales is starting to flesh out nicely and she has great potential as a character . . . the rest, not so much. They haven't grown much beyond caricatures or plot devices: grizzled ex-military man, nosey elderly neighbor, obnoxious head of condo board, sassy fellow Orphan, or single mom with a spunky nine-year old.
Mr. Hurwitz's writing style is simple and direct, which works well in this genre. He sets the tone nicely, keeping the stakes high enough to create tension, yet he weaves in quite moments so the reader can catch a breath.
While I generally enjoyed the book, I had some serious issues with it; notably with pacing and extraneous characters that brought the action/plot to a screeching halt.
However, just because Evan was unbalanced and unmoored, does not mean that the plot has to be as well. The novel started out well enough: a man (Andre Duran), through a series of unfortunate and ever compounding events finds himself embroiled in the middle of a high stakes cover up. Evan, sent by his mother to help Andre, soon learns that Andre witnessed something he shouldn't have and is now wanted dead by some very powerful people.
After that, the plot becomes convoluted . . .it isn't just that Andre was at the wrong place at the wrong time and is now wanted dead, you now have to deal with (1) a dead drone pilot, (2) a military coverup up, (3) an eccentric and somewhat homicidal tech engineer, (4) a secret military installation developing a microdrone army, (5) a visit to a fellow foster group home member in jail, (6) a specialized brother-sister assassination team, (7) a revelation that not only is your mother alive, but she knew where you were all along, and (8) you have a half brother. Ugh!
It is also overcrowded with extraneous characters to the point of ridiculousness. I understand why Evan goes to Joey for help - she is, after all super hacker teenager who washed out of the Orphan program . . . but really, did Mr. Hurwitz need to include both Tommy and Candy? A private military force with microdrones and a brother-sister duo super assassin team? A mother and a half brother?
Interspersed between action sequences are quiet moments where Evan confronts his humanity and his idea of "normalcy." These are mostly handled well, though a few linger in maudlin - especially those concerning Mia and her son. Mia is a rather boring and somewhat clichéd character: a widowed, single mother who just happens to be an LA assistant district attorney; one who claims she cannot be around Evan because of "the bad things he does" and yet is constantly interacting (and flirting) with him. I do not understand why Evan "loves" her - I think he loves the idea of Mia and Peter and what they represent. Mia and her son are a plot device to force Evan to face his life choices, his past, and challenge what he wants for the future.
These are all interesting topics for exploration . . . Mr. Hurwitz handles these topics well when it comes to the evolving relationship between Joey and Evan; their closeness seems natural and earned . . . the closeness between Mia, Peter, and Evan seems forced and heavy handed.
While mostly enjoyable, Prodigal Son was my least favorite book of the series. I still enjoy the character and I liked how the novel ended . . . a nice set up for the next book.
I find Evan Smoak to be an interesting character: plucked at a young age from a group foster home and enrolled in the Orphan program - an über secretive government program that trains assassins for covert, government missions. After deciding he is tired of the government making his mission decisions, missions that do not really help the "every day" individual, Evan leaves the Orphan program and becomes the Nowhere Man. As the Nowhere Man, Evan tries to "do good" by helping those that have no where else to go . . . and he often does so by engaging in some horrific activities.
I like that the character is trying to do good while engaging in some awful behavior - it makes you (along with Evan) question what is it that defines a person as good or bad? I only wish that the supporting characters were as interesting as Evan. Joey Morales is starting to flesh out nicely and she has great potential as a character . . . the rest, not so much. They haven't grown much beyond caricatures or plot devices: grizzled ex-military man, nosey elderly neighbor, obnoxious head of condo board, sassy fellow Orphan, or single mom with a spunky nine-year old.
Mr. Hurwitz's writing style is simple and direct, which works well in this genre. He sets the tone nicely, keeping the stakes high enough to create tension, yet he weaves in quite moments so the reader can catch a breath.
While I generally enjoyed the book, I had some serious issues with it; notably with pacing and extraneous characters that brought the action/plot to a screeching halt.
Spoiler
I understand and appreciate the fact that Evan is feeling unmoored and unbalanced because he is now forced to deal with his feelings and his past in a very real way; I also understand that Evan is conflicted over the actions of his past and wants "normalcy" - even if he doesn't quite know what that means. I think that is interesting and well worth exploring . . . . and frankly were some of the most interesting parts of Prodigal Son.However, just because Evan was unbalanced and unmoored, does not mean that the plot has to be as well. The novel started out well enough: a man (Andre Duran), through a series of unfortunate and ever compounding events finds himself embroiled in the middle of a high stakes cover up. Evan, sent by his mother to help Andre, soon learns that Andre witnessed something he shouldn't have and is now wanted dead by some very powerful people.
After that, the plot becomes convoluted . . .it isn't just that Andre was at the wrong place at the wrong time and is now wanted dead, you now have to deal with (1) a dead drone pilot, (2) a military coverup up, (3) an eccentric and somewhat homicidal tech engineer, (4) a secret military installation developing a microdrone army, (5) a visit to a fellow foster group home member in jail, (6) a specialized brother-sister assassination team, (7) a revelation that not only is your mother alive, but she knew where you were all along, and (8) you have a half brother. Ugh!
It is also overcrowded with extraneous characters to the point of ridiculousness. I understand why Evan goes to Joey for help - she is, after all super hacker teenager who washed out of the Orphan program . . . but really, did Mr. Hurwitz need to include both Tommy and Candy? A private military force with microdrones and a brother-sister duo super assassin team? A mother and a half brother?
Interspersed between action sequences are quiet moments where Evan confronts his humanity and his idea of "normalcy." These are mostly handled well, though a few linger in maudlin - especially those concerning Mia and her son. Mia is a rather boring and somewhat clichéd character: a widowed, single mother who just happens to be an LA assistant district attorney; one who claims she cannot be around Evan because of "the bad things he does" and yet is constantly interacting (and flirting) with him. I do not understand why Evan "loves" her - I think he loves the idea of Mia and Peter and what they represent. Mia and her son are a plot device to force Evan to face his life choices, his past, and challenge what he wants for the future.
These are all interesting topics for exploration . . . Mr. Hurwitz handles these topics well when it comes to the evolving relationship between Joey and Evan; their closeness seems natural and earned . . . the closeness between Mia, Peter, and Evan seems forced and heavy handed.
While mostly enjoyable, Prodigal Son was my least favorite book of the series. I still enjoy the character and I liked how the novel ended . . . a nice set up for the next book.