I love reading books focusing on the natural world, so I was excited to get my hands on The Guide by Peter Heller!
It’s about a young man who’s hired as a fishing guide at a remote luxury fishing lodge along a river in the Colorado mountains. He’s in his element in the wilderness and gets to enjoy some of the best fishing there is. But when he hears a woman scream during the night, he starts to wonder: is this beautiful retreat a cover for something more sinister?
*I received this book for free from the publisher (Knopf Books) in exchange for an honest review.
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The Guide by Peter Heller: My Thoughts
First off, this book brought back great memories of fishing with my dad up in Canada when I was younger – so I definitely appreciated that!
But I’ve gotta say, I haven’t felt this conflicted about a book in awhile. Don’t get me wrong: I enjoyed it, but there were a few things that didn’t work for me.
It took a while for me to get used to the writing style. It’s very clipped and jumps from one thought to another (and sometimes a new POV) pretty quickly, which was a bit jarring. Additionally, the dialogue felt a little overdone at times, like a heavily-stylized movie. But, it wasn’t too long before I was sucked into the story (and that gorgeous setting!).
I loved the atmosphere, and it was easy to picture myself there, breathing in the wild mountain air. The imagery of the natural world surrounding a private river and the forest around it was beautiful. I also loved the depth and background of the main character. And as a whole, the story was intriguing and suspenseful (though the ending felt a bit rushed).
Overall, while the writing style didn’t quite click with me, the story and characters kept me invested – and you really can’t beat that setting.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Release date: August 24th, 2021
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Looking for more great book recommendations? Check out my list of exciting August 2021 Fiction Book Releases!
