Book Review: You're Next by Gregg Hurwitz

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Well written, suspensful tale with great main character

Cons: Slow to get going

The Bottom Line: 

Keep turning pages

To find out about Mike's past

And if he will live

Mike Wingate Must Figure Out His Murky Past Before He's Next

While I don't normally read thrillers, I have found the books of Gregg Hurwitz to be very good.  I set aside his new one, You're Next, for a recent trip where I knew I would have several hours of uninterrupted reading time on an airplane.  I'm glad I did because once it got going it was hard to put it down.

As a four year old, Mike was abandoned at a playground.  Entering foster care, he has only murky recollections of his parents.  Despite his rough start, he manages to grow up, adopt the last name Wingate, and become a successful contractor with a happy marriage and a daughter of his own.

But then one day, a woman claiming to be a neighbor from Mike's baby days comes forward with information about his family.  Meanwhile, two sinister men are shadowing him and his family.  What secret from his past is making him a target?  Can he survive long enough to find out?

My only read complaint at the book is the beginning.  The story starts with Mike facing a hard choice that winds up playing very little into the main story.  Yes, it gets things going, but it's not really that critical.  I don't think it even adds that much to the characters.

But once things get going, watch out.  As I said, I was reading this on an airplane, and I was actually sorry when we landed with 40 pages left to go.  I was afraid for the characters most of the time, which is a good thing for a thriller.  While a detail or two probably were stretched to make the story work, I bought everything that happened because it was presented so well.

We get a couple of flashbacks to Mike's youth and early adult hood in the first quarter of the story, which really help flesh him out.  As a result, he becomes a sympathetic main character, and you can't help but root for him, flaws and all.  The rest of the cast feels real as well, although a few aren't quite as fleshed out as they could be.

The most interesting thing about the writing is the fact that the flashbacks are in present tense while the main story is in past tense.  It didn't take me long to get used to that, however.  The writing keeps the tension at the perfect level, especially in many of the action scenes that kept me glued to the page.  I have to admire just how well they were done.

The book is emotionally compelling and pulse pounding at the same time.  That's enough reason to make You're Next the next book you read.