Link: amzn.to/z38Yih

Grade: D+

L/C Ratio: 10/90
(This means I estimate the author devoted 10% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 90% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.) 

Thematic Breakdown:
40% - International thriller
30% - Video gaming
20% - Lessons in kidnapping
10% - Terrorism

I’m beginning to think my aversion towards extremely long books is warranted. Reamde clocks in at over 1,000 paper pages (which equals more than 23,000 Kindle locations), and the book’s lackluster plot just doesn’t deserve that kind of elongated treatment. (Also, Stephenson really needs to embrace the art of chaptering.)

At its core, Stephenson’s latest novel is the story of a girl who gets kidnapped by Russian mobsters, only to then be re-kidnapped by Islamic terrorists. Exponential kidnapping! The premise sounds like it could make for an interesting thriller, but the author screws up in two major ways.

First, the central mystery in the book is supposed to revolve around the disappearance of the main female character, Zula. However, Stephenson covers so many different character perspectives, including those of Zula and her various kidnappers, that he ends up handing every answer right to the reader and eliminating all traces of suspense and tension.

And second, Stephenson refuses to give the terrorists any semblance of a motive. We know they are evil guys who want to sneak into America, but we never find out what their ultimate goal is for when they get there. The entire second half of the book just kills time until Stephenson can get all his characters in one place to shoot at each other. The final scenes struggle to carry weight because we don’t know what the stakes are for anyone outside the center of the novel.

Some people may find the high geek factor in Reamde attractive, but if you’re looking for a smart thriller with an actual payoff, try Daemon by Daniel Suarez.