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The Chain - Adrian McKinty


This book was tough to get through. Almost too tough. 

Your child is taken, and you're told to pay a ransom and kidnap another child in return in order to get them back. How would you react? Angry, terrified, confused? These are normal feelings, what isn't normal is to just accept it, and I sadly feel like that's what happened here. Yes there's tears and cries and "what ifs", but the acceptance of the situation by the main character comes SO quickly and SO easily that I just feel nothing for her. It goes from "oh no my baby" to "wellp better get money I don't have and kidnap a CHILD" in a matter of PAGES, and it just feels like a cop out. The way she goes about getting things done is so EASY. Every goal she has in mind, every terrible step she has to take to get her kid back is solved in a page or less. The answers just come so easy to her it's like there's no bad guy! If it was THIS easy why the heck is there even a book? Need a computer master mind? Got one. Need a gun? Baboom. Need money? Here ya go. It all just falls into place like it's nothing. I get the author is trying to convey a strong, determined mother who will over come anything to get her child back. But if there's no struggle TO get things done then it seems like a complete and total cop out. The pacing is much, much too fast as well. I feel like we switched scenes ten times in a single page. I had to re-read paragraphs to figure out where we were because I kept getting lost. Is she still at the bank? No no she went to the store a page ag-oh now she's home. 

I wanted to like this more than I did, I really did. I struggled to see the hype and get excited for it to because the PREMISE is just SO GOOD. The Chain that can't be broken, a string of kidnappings, break the chain and your child dies. That sounds amazingly exciting doesn't it? Well, sadly that's the only reason this book gets two stars. I see what the author was trying to do. I SEE where there were some really strong moments, and some twists that shocked you, but it didn't work. Speaking of twists, they're everywhere. Things getting a little too easy? Let's toss something out of left field at the reader (which again, will be solved like its nothing by the end). It gives you whiplash but then there's no climax. There's all this build up to incredibly cool and exciting things that just...flop. The author has so much talent, I can see it and it's so frustrating that he flopped on such a good idea. It almost makes me mad! The realm of reality is broken here. The way things are done are just...not how they're done in real life. This book isn't supposed to take place in an alternate universe, if it did I'd understand breaking the rules a little bit. But the book is modern day, it's us. You're supposed to connect with the characters, and understand their actions but I just...don't.  I'm sorry, but I simply can't believe half the things these people were able to do. It was TOO easy. I get that the main character was "picked" for The Chain for a reason. But come on, if they wanted it to be that easy then why did they try to make it even harder for her? Why do it at all if it's going to be such a walk in the park? 

I understand, I do. I get where people would like this book. The premise may be able to shine for some people. It may give them an eye to look at what the author WANTED to do, rather than what he DID do. But I just can't do it. I can't just see an amazing story and think it makes an amazing writer. The author has tons of potential, and I'm not giving up on him. I will be back to his work to see if maybe this book was just a fluke. The Chain was not for me, but take my words with a grain of salt, and if you still have a good feeling about it, I urge you to give it a chance, because the story is in there somewhere. 

The Chain receives 2/5 stars from me.

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