Customer Reviews

Prepared for Rage: A Novel

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

First, I have to say, I have read everything published by Ms. Stabenow. I feel like Kate is a troubled sibling of mine about who I cannot wait to learn of more adventures. This attempt at over glorification of the Coast Guard (great guys and gals), the Florida and some fairly inane props to get both into trouble and out of it, is Ms. Stabenow at her laziest. I bought the hardback, digested it in a couple of sittings, and was never challenged, intellectually or emotionally by the odyssey. I know there are better stories waiting inside this author. Don't waste your time with this one.

Well remembered for her readings of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, voice performer Lorelei King gives a stellar rendering of this action packed suspense thriller by Dana Stabenow. As narrative tension increases King keeps her voice at a steady pace, which tends to make what appears to be an impending disaster all the more terrifying. She deftly segues from character to character never giving in to distracting vocal techniques.

Edgar winning author Stabenow has moved from her Alaskan settings to a kinder climate- the sunny waters of the Caribbean just off the Florida coast. Nearby is the Kennedy Space Center and it is here where the next space shuttle mission is to take place. What makes this launch unique is that it is the target of an amoral Pakistani terrorist, Akil Vihari, who hopes to hit America where it hurts the most.

Amidst the efforts to track down Vilhari there is, of course, a love interest. We hear astronaut Kenai Munro describe her impression of Captain Schuyler: "His eyes were very blue. Sailor's eyes. She thought he might be blond, but like every other male crew member she'd seen he'd shaved his head almost down to the scalp in preparation for sea showers on patrol and it was hard to tell. Come to think of it, he didn't look anything at all like Robert Redford. Robert Redford was a troll by comparison."

It's pretty clear where that's going and we can easily surmise what the outcome of the hunt for terrorists will be. However, it's quite a trip getting there as excitement abounds and surprises wait at every turn. Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

This book is written and researched so well, with scenarios out of actual headlines, that for some the book is just *too real* and the fine line between fiction and nonfiction becomes blurred when the tension builds and builds and you can't put it down. It makes your heart pound and your hands grow clammy, but you keep on reading. The characters come alive and before you're through the book, you'd swear you'd known these people before in your REAL life and not through a novel. Dana posted her blog from her two months on the US Coast Guard Cutter last spring, where she was learning, living, and researching for PREPARED. If anything, it's too real, and, as several other reviewers mentioned, the first chapter is brutal... and you just can't reading. I pre-ordered this early from Amazon and, for those who actually read the book, it gets a five stars!!!

Stabenow takes threads from real life headlines and masterfully weaves them into a solid spellbinding fabric that is realistic and a terrific read. This one is very hard to put down, from the first chapter which is very emotionally disturbing to the exciting and still rather disturbing conclusion. The character development is rewarding to the reader while moving the plot forward to its final scenes.

I have been a fan of Dana Stabenow for about 20 years. I love Kate, Mutt and the crew from the Park; I love Liam and Wy; I love Dana, I just don't love her politics. Until recently, she has managed to avoid sticking too many overt political opinions into her stories, and I could overlook them as minor annoyances. Unfortunately, this book is full of nonsensical and irrelevant political commentary and in a story that's already pretty weak, it is just more than I can take. I'll keep reading Kate and Liam, but for "thrillers" I'll stick to Jack Higgins--a master I've been reading since before I ever heard of Kate Shugak. I have no idea what his politics are and I don't care--a point Dana might want to consider before she drives more readers away.

I must start by saying that I have been a big fan of Stabenow for years. Her Kate Shugak novels are excellent and well written mysteries. However, her last two novels have turned to the thriller genre and are far below the standard that she had previously achieved. Blinfold Game was a 2 star outing and Prepared for Rage is only 1 star in my opinion. Basically, the story devlopment is weak and not very believable. The characters are inconsistent, and coincidence just plays too big a part in holding the story together. Dana, please go back to writing your Alaskan mysteries. You are very good at it - and far better than you are as a terrorist/thriller writer!

was disappointed that it wasn't a Kate or Liam novel but I love her writing and liked the book

I read the first 5 pages, hated it, not what I expected from Stabenow, put it down, tried later. Have read about 10 pages and it is not for me.

Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak series is one of my favorites and I like the Liam Campbell series, and I was expecting to like Prepared For Rage as well, but I was very disappointed. It bounced around among too many people, none of whom I cared about. The characters didn't seem real and the plot was just okay.

The author put everything in the book - NASA, US Coast Guard, drug runners, Ben Laden, Iraq war, etc. Unfortunately the only plot line which survives by the end of the book is a romance. It is very disappointing though you should know better right from the beginning when you read about book's main hero. He is an aristocrat, extremely rich, handsome, smart and saved everyone in the aftermath of Katrina... I bet he will end the world hunger in the next book.