Book Review – The Camel Club by David Baldacci
I have been a fan of David Baldacci, since I read The Winner back in 1997. I so enjoyed his style of writing, I have read all his books to date and eagerly await his new books. The Camel Club is no exception to the rule. Another page-turner thriller.
Cast of Characters:
Members of the Camel Club
Oliver Stone – who camps outside the Whitehouse to protest the government and lives at a church where he tends to the commentary is the lead conspiracy theorist
Caleb Shaw – who loves to dress in period costume and works at the Library of Congress in the rare books department
Reuben Rhodes – ex government employee, turned to loading dock worker, drug burnout
Milton Farb – who suffers from OCD, has a perfect memory, mathematical prodigy and owns a website building business and won lots of money on Jeopardy
Other Characters:
Alex Ford – secret service agent who is a bit unclear where his loyalties lie, near retirement
Carter Grey – intelligence chief
Plot: When the Camel Club gathers for a clandestine meeting to discuss the latest conspiracy theories they stumble upon a crime. The four witness the murder of an intelligence analyst and barely escape with their own lives intact.
The morning paper reveals the death as an a suicide, which the Camel Club knows to be false. When they begin to investigate they become targets of the same killers.
Meanwhile, Alex Ford disagrees with the official verdict and is reassigned to Presidential protection detail.
Unbeknownst to Alex, a terrorist cell is waiting to kill the president in his hometown. Meanwhile the Camel Club is trying to find out the truth about the killing, while trying to stay alive.
There are several plots going on at the same time and the story can sometimes be a bit confusing, but there are lots of surprises including the attempted assassination of the president (what a twist) and the reason behind the murder.
This is a typically fantastic read for anyone who loves intrigue, spy technology, terrorists and conspiracies. You will be hard pressed to see how this turns out – as usual David Baldacci gives you a surprise ending. Loved this book! 688 pages of pure intrigue! 9 out of 10.
Only negative was the book was a bit long.
What Are the Contents of a Book Review?
A book review gives an idea about the contents in a book. It presents the idea and information that has been given by the author. A critical book review does an analysis on the strengths and weakness of the book.
Writing Book Reviews – Fiction
A book review describes, analyzes, and evaluates the quality, meaning, and significance of a book. It should not retell, and it is not a book report or a summary. A review is a commentary. Although no “right” way to write a review exists, some essential information is needed in each. Fiction and non-fiction books have differences not only in the content but also what components should be in a review. Let’s look as some suggestions to consider when writing a book review for a book of fiction. I will use one of my books in the examples.
First of all, do not give away the story, climax, ending of the book. Do use occasional quotes from the book to support or explain points made in the review.
The first paragraph should include the title of the book and the author’s name. Sometimes publishing information such of ISBN, publisher, type of book, and general subject matter is noted.
Example of a first paragraph: The Base Stealers Club, by V. Gilbert Zahel, follows the progress of a middle-school-aged baseball team as it plays its way to a championship. A part of the team also help solve a mystery plaguing the community. Published by 4RV Publishers, ISBN: 978-1-84728-220-0, the book appeals to those who interested in sports, mystery, and adventure.
Other points to be covered, in different paragraphs, are as follows:
Characters: Are the characters flat or round? A round character is multiple dimensional. Round characters make a story line more interesting and believable; therefore, the analysis of the author’s use of three-dimensional characters or flat characters is important.
Example of character portrayal: Ryan Scott not only is an excellent athlete, but he also cares about others. He helps find the thief in the story; then he wants to help the young man who stole money from locker rooms. An instance where he acted as peace maker on the team is shown in the following excerpt: Ryan stood beside Colby, slipping his arm across the shorter boy’s shoulders. “Hey, Colby, settle down. Josh is just repeating what he heard. I’ve heard my dad say the same thing about some criminals.” With a slight smile, Ryan turned to Josh. “Josh, what does the preacher say about forgiving? What have we learned in church about forgiving others?”
Theme: The theme of a book may not be written word for word, but the review should note how the author reveals or develops the theme or themes. Mention whether you, as the reviewer, agree or disagree with the author’s theme(s) and why.
Example of theme: The author gives support for moral values and actions through the book. Yet, the message isn’t preachy or blunt, but the theme flows throughout the story. The author’s opinions are solid and are ones that young readers need to realize and learn to accept.
Plot: Are the various elements of plot handled well? The elements of plot include introduction, conflict, climax, and conclusion.
Example of plot: The Base Stealers Club introduces the conflict, the problem in the first two chapters of the book, both the start of the games leading to a successful season and the missing money in locker rooms. The suspense intensifies as the team plays and tries to help find the thief. The climax is unique, as is the reaction of team members.
Author information: V. Gilbert Zabel, who also writes under the name Vivian Gilbert Zabel, for adult level books, and Granny Zabel, for children’s books, played baseball and helped coach a baseball team. Her interest and background in the sport, as well as with children, can be found in the pages of this book.
Give a brief summary of the book: Give an overview, but do not give away the plot climax or conclusion.
Example of summary: The Jonesville Chargers, a baseball team of middle school-aged boys, pursues championship dreams and the solution of a mystery plaguing their team.
Give your opinion of the book: Tell how the book affected you. Say whether or not the book is interesting, entertaining, or memorable. Would you recommend the book to readers? Why or why not?
Example of opinion: I enjoyed The Base Stealers Club because I became swept up in the chronicling of a team’s season, games and attempt to find a thief. This book will appeal to readers aged ten to fifteen who love baseball. Young sports fans will be better for having read the book.
Important note: Having correct grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and other components of good writing are as important in a review as in writing a book. Reviews are a form of writing.
The suggestions can be arranged differently or combined, and some others can be added. Some can be eliminated, but most of the information needs to be somewhere in the review.