Spring Break
Gimenez's The Abuduction leaves reader confused with plot elements
By: Christina Ashie
Issue date: 9/18/07 Section: Aggielife
Born and bred in Galveston County, Mark Gimenez has been compared to John Grisham. His second novel The Abduction, about the kidnapping of a small girl, has just been released.
The Abduction is a gripping story. What could be more terrifying than having your daughter abducted right in front of you?
Gracie is the 10-year-old daughter of John, a super-geek and billionaire, and Elizabeth, a driven and successful lawyer. An incredible athlete with short blonde hair and bigger calf muscles than boys her age, Gracie is the love of her parents' lives. Her younger brother, 5-year-old Sam makes a cameo appearance in the novel, however, her relationship with grandfather, Col. Ben Brice, is the focus of the book.
Apparently, Ben and Gracie share a mystic bond. With hundreds, even thousands of miles separating them, they are able to sense when the other is in danger, where they are located and the state of their emotions. Gimenez alludes to the strength of this bond, but never reveals its source, and as the story continues the bond becomes increasingly confusing.
Both Gracie and her brother speak and reason at levels far beyond their age. For instance, Gracie identifies her father as a geek from the way he dresses and speaks. In addition, she accepts that he can only express his love in computer language. Gracie even recognizes John's character flaws and pities him. In essence, she is selfless. As most parents and children do not ever attain this kind of understanding in their relationships, it is out of place for a 10-year-old child.
Gimenez unfolds his story slowly and meticulously. In truth, it happens in two parts: what the FBI and local police do after Gracie's disappearance and what Ben does after the police have given up.
The distinct division between FBI acting and Ben acting feels stilted and unlikely. If you were a colonel, trained to hunt and kill men by the Marines, would you wait and do nothing while incompetent local police and FBI agents search for your only beloved granddaughter?
Despite its flaws, The Abduction remains an interesting and gripping read. It's simply not as refined as it should be. Many scenes are so painstakingly depicted that the reader expects certain characters or events to become important later on - they don't. Other times, background information suddenly appears to alter the schema of the entire story. It feels like The Abduction is never fully in Gimenez's hands.
Unbalanced but intriguing, The Abduction is a mediocre novel, but Mark Gimenez shows promise.
The Abduction is a gripping story. What could be more terrifying than having your daughter abducted right in front of you?
Gracie is the 10-year-old daughter of John, a super-geek and billionaire, and Elizabeth, a driven and successful lawyer. An incredible athlete with short blonde hair and bigger calf muscles than boys her age, Gracie is the love of her parents' lives. Her younger brother, 5-year-old Sam makes a cameo appearance in the novel, however, her relationship with grandfather, Col. Ben Brice, is the focus of the book.
Apparently, Ben and Gracie share a mystic bond. With hundreds, even thousands of miles separating them, they are able to sense when the other is in danger, where they are located and the state of their emotions. Gimenez alludes to the strength of this bond, but never reveals its source, and as the story continues the bond becomes increasingly confusing.
Both Gracie and her brother speak and reason at levels far beyond their age. For instance, Gracie identifies her father as a geek from the way he dresses and speaks. In addition, she accepts that he can only express his love in computer language. Gracie even recognizes John's character flaws and pities him. In essence, she is selfless. As most parents and children do not ever attain this kind of understanding in their relationships, it is out of place for a 10-year-old child.
Gimenez unfolds his story slowly and meticulously. In truth, it happens in two parts: what the FBI and local police do after Gracie's disappearance and what Ben does after the police have given up.
The distinct division between FBI acting and Ben acting feels stilted and unlikely. If you were a colonel, trained to hunt and kill men by the Marines, would you wait and do nothing while incompetent local police and FBI agents search for your only beloved granddaughter?
Despite its flaws, The Abduction remains an interesting and gripping read. It's simply not as refined as it should be. Many scenes are so painstakingly depicted that the reader expects certain characters or events to become important later on - they don't. Other times, background information suddenly appears to alter the schema of the entire story. It feels like The Abduction is never fully in Gimenez's hands.
Unbalanced but intriguing, The Abduction is a mediocre novel, but Mark Gimenez shows promise.
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