Review: Need To Know

Rating: 3.75 Stars

This book really took me by surprise! I don’t know why I bought it, maybe because there wasn’t much choice at the time, but I’m so glad that I did. This is one book that all fans of suspense, thrills and espionage should read. That it is written by a former CIA analyst, is a big bonus.

I have always been a big fan of Alias and 24, Sidney Bristow being my ideal woman since I was a teenager. Need To Know has a similar vibe of intrigue and suspense, with lots of twists thrown in for good measure. Most of the time you don’t know what to believe and what to suspect.

Here, I have to say that I found the character of Vivian a bit naive and gullible, but that’s how most normal people are. I might be suspicious of the characters in a book, but I’m sure given such a situation, I will probably react in the same way. It’s just not a good feeling to see a woman go through all this on paper, even if we will all do whatever we can to save our family too.

Writing a long review might lead to spoilers, and that is something that I don’t want to do at all. The things I loved about this book is the fast pace (I finished it in half a day!) and the constant feeling of being on the edge of your seat. However, there were some things I didn’t like at all.

I felt that in making the story so interesting, the author forgot to make the characters interesting too. Somehow the characters didn’t feel very real. It was as if they were all going through the motions but their heart really wasn’t in it. I found it hard to sympathize with Vivian even while my heart was pounding at what she was about to do! Similarly, the negative character did not frighten me, even though their actions made me sick and frightened.

Another problem was that I wasn’t surprised by the twist at the end at all. It was a good one though, but I had worked it out for myself. Maybe I just have a suspicious nature when it comes to books!

I can see this book turned into a movie or a TV series, it’s got all the potential. I wouldn’t even be surprised if there is a sequel to that movie, given the last twist. A thrilling, fun read for me.