What Have We Done

Product Information

Tom gives a fleeting smile with that row of too-white teeth on his too-tan face. He’s like an old house with too many layers of paint. He takes a deep breath. “That’s just it, man. We’re not kids anymore.” I’m married to an action-thriller movie buff, so even if I prefer my stories a little calmer, the occasional blood-pumping, edge-of-your-seat film can be fun. I think that’s why this book worked for me. It’s a straight-to-screen type of book. It’s got action, chills, thrills, peril, cat-and-mouse chases, threats, violence, corruption, characters overcoming the odds, contract killers, diverse characters, and once again some serious badass female energy!

The book overall is entertaining and I listened to the audiobook in less than a day. It's fast paced and kept me interested throughout. That's about as good as it gets though. The characters aren't well developed and when I got to the end and saw how it all fit together I thought "Is that really it?" Although the cat-and-mouse excitement in the present day was gripping, I just didn't feel like I got enough from the past to appreciate the motive of the bad guy(s) or even to understand the motivations of the characters. Twenty-five years earlier, our principal characters were in Savior House, a dreadful state home for teenage foster children. Some girls disappeared from the institution, and any proof of their existence went missing. The main characters who attended the school were Jenna, Donnie, Nico, Ben, and Arty. All have disturbing memories from their time at Savior House. Most of the narration is from the perspectives of Jenna, Nico, and Donnie. One of the boys raises the gun. It was his idea, after all; he should go first. He aims into the hole, but the gun wobbles in the half-light. But, despite the fact that they haven’t seen each other for years, they are bonded by the night, when they all committed a crime-sworn to secrecy, to protect themselves and the others. (Sound familiar?)

Rachael’s Review

Many combatants involved in these campaigns feel that they were conducted under false premises, and were additionally tainted by ignoble domestic and geopolitical political motivations, and ultimately question the meaning and validity of the mission. Finlay has mastered the thriller genre with this novel . . . . Finlay superbly creates a character-driven coming-of-age tale that is full of twists." —Library Journal

I feel like even if you don’t like swearing, this book may still be worth your time because of the edge-of-your-seat action. I will definitely be looking forward to Alex Finlay’s next, but next time I will read the synopsis before requesting, to make sure it’s more in line with the first two books-and not this one! And in a broader sense there is: loss of trust, loss of faith, loss of innocence. These can all have enduring, psychological, spiritual, social, and behavioural impact.

About Alex Finlay

Wood's main point is that we never consider the psyhcological harm of war - asking human beings to put aside their morals and kill... and be okay with that. By noon, she’s rushing into the lobby of the SoulCycle on Massachusetts Avenue, downtown. Though the studio is only seven miles from Jenna’s house, it took forty minutes to get there. D.C. traffic is brutal, but it’s still nothing compared to Shanghai or Kabul. There’s a SoulCycle in Bethesda, much closer to home, but old habits from her single days are hard to break. And Emma L is her favorite instructor. The thumping continues and he manages to climb to his feet. Wearing only tighty-whities, he opens the door, and the light from the hallway sends another bullet through his skull.