"Child 44" - Tom Rob Smith

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Since I won't be writing the review for the book I am finishing tonight until after midnight, I thought I'd give you a throwback review for today! Complete with a bonus at the end of my thoughts on the movie! Today's throwback is Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith. For those of you who know me, I have a love for all things pertaining to Russia. Russian books, books set in Russia, its history, current news, hockey, etc. (Looking for a challenge? Try reading In The First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. It took me 2.5 years). I fell in love with this book many moons ago and have always felt it has been underrated in the reading community. Don't worry Smith, I constantly recommend this book to others! 


"Stalin's Soviet Union is an official paradise, where citizens live free from crime and fear only one thing: the all-powerful state. Defending this system is idealistic security officer Leo Demidov, a war hero who believes in the iron fist of the law, but when a murderer starts to kill at will and Leo dares to investigate, the State's obedient servant finds himself demoted and exiled. Now, with only his wife at his side, Leo must fight to uncover shocking truths about a killer -- and a country where "crime" doesn't exist."

That description does not do the story justice at all. Smith does a great job of placing the reading into the communist state of the Soviet Union by demonstrating the fears and consequences that came about every day for people living within its walls. The struggle Leo faces not only with the State and his superiors but within himself is an amazing dynamic. How do you persevere and fight for justice when around every corner you could be facing death? I loved the suspense and fight for the truth. I highly recommend reading it. I would include it in my top 15 of all time favorites. When I recently reread the book not too long ago, I discovered there are actually 2 more books preceding this one that I had no idea about. No worries, I have added them to my TBR list! As always, feel free to share any comments, suggestions, or recommendations.

Happy reading fools :)

MOVIE REVIEW BONUS: Recently Child 44 was made into a movie starring Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, and Noomi Rapace. While I was definitely looking forward to watching the movie, it did not do well at the box office and made me question if I was willing to take the risk. I was afraid the movie might ruin the book for me. Alas, I went ahead and watched it anyway! The writers did well with sticking to the story line from the book and while I did like the movie and felt it was better than what others had said, it still lacked the luster and allure I felt while reading the book. It's still worth watching in my opinion!