Second Son
2011 • 1 page
Ratings14
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings14
Average rating3.8
In this new short story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child, available exclusively as an eBook, a young Jack Reacher knows how to finish a fight so it stays finished. He knows how to get the job done so it stays done. And, in one of his earliest challenges, he knows that his analytical brain is just as important as his impressive brawn. Okinawa, 1974. Even at thirteen, Jack Reacher knows how to outwit and overpower anyone who stands in his way. And as the new kid in town, that’s pretty much everyone. His family has come to the Pacific with his father, who’s preparing for a top-secret Marine Corps operation. After receiving a rude welcome from the local military brats, Reacher and his older brother, Joe, intend to teach them a lesson they won’t forget. But it’s soon clear that there’s more at stake than pride. When his family’s future appears to come crumbling down, it’s the youngest Reacher who rises to the occasion with all the decisive cunning and bravura that will one day be his deadly trademark. Second Son also includes a thrilling excerpt from Lee Child’s forthcoming novel, The Affair.
Series
28 primary books44 released booksJack Reacher is a 44-book series with 28 primary works first released in 1997 with contributions by Lee Child, Joseph Finder, and 3 others. The next book is scheduled for release on 10/22/2024.
Series
26 primary books39 released booksJack Reacher Chronological Order is a 39-book series with 26 primary works first released in 1997 with contributions by Lee Child, Joseph Finder, and 3 others.
Reviews with the most likes.
★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Okinawa, 1974: the Reacher family is assigned to a miliatry base there and is going through their well-established routine of moving into their new home. Reacher's brother, Joe, isn't dealing well with the idea that he'll have to take a placement test to get into school; Reacher is dealing with a neighborhood bully; their mother is in France as her father dies; and his father is in the middle of a crisis of his own.
It's a short story (40 pages in text), but it contains all the hallmarks of a standard Reacher tale, just on a smaller scale. It's sort of cheating, taking a well-established character like Reacher and imagining the mini-version of him. But you know what? This was so fun, I didn't care.
Dick Hill gives a pretty good performance, but his little Reacher and Joe voices are unintentionally amusing and cartoonish. I bet he'd be fun listening to with a full Reacher novel (particularly if it didn't feature kids).
Not a great story, but satisfying. Not a great performance, but satisfying. Gets the job done.
