April Genreflecting: Adventure/Thrillers: The Details

Based on the Collins English Dictionary, a subgenre is "a category that is a subdivision of a larger genre." (Source) Adventure/thrillers is kind of a catchall category that covers books that are action-packed, very engaging, and usually fast-paced. There is however a subtle difference between Adventure and Thriller. 

Adventure books tend to deal with some sort of journey. Sometimes the character is lost or finds themselves in a survivalist situation while other times they're just out exploring the world. Typically the settings of these books are exotic and not necessarily in just a tropical sense. A lot of the time we get to see a whole other side of nature in these books through the eyes of someone having to experience a natural event or combat a natural disaster.

Thriller books tend to have a component of mystery. It doesn't fall under mystery per se because instead of a problem-solving approach to the action, thrillers use suspense and tension. These books play on the reader's emotions and senses while allowing them to role play the scenario at hand. A lot of spy novels would fall under this category.

Here's what Anthony Horowitz had to say about his inspiration behind the Alex Rider series:

He found solace in boyhood in the escapism of the James Bond films, he says. He claims that his two sons now watch the James Bond films with the same tremendous enjoyment he did at their age. Bond's glamour translates perfectly to the 14-year-old psyche, the author says. "Bond had his cocktails, the car and the clothes. Kids are just as picky. It's got to be the right Nike trainers (sneakers), the right skateboard. And I genuinely think that 14-year-olds are the coolest people on the planet. It's this wonderful, golden age, just on the cusp of manhood when everything seems possible."

From Penguin.com

I think one of the better thriller books I've read recently is Stolen by Lucy Christopher. This book, written in the form of a letter to her captor, follows the events that happen to Gemma after she is kidnapped from an airport. We never really get a complete explanation as to why she was taken & we definitely don't get a pretty ending. Throughout the entire novel you're trying to piece things together & think about what's still to come. It's a fantastic read that doesn't take very long, so if you get a chance you should really think about picking it up.

I hope that helps to break down these two genres. I find myself more attracted to adventure books over thrillers simply because I seem to like survival books. Which one do you prefer? Check back next week for my review of Hatchet!

Stolen: A Letter to my Captor by Lucy Christopher review

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.

From Goodreads

Stolen from an airport seems like a headline you would see for a small child, not for a late teenager. Unfortunately for Gemma that is her current reality. While "vacationing" with her parents, Gemma is whisked away by a ruggedly handsome young fellow through deceit & drugs. When she finally comes to, she finds herself locked in a bedroom in the middle of nowhere. And we're not talking "middle of the forest" nowhere, we're talking "in the outback of Australia with nothing but sand dunes & rocks" nowhere. Immediately she begins to freak out about what he might have done to her or might still do to her.

Gemma's not completely stupid; she's seen enough television & movies to know that the bad guy always has a plan for his captive, the police are probably looking for her, & her parents are worried sick. What she didn't know is that her captor has a name, Ty, the police are quickly losing any & all hope on her trail & Ty questions her parents' care. While she continually resents Ty, tries to escape (think outside the box on the word "escape"), she does start to come to terms with her imprisonment. While he is still odd, Ty never tries to hurt her & cares for her to the best of his abilities. He's built the whole set up, just for her.

Such a terrifying & jarring story, Stolen is told from Gemma's point-of-view in the form of a letter to Ty. We see the whole thing through her eyes, including her perception of Ty & his behavior. What I feel is lacking is more of Ty's input. I know it's part of his characterization to be stand-offish & withholding information, but I kind of wish we could have known more about him.

I wouldn't consider this a "must read" but definitely a "should read" because I did enjoy the book. The style lends itself well to the story & I actually found myself being absorbed in it all. Give it a shot if you like a more unsettling story.