Mitch Rapp was a gifted college athlete without a care in the world…and then tragedy struck. Terrorists attacked innocent American citizens, and Rapp’s girlfriend was among the murdered. Two hundred and seventy souls perished on that cold December night, and thousands of family and friends were left searching for comfort. Mitch Rapp was one of them, but he was not interested in comfort. Now he wants retribution.
Two decades of cutthroat partisan politics have left the CIA and the country in an increasingly vulnerable position. Cold War veteran CIA Operations Director Thomas Stansfield knows he must prepare his people for the next war. America must confront Islamic terrorism with full force. Stansfield directs his protégée, Irene Kennedy, and his old Cold War colleague, Stan Hurley, to form a new group of clandestine operatives who will work outside the normal chain of command—men who do not exist.
What type of man is willing to kill for his country without putting on a uniform? Six months of intense training have prepared him to take the war to the enemy’s doorstep, and he does so with brutal efficiency. Rapp starts in Istanbul, where he assassinates the Turkish arms dealer who sold the explosives used in the terrorist attack. Rapp then moves on to Hamburg with his team and across Europe, leaving a trail of bodies. All roads lead to Beirut, though, and what Rapp doesn’t know is that the enemy is aware of his existence and has prepared a trap. The hunter is about to become the hunted, and Rapp will need every ounce of skill and cunning if he is to survive the war-ravaged city and its various terrorist factions.
Behind the steely gaze of the nation’s ultimate hero is a young man primed to become an American assassin.
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Sexual Content - 2/5
2/5
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Violence - 3/5
3/5
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Language - 3/5
3/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 1/5
1/5
Summary
It is never easy to make a story thrilling—whether a novel or film. It takes a person of true talent to make a circumstance suspenseful or even engaging for anyone, and for a book, this difficulty is increased exponentially. Vince Flynn obviously has a competency in such a field and definitely knows how to weave a fun, entertaining tale full of action and high-speed chases. Although, Flynn demonstrates his talent for the extent of Part One, American Assassin—which is the origin of Flynn’s famous assassin Mitch Rapp—loses its edge and eventually fizzles out. The fun is gone, falling into a meandering rut that trudges on aimlessly. Rapp is no doubt a charismatic character, but his origin story, unfortunately, is not so charming.
Sexual Content::
A woman reaches for a man’s groin, however, the man turns her down. Someone spanks two women as they walk past. Also, Rapp has sex with a European woman after a night of flirting (they disrobe and we read of kissing and groping before the chapter draws to an end).
A crude comment is made about a recruit’s mother sleeping around. A man is said to tell stories of his sexual conquests, though they are never told to us. Hurley is said to have once been a womanizer, however, we do not read of any actions that would make that apparent.
Violent Content::
Hand-to-hand combat can get pretty brutal—there are enough broken noses, popping bones, groin shots, and painful, stretching holds to make anyone wince. Also, people are shot, stabbed, and bloodied in various fashions, all featuring a generous spray or spurt. There is also a sequence of torture where a man uses pliers to pull out someone’s fingernails (the actual act is not described, however, the development and the aftermath are grisly and painful). We hear of other forms of torture—such as: a man threatens to cut out a dog’s eyes and tongue and force-feed them to its owner.
Language::
The f-word is used around 30 times, as well as the same estimated amount of the s-word, b--ch, and b--tard. Milder profanities include frequent uses of h--l, d--n, a--, pr--k, and p--s. There’re a few utterances of t-t, p--sy, and d--k. God’s And Jesus’ name are misused several times, and there’s a use of “slut.”
Drug/Alcohol Content::
Some characters smoke often. Some drink.
Cleanliness:: 1.5/5
| R | Strong violence including disturbing violent content, language, and brief sexual material