mark

by Adam Darby

Mark steps off the well-traveled trail and keeps going—deeper into the jungle until he’s lost and it’s getting dark. Barefoot hunters surround him a few days later—members of an uncontacted tribe who force Mark back to their village—force him to carry firewood the next day—then plants and animals harvested from the jungle each day after that. Suddenly he’s a slave to a prehistoric tribe—beaten and exploited until nearly all hope is lost.

Eventually a battle is fought against a neighboring tribe and Mark distinguishes himself in combat—protects the tribe and is allowed to keep a machete they’d somehow pulled out of the jungle—a tool he uses to eventually escape with his son, daughter and his daughter’s mother—pulled by a fisherman from a river days later as Mark nearly reaches his breaking point. They’re given food and water and a phone to call for help—starting the long process of returning home—Mark not realizing yet the fight of his life has only just begun.

Genres: Fiction, Action

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2023

Reviews

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a uniquely formatted book. Set up in three different parts, the reader has to work through three different stories to get the jist of this book. I was unable to grasp the overriding concept. It may be 'be careful what you wish for'. It may be 'sometimes getting lost is really getting lost'. Maybe the central theme is 'hey, I'm a shiftless loser, here's my story'.

The three parts are:

1) jungle life

2)dreams that are simple reflections of previous life

3) interview about jungle life.

If the book had started with the interview segment, this would have been a much easier read. The reader is instead thrust blindly into a scene and it is very hard to follow. Once I got to know Mark, I immediately detested him. This guy can't be considered an anti-hero as there is little I would deem heroic about any part of him.

That he never should have been in that part of the jungle, he pretty much got what he deserved. If within six months the state doesn't take his kids from him as an unfit parent, I would be surprised. In sum, Mark had a pretty worthless life, tried to jump out of that life, led a pretty dismal life, jumped out of that and went back to a worthless life but with two kids.

This story will appeal to the vast audience who enjoys suffering and human pain. I recommend it to conceivably the fans of This is Us and Modern Family. A book unlike any other I have read. If only it had been put forward in a better format, it would have been 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I read this on Kindle Unlimited.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Reviewed by: Mr. N

This review firsta appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the blurb: "Mark travels to an unexplored jungle—a strange patch of forest where uncontacted tribes still exist. He goes for adventure—for escape—for his psychological well-being after a difficult divorce. But when he’s suddenly surrounded by barefoot hunters—men with spears and bows and arrows—Mark realizes that some adventures—some trips to far-off places—might not be worth the risk."
Mark by Adam Darby is a fast paced adventure that hooked me from the start till I slammed into the last page. The plot I found was very intriguing without the usual trappings that go into a "lost in the jungle" story. The story layout is unique and adds greatly to what makes the reading so easy and fun. The author did a great job of moving smoothly between the different periods of the story. Moving from the jungle to dreams to the interview and back again I never found myself getting confused or lost. Instead i found myself becoming more and more invested in where the story would go next. This method of telling the story kept my interest through the novel.
Mark is a well rounded character with all the failures that make his current situation very believable. Created with depth we watch as his character changes through the story. While i know very little if anything about deep, hidden in the jungle tribes people the ones in this story came across as quite believable.
i would be interested in finding out how the story goes on from here. With a little more tweaking this could be a very good movie. An enjoyable story with plenty to keep readers turning the pages.

[Sherri Schneider · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just dumb. At about 20% I thought I should stop reading it, but I was just certain it was going to go somewhere. It didn't.......

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

[Literary Titan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark, by Adam Darby, takes readers on an immersive journey into an unexplored jungle, where the protagonist finds himself entangled with an isolated tribe. Through the captivating narrative, we witness Mark's three-year struggle for survival, during which he forges a family with a native woman before finally breaking free with his young son and daughter. As he returns to the world he once knew, Mark must navigate the complexities of reintegration.

Darby's writing style is a highlight of the book, skillfully illustrating the unforgiving jungle environment and Mark's relentless quest to find his way home. The vivid descriptions immerse readers in the setting, making them feel intimately connected to the protagonist's plight. An additional strength of Darby's work lies in the author's masterful use of various narrative techniques, including traditional POV chapters, compelling interviews, and captivating bedtime stories.

Darby's writing prowess and immersive setting elevate the reading experience. However, I feel that, at times, the narrative appears reminiscent of juvenile fantasy. I would like to have seen some characters, like the native woman who becomes part of Mark's family, more fully developed as individuals within the plot. Nevertheless, the strength of Darby's descriptive language propels readers forward through some occasional lulls in the plot. The atmospheric depth and engaging storytelling are where the author truly shines.

Mark, by Adam Darby, contains evocative writing that transports readers to an uncharted jungle and vividly depicts Mark's odyssey. The novel's immersive qualities make it a worthwhile read for those seeking a visceral experience alongside the protagonist.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a word... Disappointing. Second word... Bored.



I didn't go into this book with any expectations or any idea of the direction this story was going to go. Even with that said I guess I was hoping it would go somewhere... or maybe, somewhere/anywhere else. Instead I got little snippets of what happened to Mark, but with drastic differences in the story depending on who Mark was talking to. When Mark is confronted with the inconsistencies between what he says happened and what those who interacted with him before/after these events, Mark would either deflect or double down by adding something to his story making it grander than it was previously.

I don't mind and unreliable narrator or a character that constantly lies, but this was over the top for me. Which version of the events is true? Why the constant adjustments to the story? To add intrigue? To make himself interesting? It just got irritating and made the whole story drag. And ultimately I got bored.... Which is funny because I came to the conclusion that Mark just hid out somewhere for an extended period of time and made up this crazy story of being captured because he was bored... Or worse to get attention and/or make himself interesting.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a great premise, and in my opinion was executed decently. There were a few things I could not get past, like the lack of punctuation in the Interviewer's lines. I assume this was to show how quickly the interviewer was speaking, but it really just caused me to bristle.

Overall, the story of Mark was an interesting one. I won this book in a giveaway, and can't say I would've picked it up on my own. Following Mark as he navigates his way through a jungle, a native tribe that beats him and forces him to father children with women each full moon, and eventually trying to escape with his son, daughter, and his daughter's mother was truly an interesting plot. The delivery was alright, but it did become confusing jumping from the story, to the bedtime stories he was telling, to the interviews, and back to the story to repeat the process.

If you plan to read this book, I recommend you avail yourself of the trigger warnings.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I didn’t want this book to end and was quite surprised I had reached the end. I want to know more...continue with Marks life...what happened with the children and the woman? This was such a great read. I felt I was there in the entire story.

[Lois Askin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unique

This was very unique! I find it very u unbelievable the way it was presented. Why interview someone and not let them tell the entire story without going through the trouble of having cliff notes, if you will. Just not done that way!!!!

[Deborah Cotton · Rating 2 out of 5]

long winded and boring

A basically good story that needed further character development. The pretense was there, but after all was said and done you were left with nowhere to go. Was very disappointed with how it ended.

[Judy Wiersma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very different format, easy to read. I enjoyed this story

[Kathryn Herty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story

A great plot, but I feel like a little more background could make it more complete for the reader and move this to a five star read.

[Darl Judd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this was like driving all day and discovering you’ve gone nowhere. 1st part, constant repetition. 2nd part constant repetition. 3d part The End.

[Misspennylane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

Interesting story, and a different way to present it. I'll be thinking about it for a while, trying to make up my mind about what happened.

[Robert C. smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Jungle Story

This could have been a very enjoyable book except for its slow moving and really disappointing and confusing ending, leaving readers wondering.