Roosevelt's Beast

by Louis Bayard

A reimagining of Teddy and Kermit Roosevelt's ill-fated 1914 Amazon expedition―a psychological twist on the smart historical thriller that first put Louis Bayard on the map 1914. Brazil's Rio da Dúvida , the River of Doubt. Plagued by hunger and suffering the lingering effects of malaria, Theodore Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and the other members of the now-ravaged Roosevelt-Rondon scientific expedition are traveling deeper and deeper into the jungle. When Kermit and Teddy are kidnapped by a never-before-seen Amazonian tribe, the great hunters are asked one thing in exchange for their find and kill a beast that leaves no tracks and that no member of the tribe has ever seen. But what are the origins of this beast, and how do they escape its brutal wrath? Roosevelt's Beast is a story of the impossible things that become possible when civilization is miles away, when the mind plays tricks on itself, and when old family secrets refuse to stay buried. With his characteristically rich storytelling and a touch of old-fashioned horror, the bestselling and critically acclaimed Louis Bayard turns the story of the well-known Roosevelt-Rondon expedition on its head and dares to Are the beasts among us more frightening than the beasts within?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Historical, Adventure, Mystery, Horror

299 pages, Hardcover

First published March 18, 2014

About the author

A staff writer for Salon.com, Bayard has written articles and reviews for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Nerve.com, and Preservation, among others. Bayard lives in Washington, D.C.

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: 1914. Brazil’s Rio da Dúvida, the River of Doubt. Plagued by hunger and suffering the lingering effects of malaria, Theodore Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and the other members of the now-ravaged Roosevelt-Rondon scientific expedition are traveling deeper and deeper into the jungle. When Kermit and Teddy are kidnapped by a never-before-seen Amazonian tribe, the great hunters are asked one thing in exchange for their freedom: find and kill a beast that leaves no tracks and that no member of the tribe has ever seen. But what are the origins of this beast, and how do they escape its brutal wrath?

Roosevelt's Beast is a story of the impossible things that become possible when civilization is miles away, when the mind plays tricks on itself, and when old family secrets refuse to stay buried. With his characteristically rich storytelling and a touch of old-fashioned horror, the bestselling and critically acclaimed Louis Bayard turns the story of the well-known Roosevelt-Rondon expedition on its head and dares to ask: Are the beasts among us more frightening than the beasts within?

I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER AS PART OF LIBRARY THING'S EARLY REVIEWERS PROGRAM

My Review: Listen to this:

After all these years, his best friend is malaria.
Even on the brink of an Alaska summer, it comes calling: a bone-deep chill one night, a ministry of sweat the next. Calling him back to old battles.

And we're off, down the River of Doubt with Kermit Roosevelt and his famous father (of whom Kermit's eldest half-sister, Alice, said, "Father wanted to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral") and somebody scientific who, frankly, interested me not at all.

Kermit tells us about this factual trip in moderate detail, enough to make the facts of the journey come across as lived, not reported. That's a frequent issue I have with historical fiction, the author's telling of the tale sounds like a highly embellished report and not a novel. Enough is here to make the atmosphere come humidly to life; not so much as to feel ponderous. Here, like this, listen:

Here was the thing about traveling down an uncharted river: You could only say how long you'd been traveling; you could never say how long it would be.

It's the precise sort of thing I'd expect the clever son of an overwhelmingly larger-than-life father to say, to focus on distances and travels and quotidian concerns because his giant of a father (Roosevelt was maybe 5'8" in body but 12'12" in spirit) has sucked up the glory-hounding until he's simply got nothing else to think about.

And then on an overnight stop, Kermit and TR are kidnapped by a previously uncontacted native group (I do so loathe the locution "undiscovered tribe"—and who, might one inquire, determined that being contacted was being discovered, like their lives before Europeans showed up weren't real?). Their freedom can only be bought by ridding these people of their monster, a killer of Grendel-ish horrific-ness. Two days the men seek and revoltingly find the Beast's results, and only when they are living out a nightmare of misery and a cleansing, purifying agony of memory and rage do they really encounter the Beast...within, as always.

Both are shattered and neither is ever the same after this trip. (Factual again, after the invented Beast interlude.) Kermit succumbs slowly to the depression and addiction that killed his paternal uncle, and TR himself gives up, defeated for the only time in his life...and by himself, as in the end are we all. TR can't face the even the notion that anyone will ever so much as hear a whisper of his ordeal (oh, and Kermit's, but you know whose rep is foremost on TR's mind):

“You are asking us to lie, Colonel?"
"I am asking you to omit. Surely, amidst the...the infinite gradations of human venality, that particular sin ranks low." The old man kneaded the folds of his throat. "What happened out there belongs out there. The jungle has it; let the jungle keep it...”

A novel of fathers and sons, of myths and monsters, and of identity and fate. It's written in Bayard's accustomed voluptuous prose, and it's got the usual peaks and valley in plotting. I myownself wish that the Beast had been nailed down, shown to be either real or a projection of mass psychosis or a deeply experienced malaria dream. Nonetheless, I'm sure many will find this blurring of borders exactly to their taste, and even those among us for whom that's not the draw to the story needn't let it cause us too much pain. Simply decide for yourself what interpretation you want to put on it, and do so. Bayard's story will support it.

And that's about the best compliment I can give a writer, that one there.

[Jon Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictionalized retelling of Teddy Roosevelt's ill fated 1914 expedition down Brazil's 'River of Doubt', that finds the former president and his son Kermit kidnapped by an undiscovered Amazonian tribe to help them kill an unknown creature that is suddenly hunting in the jungle......something that kills with a savagery that defies description.

A literary adventure tale set in historical fact that is at turns thrilling, heartbreaking and horrific, transforming Teddy's personal 'River of Darkness' into a powerfully moving piece about family, fortitude, fear and the insanity that lurks where civilization ends.

Bayard captures Teddy's personality and drive with a deft hand, and he allows the facts about the Roosevelt family to give his novel an undercurrent as dark and unforgiving as the fiction.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

See, this is why I haven't written a novel. Okay, maybe it's only part of why. But *you* read this first line, and tell me that doesn't make every beginning you've ever jotted down seem a little...inadequate.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I have similarly enjoyed other fictionalized historical accounts, like Dan Simmon's the Terror, so maybe I have a soft spot for this, but if this is genre fiction, it is of the highest quality, plumbing the depths of family, responsibility, and destiny in a way few novels do. A fascinating character study wrapped in a exciting, Heart of Darkness trek into the unknown, paced by a vivid sense of otherworld terror, this was hard to put down.

[* kyrat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received an ARC for review.
There are some minor spoilers, so do not read if you have not read the book yet.

I like the genre of historical fiction, so I was intrigued by the concept.

Overall it worked. I enjoyed a recounting of the expedition and it's troubles. The author managed to work in the story within the context of real events without making too many implausible changes to real events. I knew very little of the trip so I had plenty of suspense about the fate of the expedition.

Teddy Roosevelt's blustering personality seemed to be well mirrored, and while I do not know much about Kermit Roosevelt, nothing struck me as too anachronistic or unrealistic.

I also usually enjoy exploring psychological issues like the descent into madness... let me wade into the overlapping variables of a family history of depression/alcholism, an incredibly demanding/overbearing father with high expectations, exacerbated by trauma, starvation, and probably hallucinations brought on by quinine and/or the malaria ... all of that I found interesting.

However, the fact that there was a vaguely supernatural element implied - kept me from really getting into the book. (I am probably in the minority on this given the recent upsurge in Twilight wannabes, merfolk, angel/demon sub-genre books.)

I understand that the 'beast' was probably partly metaphysical and this was an internal struggle, but I felt like the book veered in too many directions, did it want to be a horror novel? Was it a murder/mystery? An episode of Supernatural? Were we supposed to be waiting to see who was the beast? Was there an actual beast? Did it truly enter Kermit in the forest -or had he brought it with him?
I spent too much time in confusion trying to figure out what was going on.

I think the author purposefully left it vague, which works for some people -that's fine. Personally, I like a little more definition.

So definitely still worth a read. An interesting take on what sounds like a 'wild ride' down the Rio Roosevelt.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really two and a half stars. Readers looking for an adventure novel or a story about a cryptid might be disappointed. This book is more literary fiction than adventure novel. The emphasis is on the relationship between Kermit Roosevelt and his father Teddy, more than on The Beast. In a way, the story reminded me of The Terror by Dan Simmons, but I didn't think it was as well written. An ok read, but nothing special.

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the third book I've read by Louis Bayard. The first was "The School of Night" and it was good, an interesting take on historical/conspiracy/thrillers. The second was "The Pale Blue Eye" which I liked even better than "Night." It's hard for me to separate "Roosevelt's Beast" from those first two, as I've read them recently. It's also hard to separate "Beast" from Dan Simmons' spectacular "The Terror" or from Micheal Crichton's "Congo" which I don't think has aged very well. Anyway, back to "Beast", I liked most the numerous Roosevelts and the many beasts. The opening pages promise supernatural events, but Bayard delivers just barely in this area. However, Bayard does deliver a good story with some very vivid imagery. I'm certainly looking forward to my next Bayard novel.

[Bookend Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start out by saying that Roosevelt’s Beast by Louis Bayard is a very good book. It‘s both smart and wise, and taut and tense, a well-researched novel that is both a work of literature and a solid thriller. So why didn’t I give it more stars?

I am a huge fan of Mr. Bayard, and have been reading him since his first book. In particular I would suggest The Pale Blue Eye and Mr. Timothy, two novels cut from the same cloth as Roosevelt’s Beast. Also, Theodore Roosevelt is one of my true heroes, a man for whom my admiration knows no bounds. His life was so varied and interesting, and lived with such brio and passion that reading about him makes even some one as laid back as me want to go out and grab life and suck the marrow from its bones. So it would seem like the stars have aligned to bring me a book over which I would drool. Therein lies the problem. Perhaps. A case of expectations that is perhaps a bit too high.

Roosevelt’s Beast also deals with high expectations, since the book’s main protagonist is Kermit Roosevelt, Theodore’s son, who never lived up to the expectations set by his father, which is entirely understandable. The novel is set during the expedition led by the Roosevelt’s into the backwaters of the rain-for the origin of the Amazon. During the trip Kermit becomes increasingly aware of his Father’s deteriorating condition, both physically and mentally, as the expedition begins to unravel in the unforgiving climate of the Amazon Basin. All of this is conveyed with considerable power by Mr. Bayard as he contrast the physic world of the two men with the physical challenges that they f ace as they limp on towards their seemingly impossible conclusion. During one particularly grueling episode the Roosevelt’s become separated from the expedition, and are found by an obscure primitive tribe, who are being hunted by a monster that may or may not be supernatural. Living with this tribe is a woman who is not a native, and speaks Portuguese, and through her the tribe enlists the Roosevelt’s aid in killing the beast.

Now all of this is laid out in harrowing detail that practically makes you feel like you are dripping with sweat and stinging from the bite of various no-see-ums. Both Roosevelt’s are living breathing characters, and Luz is affecting. The plot however takes a strange psychological turn that I cannot reveal without spoiling everything, that was consistent with some of the book’s themes, seems somehow disappointing, and makes the latter section of the book a rather heavy slog, as the adventure and excitement are replaced with a kind of lingering dread. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot to like in this book, and it kept me riveted for most of its length, but I wasn’t quite satisfied. It’s entirely possible that it was my fault for having such high expectations going in, but I guess that Mr. Bayard wouldn’t mind that too much.


Reviewed by: Mark Palm
Full Review Available at: http://thebookendfamily.weebly.com/bl...

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Offering an intriguing twist to the history of the 1914 Roosevelt-Rondon expedition to Brazil’s Rio da Duvida, “Roosevelt’s Beast” by Louis Bayard presents a disturbing story that is rich in atmospheric suspense. It is, in Bayard’s own words, “a psychological fantasy built out of historic events,” and the very setting—the River of Doubt—lends itself to the mythological feel of the work. While featuring the inimitable Theodore Roosevelt, the story’s main protagonist is his solemn and somewhat beleaguered son, Kermit Roosevelt, who has always traveled in his father’s authoritative shadow. When father and son embark on a late-night hunting foray, they are captured by a primitive tribe and saved from serious harm only to be exploited as hunters. Their quarry is a mysterious beast that leaves no tracks and eviscerates its prey. So begins a harrowing forty-eight hours, in which skeletons in the family closet come to light and the men come face-to-face with their greatest fears.

“Roosevelt’s Beast” is a fascinating literary triumph in the vein of “Heart of Darkness,” combining jungle adventure with the climactic suspense of old. Although there are some more graphic descriptions, the novel overall relies on ethereal suspense and trepidation, and it has the feel of an old-fashioned thriller, thankfully devoid of sexuality and unnecessary violence. Due to its setting, the dialogue is peppered with Portuguese, and while the phrases employed are translated or given enough context for understanding, anyone with knowledge of Spanish or similar languages will not need translations. The story itself unfolds as a flashback, and within that the mise en abyme technique comes into play because there are also flashbacks within the main narrative thread.

[Aubree Goodlad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book with a bit of trepidation as I knew it was a fantasy-horror re-imagining of Roosevelt's Amazon excursion and neither fantasy nor horror are genres I usually read. However, I had heard much praise of Bayard's writing and decided to give it a try. Boy am I glad I did! Roosevelt's Beast is a wonderfully written engaging story that was hard to put down. Narrated by Kermit Roosevelt it interweaves the story of the expedition (including Bayard's incorporation of a kidnapping and beast) as well as a history of the Roosevelt family and the relationship between Kermit and his father, Theodore Roosevelt. The characters had depth and felt realistic and the plot was fast paced. I would recommend this book to historical fiction lovers and those who just love a good story.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly weird mixture of historical fiction and psychological horror (with a touch of adventure thrown in), but it worked for me and I really enjoyed it. Bayard does a really impressive job of keeping both Theodore Roosevelt and his son, Kermit, feeling true to their historical selves even while in these purely imagined situations. Good for Roosevelt or historical fiction fans looking for something different to try.

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked Millard's nonfiction account of Roosevelt on the River of Doubt and Bayard's previous novels, especially School of Night, so I was not expecting to be disappointed in the re-imagining of the river journey with TR and his son Kermit. Horror permeates the second half, so comparisons to Simmons's The Terror and Katsu's The Hunger are apt, but both those books worked better for me.

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives me nothing of what I want. It drives me to tears and in the end nothing is resolved as I would like it to be.

[Audrey Ashbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see why some would be thrown off by this book being part historical fiction, part supernatural, but I was actually charmed by the unique mix. Kermit Roosevelt, the protagonist, was so well-written and I really loved getting to know his character. He begrudgingly joins his father, Theodore Roosevelt, on an expedition to survey the Amazon river in 1914 but becomes captured by a tribe deep in the jungle that declares they must slay "The Beast," a creature that has slaughtered members of their tribe but cannot be found. While the Amazonian expedition is based in fact- this book made me want to read more about that- the Beast is a supernatural creature. 

Without getting into spoilers, I loved this book. Kermit was my absolute favorite character and I enjoyed his interactions with his father; their dialogue was funny and endearing. 

This book was definitely more psychological terror than anything else, but it was very well done- the ending creeped me out and gave me chills. 

As an absolute fan of Louis Bayard's Courting Mr. Lincoln, one of my favorite books of all time, I'm glad I enjoyed this one, too. Looking forward to reading more of his books.

[Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title - Roosevelt's Beast

Author - Louis Bayard

Summary -

It is 1914, along Brazil's River of Doubt, a band of explorers travel deep into the Amazon. In the party are a father and son of one of America's most powerful families. Theodore Roosevelt and his son Kermit.
But the Roosevelt's become detached from the rest of the group and with Theodore injured, it falls to Kermit to rescue them. Kermit who is plagued with self doubts and an overriding sense of failure must now care for and save his larger than life father.
Alone and captured by the remote tribe known as the Cinta Larga, the Roosevelts bargain for their lives. They are offered a task for their freedom.
They must find and kill the Beast that has been terrorizing the village. A Beast of unspeakable evil.

"...The Beast, though, hadn't left much for the bugs to feast on. Muscle, heart, liver-all were gone. The man had been peeled open and scooped out like a tin of sardines. The only organs that remained were his eyes, and, under the ministrations of heat and bacteria, even these had melted into black craters, staring out of a mustard-colored mask..."

Theodore and Kermit, with only a child and his mother to guide them, go into the jungle to hunt the Beast of the Cinta Larga. But what they find, what they bring back, is a Beast much more powerful than they imagined.

"...Both Cherrie and Rondon were silent for a time. Then the Brazilian looked up.
"You are asking us to lie, Colonel?"
"I am asking you to omit. Surely, amidst the...the infinite gradations of human venality, that particular sin ranks low." The old man kneaded the folds of his throat. "What happened out there belongs out there. The jungle has it; let the jungle keep it..."

Roosevelt's Beast is written out of the history books but never from the thoughts and souls of those who faced it.

Review -

Louis Bayard's talent for re-writing snippets of the past and infusing them with the real people who lived through those times is on full view here. Though slow to begin with, the setting is powerful and the pace quickly picks up and slams into the jungle foliage with all the force and rage of the Beast it projects.
It is Kermit, not his father Theodore, who is the narrator of this grand misadventure. Kermit, so full of self doubt and eagerness to please. Kermit, who must decide if the visions he sees are real or is he descending into the madness that has taken others in his family.
The tale itself weaves in and out of adventure and the supernatural until together they create their own well woven tapestry. Bayard is a master craftsman at this.
Underneath it all there is a mystery. Blood and death. Done by some Beast or by man. This is what Kermit must decide and when he learns the truth, how to deal with it.
Another wonderfully novel by one of the best writer's of our generation.

[Janette Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A reimagining of Teddy and Kermit Roosevelt’s ill-fated 1914 Amazon expedition—a psychological twist on the smart historical thriller that first put Louis Bayard on the map
1914. Brazil’s Rio da Dúvida, the River of Doubt. Plagued by hunger and suffering the lingering effects of malaria, Theodore Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and the other members of the now-ravaged Roosevelt-Rondon scientific expedition are travelling deeper and deeper into the jungle. When Kermit and Teddy are kidnapped by a never-before-seen Amazonian tribe, the great hunters are asked one thing in exchange for their freedom: find and kill a beast that leaves no tracks and that no member of the tribe has ever seen. But what are the origins of this beast, and how do they escape its brutal wrath?
Roosevelt's Beast is a story of the impossible things that become possible when civilization is miles away, when the mind plays tricks on itself, and when old family secrets refuse to stay buried. With his characteristically rich storytelling and a touch of old-fashioned horror, the bestselling and critically acclaimed Louis Bayard turns the story of the well-known Roosevelt-Rondon expedition on its head and dares to ask: Are the beasts among us more frightening than the beasts within?

I adore Louis Bayard's novels, every one is different and you never know what you are going to get except powerful writing and wonderful characters that live and breath through the pages. This is no different, a marvellous blend of historical fiction, high adventure and supernatural chiller plus a very touching father and son relationship. A pacy, thrilling read that takes you on an exotic but deadly journey.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Bayard's work, so I was excited to try this one out. It was enjoyable, but a little strange. It makes me want to pick up Candice Millard's The River of Doubt for a look at the factual expedition.

The relationship between T.R. and his son, Kermit, is one of the best parts of the novel; their story, including their family history, is well-drawn, and their characters seem natural, though I wanted more of the two of them interacting. The hunt for, and subsequent revelation of, the Beast is less compelling. I suppose that, because of the nature of the actual Beast, it makes sense that the hunt is short, but I was a little disappointed. And, as Kermit unravels the actual nature of the Beast, I started to tune out. I'm not always a fan of the paranormal, and here I didn't know what to think about the manifestation of this supernatural thing as a physical being. It was just a little off, for me The payoff for me was less in discovering the actual Beast, and more in the exposition of the main characters.

But, it is a quick read - one that encourages you to keep the pages turning.

[Robert Kenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bayard's strengths and weaknesses both shine through in this historical fiction/horror/mystery novel. This book's strength is that it hurdles on and on like a boulder down a mountainside. It is fast-paced without lacking visuals. However, I sometimes felt like I was watching a movie, and not an especially high budget one at that. There was a transparent formula to the plot and while there was plenty of action, there weren't a lot of surprises. Everything in this book has been done before, countless times, in both movies and books. If you've ever watched CSI or read a mystery novel, you won't have much trouble predicting what happens.
I liked that the book took place in the context of one of Roosevelt's expeditions, which I am fascinated by and always wishing I could learn more about. Yet even though Teddy Roosevelt was indeed an eccentric man, his portrayal in this novel felt like a caricature rather than a real man. The brooding Kermit Roosevelt had a little more dimension to him, but still seemed a little cornier than life.
Would I read another book by Bayard after reading this one? Yes, I would. Would I make it the top of my list? Probably not.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read several of Bayard's other books, and loved all of them. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me.

I am not exactly able to put my finger on why I didn't connect to this. Maybe the jungles are not a good setting for me, I wasn't all that thrilled by descriptions of insects and malaria and deadly rapids [my reaction to all of those was basically: "yuck!"].

Maybe the Roosevelts [Teddy and his son Kermit] weren't as interesting as I expected they would be. The portion of the book I read - which, full disclosure was not a large portion - just hit me a tedious and plodding. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, because the other Bayard books I've read pretty much hit the ground running and ramp up the excitement from the first page so this was a disappointment.

I'm willing to concede that not having read the whole book may mean I missed plenty of excitement and a great story. But for me, a book that does not draw me in on any level once the initial setup has been established is time I'm not willing to spend to continue when there are so many books on my to be read list that I want to get to.

Just not a story fit for me.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free through LibraryThing's Early Reveiwers Giveaway. Thank you very much! It is a great book!

I have never read any books by Louis Bayard before and I was certainly impressed by this book and his writing style. What I found most intriguing about this novel is that he used real, historical people and events to weave a fictionalized, psychological story adventure.

The character of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt was by far my favorite character. He was just so darn likeable that it oozed off the pages. He took life lightly with no worries, and it showed. If I was ever abducted by an Amazonia tribe, I would want him by my side.

I don't normally reread books but if I did, I would choose this one. I think more information about Kermit and Elliott's past would be gained; especially by having the knowledge of the book's ending from the onset. This would definitely make a good book for a reading club.

[Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

After finishing this book, I was reminded of the feeling I had after watching the two-part miniseries based on Stephen King's "It" when I was in college circa 1992. After the first night's episode the entire campus was abuzz. The anticipation for part two was palpable. After part two had aired the excitement had turned to disappointment. The feeling on campus was akin to that of a deflated balloon. "What the heck just happened?", was uttered more than once. The first three quarters of this book was wonderful. Page after page, I was enthralled. Then the wheels fell off and I felt like I had been emotionally punched in the gut. I was left with the feeling, wasn't there another way for this to go? First three quarters of the book: 5-stars. Last quarter of the book: 2-stars. Overall: 3.5-stars. I love Mr. Bayard's writing style. I loved the subject matter. In a picque-ish sort of way, I just didn't like how the book ended.

[Dan Radovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once more Bayard works his magic taking a real event and creating a fictionalized spin to it all his own. For those not familiar with Louis Bayard, you have been missing a true talent in historical fiction. His plot lines are tight and swift. His characters more believable than real life, and his over all writing style is superior to most in his craft. This tale of Teddy and Kermit Roosevelt's 1914 odyssey on The River of Doubt is a masterful mix of adventure and horror with some family history thrown in for good measure. Anyone that has read Millard's RIVER OF DOUBT will be taken down that horrible waterway once again, but feeling like the first time. A GREAT book.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Atmosphere, characterization are really well done. But I wish the supernatural stuff made more sense. It lacked coherence even within the imaginings of the novel. Is the beast a horrific manifestation of one persons psychological disturbance, or is it real? The evidence goes both ways, and sorry but that just disturbs me. I like horror to have a certain logic to it. Kermit and especially TR really come alive as characters, so bravo to the author for that.

[Ridge Multop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bayard is a wonderful writer, and this contains many well-written passages. Even the fantastic plot was creative. However, I got the feeling around 2/3 of the way through that he had run out of story and moved into overdrive to get to the end. Purple prose abounded. Not his best, but better than most.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed some of the book and the authors writing style. I did not enjoy the depth of the supernatural portion of the story. I kept waiting for Kermit to wake up and it to have all been a dream. I have read The River of Doubt, the nonfiction version of the expedition and loved it.This one? Not so much.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was truly amazing. A horror twist on the great Roosevelt expedition on the Amazon... the book really brings you into the world of a rainforest populated by savages, a world in which civilized men brave all odds to explore and encounter evil beyond which they have ever known. Well imagined, atmospheric and beautifully done. I loved this book!

[Darlene Franklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great read to learn more about Kermit Roosevelt and his famous father. Together they travel thru the wilds of Brazil meeting hardship, unknown tribes, and dangerous turns. A mix of the real and the beasts that torture.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars. Easy/quick read, but a bit too supernatural for me for this type of story. I have nothing against fantasy and paranormal genres, but this didn't seem to fit in the adventure category of the Roosevelts traveling down an uncharted river in the Amazon.

[Gail Multop · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish the author had written a slightly more realistic fiction account of the Roosevelt Amazon trip. The real story was harrowing enough. Kermit was a fascinating counterpoint to his father. I could have done without all of the skin peeling and fantasy gore.

[Wendy Henning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps I'm biased since Louis Bayard is from my hometown, but his writing simply amazes me. When reading his books, I spend half the time immersed in the story and the other half wishing I could write like that.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite writing but very complex. I suggest that readers do some research on the Roosevelt family before or while reading Bayard's book.