Primitive

by Mark Nykanen

Emmy-winning former NBC newsman Mark Nykanen (HUSH, THE BONE PARADE, SEARCH ANGEL) pens a politcally and morally charged suspense about climate change theories. A neo-primitive cult, possessing secret government documents filled with terrifying information about global warming, kidnaps a famous fashion model and holds her hostage, forcing her to act as their spokesperson. As time runs out, her estranged daughter allies with a dangerous activist group to rescue her, while battling dark agendas from the government and Big Oil.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Ebooks, Contemporary

317 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2009

Reviews

[Marvin · Rating 1 out of 5]

OH MY GOD! This is excruciatingly bad! This novel has managed to descend to levels of suckness that has never been reached before. This is the Krubera Cave of suckness.

And that is a big disappointment. For this is a thriller that also attempts to deal with the issue of global warning. My own opinions side with the opinions of the author; that global warning is real and is at least partially caused by man's actions. Yet if I was on the fence this book would send me screaming over to the other side. It is a lesson in how not to write a propaganda novel.

Despite the risk of my lower intestine rebelling, I will try to explain my repulsion. The plot centers around the abduction of a fashion model by a terrorist environmental group. She is held against her will in the wilderness in mortal fear of cougars and the lack of high-liner. I did not make up that last line up as a joke. It is exactly what she states she is afraid of. In an attempt to win over the public, they broadcast clips of her imprisonment to the public. They also promise to release secret government documents on global warming. Gee, how imaginative. I'm signing on the dotted line right now.

This might be barely palatable if there were any likable people in the book. The model is a brat and her daughter who is looking for her is an even bigger brat. The environmentalists are idiots (as a former activist in environmental causes, I think I have enough experience in real life to call them idiots) and the government agents are psychopathic idiots. The only real difference between the two is the activists try to justify their violence as being necessary to their cause while the government agents maim and torture just for fun. They're probably left-overs from the Bush administration

There is a lot of dialogue about global warming between the action and most of them are juvenile. In fact, this book is so silly, I'm prepared to believe that the other side wrote this just to make the environmentalists look stupid.

And did I mention that it is written very badly?

So, as you can see, I hated this book. The only reason I finished it was for the perverse reason of seeing how bad it would get. That was the only area in which it did not disappoint me.

[H.L. Reasby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. I'm just not sure what to say about this book. Although the premise was interesting, Nykanen's politics most definitely got in the way... and he has SO many things he wants to preach to you about!

I'm all for having a message to go into your story; done properly it can give your plot depth and can make it rise above being a simple 'beach read' to something that will make people think and discuss later. Primitive is not one of those books.

I found 'Primitive' to be troubling on a number of levels; primarily in the portrayal of nearly every single male character as a predator. We have almost every stripe of evil shown in the book: the rapist, the sadist, and the negligent father (this one even 'allows' a friend of his to take his teenaged daughter away for a week so he can use and abuse her). Authority figures fare even worse. Watch out women, every cop wants to ogle you or falsely accuse you. The military is treated even more shabbily. The only even remotely 'nice' males are members of ALF (Animal Liberation Front) which has operated for years as a terrorist organization.

While I found the story interesting enough to read the entire novel, the preachiness of the agendas presented along with the constant portrayals of the two main female characters as having been haplessly victimized was both jarring and annoying. Had I not picked the kindle version up for free, I would certainly have returned it long ago.

There were some intriguing ideas presented, and I do think that author has at least an IDEA of what makes a good thriller, but this one seems to have fallen far short of the mark he was aiming for.

[Jeb · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you believe that climate change is a political issue, not a scientifically provable theory, or that the US is infallible in foreign policy and the post 9/11 legal changes removing habeas corpus are justified, you probably won't be into this book.

If you are open to these possibilities, you can probably make it through the book.

In short, I liked the premise of the book, but, not the execution. The shining example of environmental militarism is, in my opinion, The Monkey Wrench Gang. So, if you only have time for one book, read Edward Abbey (I'd argue that's the better choice in comparison to most other books).

The primary problem I had was that abducting a self-centered, big-city model who ends up 'going native' with the environmentalists is just too much to expect. AND, that her disaffected daughter decides to go through all sorts of trials to find her. None of this really gives the plot away since the abduction happens at the beginning of the novel.

All that said, I thought the premise and the structure of the plot was interesting, to the point where I will read another Nykanen novel to see if the character development is more believable.

[Tammy Dotts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Nykanen’s Primitive remains a taut thriller despite glimpses of an earlier didactic draft about methane gas, global warming and environmental activism. A less talented author may have been seduced by the opportunity to educate readers and advance a cause, but Nykanen remembers the first duty of an author of fiction is to tell a good story.

The story centers on a model nearing the end of her career. Sonya is kidnapped by a group of environmental activists — or terrorists, depending on your viewpoint — called Terra Firma. The Abolanders, as they call themselves, take her to a secret village in the Pacific Northwest near the U.S.-Canada border. They release podcasts of Sonya in captivity, promising to release a secret U.S. government report on methane gas.

The novel opens a few days into Sonya’s captivity as she struggles to escape through a narrow underground tunnel. From there, the novel backtracks to Sonya pre-kidnapping and introduces the reader to Sonya’s daughter, Darcy. Darcy, a free spirit at odds with her mother, brings a backstory meant to explain the mother-daughter tension, but which isn’t entirely needed. Darcy’s different worldview is enough to bring her into contact with more activists in her attempts to save her mother.

Darcy’s shifting attitudes toward Terra Firma allow readers to sympathize with the activists, and Sonya’s experiences in the village remind the reader of the extremes that lie within every group, whether the group is bound by concern for the environment, by religious beliefs or any specialized interest. Some members of Terra Firma want to escalate violence against the U.S. and use Sonya’s kidnapping as a tool to further their own prurient interests. Others genuinely want Sonya to understand the group’s belief system and alert the world to the growing dangers of climate change.

As Terra Firma becomes a major news story and dribbles of information about the secret report leak to the public, the temptation must have been there for Nykanen to pause in his storytelling to detail current research about global warming. He doesn’t. He restricts himself to explaining just enough so readers understand the extreme position of Terra Firma’s leaders. The story remains central with enough action and explosions to pull readers along. All of the characters, including minor ones, are completely drawn and serve a purpose to the story. Nothing feels extraneous.

Primitive may not change readers’ minds about the causes of or solutions to global warming, but the story telling involved will likely engage them in the discussion.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 The premise of this book is kind of wacky - a moderately successful print model is abducted by a group of radical environmentalists in order to bring attention to an environmental conspiracy, and Nykanen handles the plot well enough. However, this is definitely a polemic against the American government, the agents of which are presented as blood thirsty and immoral. Even though I care very much about the issues raised by the radicals in this book, the book's obvious agenda turned me off a little.

[Steyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh... started REALLY positively. Thought i might be in for a decent read. But, as the book continued, it became less and less interesting and lost focus, till it collapsed in a rambling senseless mess at the end.

[Stonna Shores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this book down. Well written and frighteningly current. Thank goodness it is fiction!

[Debyi Kucera (Book&BuJo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primitive by Mark Nykanen is about a model that is kidnapped by a survivalist group in order to get the word out and further their cause to make lasting changes for the environment.

Not quite sure how I feel about this one. It was interesting and intriguing yet it feels like the author was pushing an agenda for some reason. My initial thought before I finished the first chapter was that a model was being kidnapped because a small group wanted to make themselves heard about major methane leaks that the government was covering up. If the methane leaks get worse, it could bring back the dinosaurs. Ummm…well, that isn’t exactly what was happening, but that was what was implied after the first two pages.

As I am not a scientist, I can’t speak to any scientific accuracy of the book but there were a few comments that seemed far fetched but since it is a work of fiction I let it go. I was interested in the characters and I liked the progression and growth of the main characters and some of the side characters were great as well. I was intrigued enough by the storyline to keep guessing what would happen, but that was about the extent of it. It was good but nothing great.

There are many, many trigger warnings in this book so please make sure you check them out before reading this book.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was enjoying this through the first half of the book. But as it got closer to the end it got more and more off the rails. There were so many characters which were just caricatures, with no nuance. I think the author let their message get in the way of crafting a good story. It was so outlandish, it became less believable.

[Jennifer Walker]

DNFd. It was horrible.

[Cym Lowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal story written with skill and insight. Mark spent a career investigating all manner of stories, including undercover assignments followed by on-camera reporting. He obviously developed a special interest in environmental matters and the often shadowy groups that seek to give voice to their political views through action, terrorist in nature or otherwise.

In this captivating story, Sonya Adams is a middle-aged model who is a personification of consumerism. She is kidnapped to become an icon on podcasts from a remote area on the border of the United States and Canada. The tree-huggers who abduct her, and live, in primal conditions have an agenda that requires utilization of all the means of contemporary communication, as well as terrorist destruction of energy facilities done in a manner to prevent direct loss of life.

Sonya’s daughter, Darcy, is a neo-hippie lost in her own culture. Bound to rescue her mother, Darcy starts off on her own adventure, delivered into the underground world of her lover’s bretheren.

Strong and determined in their own ways, mother and daughter embark upon an exciting, page-turning adventure to overcome their respective adversity.

Like the ambush in Waco, the Feds become the bad guys as the kidnapped and rescuer find common ground with their abductors.

Primitive is a great read! Mark Nykanen leads the reader on an exciting and thought-provoking journey. How would I respond? the reader keeps wondering, as the pages turn to reveal one paradox after another. What is true and what is false in this domain of environmental matters and those who seek to raise the level of consciousness about the reality of those issuest? Regardless of your politics, you will find this to be an enjoyable ride.

[Lisa]

Sonya Adams is a model who thinks she's on her way to another catalog shoot. On arrival, however, she discovers the modeling job was just a set up for a kidnapping! Her abductors are members of a group environmental extremists who live a minimalist lifestyle as a means of reducing their carbon emissions, and they hope to use Sonya to draw attention to their message.

Primitive has a very interesting concept: a cult-like group of environmentalists kidnap a model, a symbol of modern indulgence, for propaganda purposes. Global climate change is definitely a relevant issue, and the book depicts the spread of ideas through the internet and modern television coverage very believably. Unfortunately, the book has some major issues with getting its points across.

The biggest problem with Primitive is the characters. There is very little development, and most are one-dimensional stereotypes. The "underground" of activists depicted in the novel are all pot-smoking hippie cliches with names like "Kodiak," "Calypso," "Sorrell," and "Lotus." There's also the rebellious daughter, the evil military commander, and the "bad-ass" above-the-law bounty hunter with the ridiculous name of "Johnny Bracer."

The author also has a bad habit of using sentence fragments. Like this. For emphasis. Political messages are also hit over the head by the story. For example, all the law enforcement and military characters are above the law and all too ready to abuse their power in pursuit of potential "terrorists."

While the issue of climate change is a major issue, as are current US military operations, Primitive is so full of stereotypes that it is hard to take any of the book's messages seriously.

A review copy was provided by the publisher.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reading this on my husband's Kindle, at his request - he ran across a disturbing scene, and wants me to read the whole book to make sure there are no more disturbing scenes (I read horror novels, he does not) -- I have made it to the scene he discussed (our heroine is trapped in a tunnel, like stuck trapped -- pretty horrifying really) -- will see if there is more of the same, or if this is it.

Overall a pretty entertaining book, capitalizing on the global warming issue (yes it is really getting warmer, hopefully it is not too late for us to do something) -- I am not really convinced that Global Warming is ALL our fault, the Earth was a hot bed of methane and HEAT before we were around, who is to say the cycle isn't just coming back around?? Now, with that said, I drive a Prius, have solar panels on my roof, and I crochet with plastic bags -- I know that if we don't start doing something major soon, we really will be floating in the waters of the Arctic. This story is about a group who decides to do something rather drastic to try and bring the crisis to the forefront, and it works, although there are casualties. I enjoyed the story, and really, doesn't have too much horror in it. :-)

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mark Nykanen’s book “Primitive” is centered on an intriguing plot line: What if a strange cult-like group kidnapped a celebrity in the attempt to promote their own agenda? I did find this concept interesting. I was also fascinated with Nykanen’s treatment of issues like Stockholm syndrome and what thoughts a captive might have when the captor isn’t completely evil. Unfortunately, these were the only elements of the book that I actually enjoyed.

First, I felt that a good chunk of the book was extremely didactic. There were entire sections that read as if they were borrowed from a textbook or a lecture on the dangers of our modern world.

Second, in my opinion there were entire plot lines and characters that seemed not only unnecessary but subtractive to the larger work.

My final main complaint about Nykanen’s work was that just simply didn’t hook me. Honestly, I’m not sure if this is due to the subject matter, the writing, or a combination of the two. I might have enjoyed this as a short story but as a novel, I struggled to justify the time it took to read it with the little that I got out of it.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A middle-aged model is kidnapped by a community of environmental activists so passionately convinced of the imminence of climate chaos that they've established a Stone Age community in a snow-bound Northern wilderness. Filled with righteousness and possessing a terrifying, top-secret CIA report about global warming, they begin using her as the centerpiece of an elaborately complicated campaign to manipulate the news media in hopes of bringing the world to its senses. Which, of course, they do, but not before a U.S. Army anti-terrorist squad, the Animal Liberation Front, a crazed contract killer, a young rape survivor, a Seymour Hersh clone, two man-eating cougars, several adorable children, and the Canadian Army all become wrapped up in the tale.

So, now you know the beginning, the middle, and the end of this Mark Nykanen thriller. But, knowing even this, you have no sense of the experience of reading this nail-biting story of suspense. Improbable though the story may be, flawed though it undoubtedly is, Primitive is a skillfully written book. There's no getting around it: Mark Nykanen knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Sonya Adams, a high fashion model, is kidnapped by a survivalist group, the world is drawn into the crisis through videos released on the internet. The group known as Terra Firma has established an back-to-nature community somewhere in the frozen north, but relies on high tech means to get its message to the world. Terra Firma possesses documents showing a critical environment threat to the world and it uses its notoriety to direct the world's attention to this document.[return][return][return]Sonya, the kidnap victim, plots her escape while forming guarded relationships with members of the group. Meanwhile, Darcy, Sonya's estranged daughter, decides to take on her mother's rescue herself, while coming to terms with the event that caused the rift between mother and daughter. Mother and daughter battle nature and government threats to survive.[return][return]Though gruesome at times and too quick to wrap up the mother-daughter story, this book is a page-turner. Writing is good and the story is intriguing. [return](note: I read this as an ebook. not sure how well I like this format)

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a model who symbolizes American consumerism, mix in one extreme primitive group with their own agenda. throw in a daughter with a shaky relationship with her mother. Add a government with their own agenda and a bounty hunter into the mix and what you have is a thriller that will keep you turning pages. Sonya Adams is a middle age model who is kidnapped and used as a spokesperson for an extreme environmental group. They count on her former career to get their environmental message across. Darcy is sonya's daughter and she is determined to rescue her mother even though they have not had the best relationship. Suddenly both mother and daughter find themselves fighting to survive. They are caught between the terrorists on one side and the government on the other side. Both sides believe they are in the right. This is an excellent must read book. Although I usually read and review young adult books, it is a book like Primitive that leads me back to adult books.

[Bob L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any fiction book about global warming is bound to raise a few hackles, and this one is no exception. The plot premise does seem a bit improbable -- it's hard to imagine Cindy Crawford or Christie Brinkley being abducted by environmental extremists and then becoming the focus of world-wide outrage over lies and inaction on climate change. However, if you can get beyond that, Primitive is a taut, well-written thriller with a credible basis in science and politics. For example, one can easily imagine the CIA withholding critical scientific information and the US military overreacting to a high-profile hostage situation.

We urgently need more fiction and literature to instill in us the risks of global warming, and Primitive is a worthy addition to the emerging cli-fi genre. Recommended!

[Maz Loton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that can be compared to marmite - you either love it or hate it. I loved it, but it took a while to come to that conclusion. It starts out slow, but soon takes the reader on an exhilarating journey through a bleak yet beautiful landscape.
Some reviewers criticise the characterisation of the book seeing the main character as shallow, but to me, that was the point. In order for Nykanen to make his reader understand the ecological theme, we had to dislike the main character to start with, growing and learning with her as she understands more about herself and the world we are destroying.
Yes, it was cliched in parts, and you had to suspend your disbelief throughout, but Nykanen has written a terrific story that leaves the reader with issues to think about.

[usagi ☆ミ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, this book. Where to start?

First, I really, really hope this was a satire. The idea of this model having to save the world from this neo-primalist cult is just...well, as you can see, it didn't quite click with me. It seemed to get more and more ridiculous with each page.

Needless to say, I didn't make it through the entire book. It was too painful to keep reading.

I have no idea why the reviews were praising it so much - yes, the actual writing itself was coherent and somewhat intriguing, but not enough so to counteract the absolute silliness (and not in a good way) of the prose.

(crossposted to librarything.)

[John]

This was a very intriguing book. The action and intrigue were solid. The only thing that bugged me, and kept me from getting totally immersed in the story (ie, what kept it from 4 stars), is the environmental evangelism. I am OK with a story that includes a message that is earth-friendly. But, for the same reason that I do not want to read evangelical Christian literature, I also don't want to read an environmental pamphlet disguised as fiction.

All that said, the plot was intriguing, and the prose was well-crafted. For that reason, I did finish reading the story notwithstanding the negatives.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book much more than I did. The concept behind the story is interesting. The writing is weak (not too surprising since the author used to write and sell term papers to ASU undergrads). The character development is nonexistent. The plot development is thin and predictable. What this book does have in spades is a heavy handed environmental and anti-American sentiment. I am fine with expressing views about America--positive or negative. I get tired of being beaten over the head with it at each turn in the storyline.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book quite intriguing, a group of cult-like environmentalist kidnap Sonya Adams, a high profile model on her way to a 'supposed' photo shoot. They use Sonya to get publicity on the issues of Global climate change and government secrets. Her rebel daughter Darcy plays a major role to try to find her mother and becomes the subject of a manhunt by the government. Johnny Bracer is a bounty hunter who seems to live for torturing people to get information out of them. It is all a bit 'out there' but the concept and subject matter is very interesting...

[Mainon · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the first couple of chapters, I truthfully wasn't sure I was going to be able to finish it -- I wasn't too sure what was happening, and I was even less sure that I cared. I stuck with it though, and was rewarded. I think the book gets dramatically better about a third of the way in, and from then on is fairly enjoyable.

Good premise, reminded me a little of the book Michael Crichton wrote that was sortof a climate-change-based thriller.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a fashion model is kidnapped by a "green" group, the group uses her to get attention about a secret CIA report that warns what will happen when the earth is inundated with methane -- the group uses daily blogs to get the message out -- so what does the US do -- they call in the anti-terrorists to destroy everyone! This story had enough facts and uncertainties to hold my interest. It is available for free for the Kindle!!

[Chumley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really drawn into this book from the beginning. The tempo, plot, and characters were enticing enough to keep me thinking of the book after I put it down. The meat of this story is savory, yet it lacks the ending to out it over the top. Please do not misunderstand me, it was not a bad ending, it just lacked the power of the opening of this story. I will read more of Nykanen's books, even if I wasn't a huge fan of the completion of this book.

[Naomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow...What a disappointment!!!! I am a Mark Nykanen fan and eagerly waited for this book. This book is definitely not his "normal" standard. It really comes across as being thrown together and poorly written. On top of that, it had a really stupid plot. I would even go as far as to say that I would like the time back that it took to read this. Let's hope this incredible author "gets back on track" to the standard of writing in his previous novels.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I also received this book as part of the Early Reviewers program. I enjoyed the storyline. It was a fast-paced book that kept me engrossed until the end. The environmental terrorist storyline was timely, and I could see parts of it actually happening these days. As a Canadian, I laughed out loud at some of the references to Canada and Canadians, but overall was a great book.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a number of attempts for me to make it through Primitive, while the story has an interesting basis the characters never quite meshed and the writing made the experience stodgy and difficult to push through. It's certainly not something I'll be going back to read again at any point, which is something of a shame as the core ideas are strong.

[Khrystine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome-it keeps your attention right up to the last page. It makes you think, it's entertaining, the characters are relateable...
Truly fascinating look at climate change and the radicals on either side of the fence. Also very frighteningly current.