Reading Journal Details
Book: The Tears of Odessa by Ryan Schow
Format Read: (Audiobook ~13 hours, 2 minutes long)
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️ (2/5)
Quick Take
Relentless and raw, but what could have been a gripping international thriller loses steam with a frustrating protagonist, violence that strains credibility, and one-note antagonists.
Full Review
Some thrillers pull you in so deeply that you forget the world around you. Others push you away with their flaws until you're watching from a distance. The Tears of Odessa landed firmly in the second camp for me.
Atlas Hargrove is thrust into a dangerous mission across Eastern Europe, one he approaches less as a calculated professional and more like a blunt-force wrecking ball. What begins as reluctant involvement quickly spirals into an escalating trail of chaos. Each new stop plays out almost identically, with Atlas storming in, breaking down doors, and leaving behind waves of violence that stretch past believability. Instead of building tension, this constant escalation actually dulled it.
The bigger issue, for me, was Atlas himself. He's portrayed as a man capable of great compassion in one moment and unhinged fury in the next, but instead of complexity, it came across as erratic and grating. I never felt grounded in who he was supposed to be, which made him difficult to root for or like. Secondary characters often felt more engaging, but they had little space to shine. The villains didn't fare much better; rather than exuding menace, they were flattened into clichés, explaining their motives with the clunkiness of a forgettable action film.
That said, the book wasn't without merit. Ryan Schow clearly knows how to stage action; scenes played out in my head like a movie reel, full of grit, gunfire, and tension. The darker atmosphere was effective, and I did appreciate the raw energy that hummed throughout the pages. Unfortunately, atmosphere alone wasn't enough to make up for repetition and a protagonist who dragged the story down instead of carrying it forward.
A bruising ride with plenty of sparks, but without substance, they fizzled fast—firepower without the heart to make it stick the landing.
Features & Vibes
🔥 Volatile, destructive energy
💥 Jason Bourne-style intensity
🌍 International goose chase through Slavic cities
🩸 Violence pushed past believability
🎥 Villains straight out of a B-movie
🙃 A volatile, unlikeable lead