Unforgiving

by Adnan Alisic

12 years after surviving the horrific massacre, 15-year old Meho committs ruthless murders, setting in motion the event which could change the world order.

614 pages, Paperback

Published February 23, 2015

Reviews

[Aneela ♒the_mystique_reader♒ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unforgiving is about bullying at school, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and bioterrorism. (All unforgivable actions!) This novel covered so many issues. The story is interesting and intriguing. There is a lot going on in this book. I really enjoyed reading this book but there were some plotholes that kinda spoiled the fun for me. Hence, 3 stars!


Mr. David Miller adopted Meho. Bucky (Brandon) is Meho's step brother. Bucky is 10 years old and adores Meho to bits. The love and affection between Meho and Bucky is inimitable.

Meho Miller is a 15 year old Bosnian Muslim. He now lives in Scottsdale and goes to school there. He has a tragic past. He is from Sarajevo. When he was 4 years old, all the houses in his village were burnt to ashes. He saw his family butchered to death. He survived somehow. But now he is haunted by nightmares that remind him of his past and the monsters who slaughtered his family.

Meho suffers from PTSD and he could not forgive those monsters. He promised himself that he would kill them ruthlessly to avenge his little sister's death. This novel beautifully depicts the mentality of a young boy who suffers from bullying and PTSD and how he learned to control his anger. And then something happened and he lost his control and became a ruthless murderer.

The writer himself was a soldier at Bosnia and he witnessed war attrocities there. The war affects both countries either they win or lose. It destroys many homes and families. The hearts of survivors are etched with the horrific memories of war for eternity. Soldiers die on both sides. Their wives, parents, children and siblings are bound to live without them but with just their beautiful memories. A handful of beautiful memories. Whereas some unjust wars create monsters....like Meho


The Plotholes in the Story:

1. Zlatan's benz was bugged by agents why didn't they hear the conversation between Meho and Zlatan when he kidnapped him.

2. It seems impossible that two teens, 15 and 10 years old, are sequencing DNA of humans and animals and creating genetically modified viruses that can transfer their gene of choice to targeted cancer cells. I am a Biotechnologist myself and trust me when I say molecular biology and genetic engineering are sophisticated areas of biological science. You need years and years of practice to master it and even then viruses are so unpredictable to work with. Not to forget the biohazard they pose. Their gene packaging is tricky and they mutate everytime they reproduce and thats why we it is extremely hard to design anti-viral and viral vaccines.

3. Meho was attacked by wolves when he was 3-7 years old. How did he survive the attack of wolves who were 65% more faster, stronger and aggressive than their counterparts in the other parts of the world?
How the altered genes of those wolves lend his granulocytes the ability to specifically target and kill cancer cells?

4. A test subject witness informed that the bioweapon was in final stages and almost completed. Test subjects/humans used as guinea pigs for medical trials are never allowed in the lab and everything is kept secret from them. And they are never set free. So how did he know that the bioweapon was in final stages?


I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw this book available for tour, I had wanted to read it as a teen killer sounded interesting and I am a fan of my murder mysteries/ assassins type stories. The book started out with Meho following a bad guy, and he came across like a suicide bomber to me at first with his ranting and raving and what sounded like a manifesto. You know those anarchy guys with manifestos; that is what Meho struck me to be like. He takes this bad guy to a warehouse, and then we discover that the bad guy is being followed by FBI and law enforcements. At this point, the readers get a sense and wonder whether Meho is a Vigilante or a bad guy worse than the already bad guys in the book. It then flips back to his schooling life and his foster family especially his brother Bucky. Meho goes wild with the gangster, and it is like watching your classic movie Action scene - you know the ones that happen behind the scenes in the Warehouses. Readers then learn that before Meho was adopted, he was a survivor of his village massacre and that he has a dark side, a dark side which has turned him into a killer. Unforgiving gives readers not only the dark side of Meho - the one who is cold and calculated and kills but also the family side where Meho and Bucky were taught the skills of hacking and biochemistry by their grandfather. This book to me was a confusing read, and I found it slow and hard to get into and follow. The killing scenes were amazing, and it shows readers the dark, cold truth about what PTSD and revenge can do to someone even if they were at a young age when the incident occurred. I was a bit more intrigued at the beginning though as it referred to an incident that happened with Hilary Clinton in 1996 and considering this was the year she was going for president - it did make me wonder and what her thoughts on the book are - especially more so now that she didn't get in as President ?. If you want a dark teen angsty read with crime elements, then check out Unforgiving by Adnan Alisic.

[Domoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meho is a teenage boy with teenage problems. He lives at home with his family, goes to school everyday, can’t figure out how to talk to his crush, and has problems with a bully. Meho also has problems a typical teenage boy doesn’t have. Meho is from Sarajevo. His village destroyed, he was adopted by an American family; a mother and father who give him everything he needs and a brother, Bucky, who worships him. Meho is haunted by what he has done to survive and what he will do to those who destroyed his home and family.

This was a dark but interesting story. In a lot of ways it was easy to relate to the way Meho behaved. His early life was harsh and cold. Killing meant survival, and who wouldn’t want to off the people who have taken so much from them? Many of the things in this story were just too farfetched though. Meho and Bucky are incredible hackers, who were able to hack into the biggest banks and siphon off millions and not get caught. They also were trained in biochemistry by their grandfather, enough to work in a lab alone apparently. The calculated way a teen can plan and execute professional killers was a bit of a stretch. Looking past that, Meho is not an average boy and the story has some twists and turns I did not expect.

The author is a good writer and does an excellent job of fleshing out the characters and keeping the reader on their toes. The world is full and vibrant so the story is easy to read. I think it would have been easier for me if the characters were a little bit older as some things wouldn’t feel as implausible. Over all it is a good read and I would read more by this author.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

[Stacey Schneller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a interesting read for me. It kept me on my toes. A fast paced read as well. 

The Author does a great job on the story and the characters. I could imagine them. It got me into the book like I was there with them. 

This is a dark story so if you like dark stories this book is for.

I voluntary received this book to give an honest review. 

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another DNF read.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won Unforgiving for an honest review, thank you Goodreads. This was ok for me. If you like darker reads then this one is for you. I do enjoy darker stories, I'm a big fan of Gillian Flynn. I'm not comparing. I do recommend you read it.

[Helen-Marie Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my review here! http://bondingoverbindings.blogspot.c...

[Pufflekitteh · Rating 3 out of 5]

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