Book: If We Survive by Andrew Klavan 
My Review:
If you’re looking for a dangerous thrill, this book is a pretty solid choice. You will be transported to the depths of Central America with this story. It centers around 16 year-old Will Peterson, who is on a trip with several others to help rebuild a school.
But of course, such a nice deed cannot go smoothly — at least not in the world of fiction.
I must say, the characters in this book were truly in the right place, at the wrong time. They find themselves trapped in a foreign country, during a major revolution — and as American citizens, they have an even bigger target on their backs.
As I read through the pages, I often felt nervous for the fates of the characters. Andrew Klavan does a wonderful job of illustrating how defenseless Will and his group truly are. I also liked the authenticity that went into his writing. Even though this is a fictional story, the locations that the characters were in felt very realistic. This type of detail could only be done by someone who has visited Central America. I’m not sure if Klavan did, but either way, his use of words painted vivid pictures throughout the book.
Although the general storyline was a thrill, there were also moments of humor. These provided nice breaks to essentially ease the tension — though they never lasted too long.
Overall, I would recommend this book. It was a good read, but it’s also not something that I’m raving about. However, it did spark my curiosity to read more from Klavan, and I am happy to know that he has more thriller novels out there.
: 3.5/5
