November 15, 2010
Yates's flamboyantly overstuffed debut brings a colorful panoply of characters to the Philippines, where corruption, hedonism, culture clashes, and a touch of magic lead to massive misadventure. Reeling from the death of his mom, Benicio ditches a burgeoning romance to head to Manila, where his long-estranged dad, Howard, is ostensibly living the high life. But when Benicio arrives, Howard is nowhere to be found, and Benicio eventually learns that Howard has been kidnapped by a gang that hopes to exploit the war on terror to make bank with their American hostage. Meanwhile, American embassy worker Monique is carrying on an affair and letting her family life deteriorate until the Howard situation upends her life. Rounding out the cast of those involved, in one way or another, with the kidnapping are an elite group of soldiers with rough manners and superpowers; Howard's local associates; a vengeful prostitute; Reynato Ocampo, a badass cop who's inspired a series of hit films; and the star of the Ocampo movies, who sees politics in his future. The explosive array of personalities and coincidences moves at a breakneck pace, but the massive cast and jumble of (sometimes brutally violent) plots threaten to smother the heart of this unruly adventure: a surprisingly touching story of a son and his parents.
Starred review from October 15, 2010
The kidnapping of an American businessman in the Philippines sets in motion an odd series of events involving his estranged son, a hard-boiled cop who inspired a hugely popular film series and a ragtag strike force with special powers.
Yates' accomplished debut is an unlikely mix of folktale, Tarantino-esque pulp fiction, island adventure and geopolitical novel. Howard Bridgewater, a high-rolling ugly American whose firm services resorts, has been living in the Philippines for five years. Prompted by his ex-wife's death in Chicago, he convinces his grudge-ridden son Benicio, who lives in Virginia, to come over for a visit. By the time Benicio arrives, Howard has been abducted by a hapless, meth-addicted cab driver named Ignacio who plans on selling him to Moro terrorists. Problem is, he can't find any buyers. The bigger problem is that shady supercop Reynato Ocampo is after him, backed by an impressionable kid who can shoot anyone or anything at any distance (he's a devout fan of the "Ocampo Justice" movies) and a soldier who can turn into a dog or horse or spider. (Ignacio's nasty sidekick is a rooster who smokes.) Reynato is having an affair with Monique, a stressed U.S. Embassy officer who recently relocated to her native soil from America with her insomniac husband and kids; Solita, the prostitute, is demanding support money for the boy who may or may not be Howard's, and Charlie, the actor who plays Ocampo, is shamelessly running for political office. Yates handles the multiple points of view and fragmented narrative flawlessly. As outrageous as the action gets, he keeps his distinctive voice consistent and his tone measured, masterfully modulating the comic and violent effects. There's unexpected depth of emotion in the relationships and in the characters' connection to the land. The author lived in the Philippines when he was a teenager, and later returned to work at the U.S. Embassy. His feeling for and physical descriptions of the islands strongly reflect that experience.
An unusual and unusually involving first novel with strong characters and nifty supernatural effects.
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October 15, 2010
This is a gritty, ambitious, and often entertaining debut novel about a father and a son, a kidnapping, and a special task force whose members have extraordinary paranormal skills. Set in the Philippines, the story focuses on Benicio's search for his estranged father. Benicio has traveled from America to the Philippines, where his wealthy and well-connected father lives. On the night he arrives, however, his father is kidnapped, and this sets into motion a series of events that reveal details of his father's life--much of it unsavory, at least from Benicio's perspective. This ordeal eventually helps Benicio accept his father for who he is--a flawed but well-intentioned man. Yates develops considerable narrative momentum, skillfully handling most of the material. VERDICT The vibrant and convincing setting coupled with the well-drawn major characters make for a competent crime story. Genre fans will find much to enjoy here; recommended.--Patrick Sullivan, Manchester Community Coll., CT
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