Review of The Date Farm

[samira madi]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Date Farm" by Jack Winnick.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Jack Winnick's The Date Farm begins by detailing a gruesome attack on unsuspecting American citizens in a crowded Beverly Hills mall, in which 48 people died and a hundred more suffered injuries. After finding out about this attack, American FBI agent Lara Edmond works with her husband, Israel's Mossad intelligence Uri Levin, to prevent further attempts to destroy America and Israel. Nevertheless, Levin and Edmond work tirelessly and passionately to protect their countries.

I liked that the author was able to keep intensity alive throughout the book. While there are some graphic scenes that may be unfavorable to some, there's no doubt that Winnick knew how to keep his audience shocked and captivated by some of his violent and fast-paced writing.

What I don't like about The Date Farm is that it seems to be a very typical book, with the repetitive Muslims-attacking-the-West trope that can be found in many movies and novels today, fueling anti-Muslim rhetoric. Winnick makes his pro-Israel stance very apparent in the novel, making this a difficult read for those who are aware of the injustices carried out by Israeli intelligence in the state of Palestine. I would say that it seems largely hypocritical to portray Israeli intelligence as saviors, when the Mossad agency has been nothing short of an oppressor in the past years. I also was not a fan of how strongly opinionated the text was as it seemed more persuasive than expository. This dogmatic approach starts off very early into the book with the "Dedication" chapter of the novel. Controversially, The Date Farm portrays that all Muslims took pride in this attack that was carried out by people of their own religion, "marching and shouting gleefully in the bright sunshine. This heinous act was being celebrated as a glorious military victory for the forces of Islam...much as on September 11, 2001."

I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. Some of the characters lacked depth and, in hindsight, the book lacked the originality that a novel about this topic might need. It is easy to write about fictional terrorism and terrorist attacks, but it is not easy to make it unique enough to stand out in a sea of the exact same subject.

I would recommend this book to those who are interested in the genre of real-world action. I would also recommend this book to those who are looking for an easy read, as The Date Farm is written in a way that is transparent and clear with its message.

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The Date Farm
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[Emily_Jen]

I'd like to see how Lara and URI combat terrorist activities on US soil. I'm a fan of mystery books, especially when they have to do with terrorism and counterterrorism. Thanks for the review.

[NISSE]

It is unfortune that the story lacks character development. I think this primarily due to the author has focused more on the action aspect of the book.