Review of How The Hell Did I Get Here?

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Mbrooks2518
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Review of How The Hell Did I Get Here?

Post by Mbrooks2518 »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "How The Hell Did I Get Here?" by Anthony Aguirre.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Michael Chavez is a meek college student living a quiet life when a case of mistaken identity leads to his recruitment by the Special Tasks Division for the United States. After being shot with a knockout drug while sitting on a park bench, he wakes up on an airplane. Without being given a chance to protest, he finds himself parachuting into a Russian military base with a mission to help extract an undercover agent. Later gaining an unexpected ally, they have to get out of the base and contact the Division for extraction. Will Michael and his new friends be able to escape? Find out in How The Hell Did I Get Here? by Anthony Aguirre.

With 94 pages, this young adult, spy novella has a fast pace and is filled with action and some good plot twists. Despite the fast pace, there were also calmer moments that let me get to know the characters, which was my favorite thing about this book.

Another thing I really liked was the humor that was present throughout the story, which included things the characters said and did as well as smaller details, like one character who wears a pink-stained uniform. It kept the story from becoming too tense and made for an enjoyable reading experience.

One negative was that I had a hard time connecting with Michael until the end of the story. I did sympathize with him in the beginning because I'm also not a risk taker, but I ended up caring more about the other main characters instead. Michael’s character evolution over the course of the story was well-written as he went from meek and a bit cowardly to being much braver and willing to do whatever he could to help his friends, which helped me to connect with him in the last few chapters.

The ending was satisfying but also left some unanswered questions. This was the main thing I disliked about the book because I was very curious about the answers to some of these questions. Some of them I could see being used as a setup for a sequel, if the author intends to write one, but I feel like the others could have have been answered in this book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and there were less than ten editing mistakes. Due to the issues I mentioned, I’ve decided to give it 3 out of 4 stars. The story did not have any romance except mentioning that two female characters are girlfriends. There was some swearing and some violence, but there were no graphic descriptions, so this book is appropriate for readers fourteen and older. I recommend it to anyone who likes action and is looking for a quick read.

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How The Hell Did I Get Here?
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shreyagupta
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Post by shreyagupta »

The title is very catchy and the book sounds engaging. Thanks for a well-put-together review.
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marta baglioni
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Post by marta baglioni »

Seems like something I would enjoy. Thank you for the review, I'll add this to my shelf!
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Kiran Kanwar
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Post by Kiran Kanwar »

The title 'How The Hell Did I Get Here?' intrigued me at the first sight and when I read your review I have made my mind to add this to my reading list. It is a short book that's like cherry on the cake when your TBR pile is sky-high.
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Kavita Shah
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Post by Kavita Shah »

A case of mistaken identities, spy mission, and an unlikely ally. Short and a perfect combo for a spy read. Thank you for a great review!
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Post by Janet Kimetto »

94 pages, with humor woven into the story. This sure is a perfect quick read! Thank you for your great review.
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Urvashi Tripathi
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Post by Urvashi Tripathi »

I thought the main character have amnesia. I think so it will be fun spy read for me. Thank you for your amazing review it made me to add this book in my TBR.
Mbrooks2518
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Post by Mbrooks2518 »

Kiran Kanwar wrote: 15 Jun 2021, 06:52 The title 'How The Hell Did I Get Here?' intrigued me at the first sight and when I read your review I have made my mind to add this to my reading list. It is a short book that's like cherry on the cake when your TBR pile is sky-high.
I go for the short books when I have too many to read too.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Mbrooks2518
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Post by Mbrooks2518 »

shreyagupta wrote: 15 Jun 2021, 03:29 The title is very catchy and the book sounds engaging. Thanks for a well-put-together review.
marba wrote: 15 Jun 2021, 04:43 Seems like something I would enjoy. Thank you for the review, I'll add this to my shelf!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Mbrooks2518
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Post by Mbrooks2518 »

Kavita Shah wrote: 16 Jun 2021, 03:00 A case of mistaken identities, spy mission, and an unlikely ally. Short and a perfect combo for a spy read. Thank you for a great review!
Urvashi Tripathi wrote: 17 Jun 2021, 13:16 I thought the main character have amnesia. I think so it will be fun spy read for me. Thank you for your amazing review it made me to add this book in my TBR.
C Janet wrote: 16 Jun 2021, 06:16 94 pages, with humor woven into the story. This sure is a perfect quick read! Thank you for your great review.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Dzejn_Crvena
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Post by Dzejn_Crvena »

The title alone has a very humorous vibes in it!
The number of pages may also not satisfy my curiosity, so I agree with your review.
just call me "jane" :tiphat:
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Raluca_Mihaila
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Post by Raluca_Mihaila »

After so much adventure I bet Michael wants to go back to his boring life. Or maybe not :). I would like to discover that myself. Thank you for this interesting review!
Mbrooks2518
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Post by Mbrooks2518 »

Dzejn_Crvena wrote: 18 Jun 2021, 18:57 The title alone has a very humorous vibes in it!
The number of pages may also not satisfy my curiosity, so I agree with your review.
Raluca_Mihaila wrote: 21 Jun 2021, 08:51 After so much adventure I bet Michael wants to go back to his boring life. Or maybe not :). I would like to discover that myself. Thank you for this interesting review!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Mercy Osmond
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Post by Mercy Osmond »

wow i wonder how Micheal will react to the mistaken identity that will put him to a new phase in life. Thanks for the great review.
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Prisallen
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Post by Prisallen »

I can't imagine being put in that kind of situation as I tend to avoid danger. It sounds like a very thrilling book that would be perfect for the beach. Thanks for your wonderful review!
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