Eleven years ago a friend recommended I read a new novel by Terry Hayes titled I AM PILGRIM. I read and reviewed it and found it to be an exceptional spy thriller. I enjoyed it so much that I anxiously anticipated his next book. It has finally arrived and it is titled THE YEAR OF THE LOCUST. It is another spy thriller. I wish I could say it was worth the eleven year wait but I can’t. It is a good read, not a great one, and it is almost 800 pages in length.
It is also three books in one. The first book is a spy adventure that focuses on a CIA agent named Kane. He is the central character throughout the book. After the spy chase the book evolves into a sci-fi themed story that evolves into a save the world thriller. Even in the non sci-fi aspects of the book the basic storyline strains credulity. Kane is a great agent, that’s for sure. Still he isn’t a superhero which is what his actions require him to be.
The best part of the book is the love story between Kane and Rebecca. They are star crossed lovers in a sense who spend their time living in fear of what Kane’s next mission will be and what it will do to their relationship. He is committed to his job with the CIA and she is committed to him for whatever time he can give her. It is a dramatic relationship because of his job and how it is do or die.
Overall THE YEAR OF THE LOCUST is a hard slog because of its length. What elevates it is the skill of Hayes’ writing. He can weave a good story but he needs to make it all of one genre and he needs a pair of scissors.
