Hailey's War
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13 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
"The good times. The one's you know are never really coming."
15 Jun 2010
Format:Hardcover
At twenty-four, Hailey Cain is world-weary, a West Point dropout with something to prove and a secret that is not revealed until the final pages of a thriller that takes her from LA to San Francisco to Chihuahua, Mexico, and Truckee in the High Sierras in a violent contretemps with LA mobsters and gang bangers, flying beneath the radar of law enforcement. A top-earning bike messenger in San Francisco, Hailey agrees to escort a young Latina girl to a remote village in Mexico as a favor to a woman she values as a sister, Serena "Warchild" Delgadillo. Unfortunately, Cain's life has already been compromised by a singular piece of bad luck that has sent her scurrying from LA to San Francisco to avoid retaliation. The favor for Serena involves a return to LA and an inevitable confrontation with an old nemesis.
What should be an easy job ends with Cain shot and left for dead, her passenger, Nidia, now in the hands of a mobster. Nidia is pregnant with the mobster's grandchild, the last of his line since the death of his son. While Serena craves revenge, Hailey operates out of a sense of justice and the thwarted dreams of graduation from West Point. Hailey has only two close friends, Serena and her cousin CJ, both of whom are pivotal to the plot and Hailey's ability to carry out her "mission"- rescuing Nidia- without attracting the attention of authorities. What is most intriguing about this thriller- and sometimes the cause of Compton's overreaching- is Hailey's friendship with Serena and, by extension, a partnership with an LA gang in an elaborate plan to protect Nidia once she has been rescued from her captors.
In a strange mix of characters, mobsters (from two different levels of criminals) and gang-bangers with an ethic all their own, most curious is Hailey herself and the secret she successfully hides from everyone who knows her, increasingly fearless in the face of diminishing odds, confronting her adversaries head on, shot down in Mexico and tortured in LA. Somehow Compton makes it all work, with a few wild stretches of imagination, a personal war carried out by a woman meant for West Point, her homegirl at her back, cold-eyed killers fighting over a helpless girl, a recipe for violence with a brilliant resolution. Luan Gaines/2010.
What should be an easy job ends with Cain shot and left for dead, her passenger, Nidia, now in the hands of a mobster. Nidia is pregnant with the mobster's grandchild, the last of his line since the death of his son. While Serena craves revenge, Hailey operates out of a sense of justice and the thwarted dreams of graduation from West Point. Hailey has only two close friends, Serena and her cousin CJ, both of whom are pivotal to the plot and Hailey's ability to carry out her "mission"- rescuing Nidia- without attracting the attention of authorities. What is most intriguing about this thriller- and sometimes the cause of Compton's overreaching- is Hailey's friendship with Serena and, by extension, a partnership with an LA gang in an elaborate plan to protect Nidia once she has been rescued from her captors.
In a strange mix of characters, mobsters (from two different levels of criminals) and gang-bangers with an ethic all their own, most curious is Hailey herself and the secret she successfully hides from everyone who knows her, increasingly fearless in the face of diminishing odds, confronting her adversaries head on, shot down in Mexico and tortured in LA. Somehow Compton makes it all work, with a few wild stretches of imagination, a personal war carried out by a woman meant for West Point, her homegirl at her back, cold-eyed killers fighting over a helpless girl, a recipe for violence with a brilliant resolution. Luan Gaines/2010.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
"It's always retaliation."
5 Sep 2010
Format:Hardcover
Hailey Cain is a twenty-three year old woman who left West Point just two months before graduation. Her life has not been easy. She has a port-wine birthmark on her face, her father died when she was eleven, her mother is narcissistic and unloving, and Hailey was involved in a tragic accident that left her guilt-ridden. The only relative who cares about her is her cousin, CJ, who lives in Los Angeles. Hailey is a top-earning bike messenger in San Francisco, which involves zooming around the city with a certain amount of disregard for one's safety. In "Hailey's War," by Jodi Compton, this troubled individual takes on a dangerous fight that could prove fatal.
At the behest of Serena Delgadillo, a friend from elementary school, Hailey accompanies a nineteen-year-old girl named Nidia Hernandez to the mountains of inland Mexico, ostensibly to visit her sick grandmother. The mission ends badly, and Hailey recklessly teams up with Serena and her fellow gang members to set things right.
As a first-person narrator, Hailey is a smart, spunky, and entertaining raconteur. She knows her own strengths, but is also funny and self-deprecating. To enjoy this book, one must have a great deal of tolerance for gang-slang, since Serena and her male and female compatriots speak a particular lingo that is indigenous to those living "la vida loca" in Los Angeles. Although the adventure on which Hailey embarks is action-packed and engrossing, the characters are thinly drawn and, as the story progresses, the plot becomes increasingly implausible and melodramatic. In addition, the author introduces too many unconvincing developments that enable her to wrap matters up neatly. Compton is a talented writer who knows how to hold her readers' attention, but "Hailey's War" is far from her best work.
At the behest of Serena Delgadillo, a friend from elementary school, Hailey accompanies a nineteen-year-old girl named Nidia Hernandez to the mountains of inland Mexico, ostensibly to visit her sick grandmother. The mission ends badly, and Hailey recklessly teams up with Serena and her fellow gang members to set things right.
As a first-person narrator, Hailey is a smart, spunky, and entertaining raconteur. She knows her own strengths, but is also funny and self-deprecating. To enjoy this book, one must have a great deal of tolerance for gang-slang, since Serena and her male and female compatriots speak a particular lingo that is indigenous to those living "la vida loca" in Los Angeles. Although the adventure on which Hailey embarks is action-packed and engrossing, the characters are thinly drawn and, as the story progresses, the plot becomes increasingly implausible and melodramatic. In addition, the author introduces too many unconvincing developments that enable her to wrap matters up neatly. Compton is a talented writer who knows how to hold her readers' attention, but "Hailey's War" is far from her best work.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
An Insightful Mystery
12 July 2010
Format:Hardcover
Hailey's War by Jodi Compton
Hailey is a bike courier with a secret. She left West Point under unknown circumstances but what she learned there, keeps her alive through some harrowing circumstances. She truly believes in honor, respect and loyalty.
Hailey is an enigma in this story to both her friends and her enemies. She has a secret that she refuses to share. The author did a great job in maintaining mystery regarding that secret until the final conclusion.
There is artful misdirection in much of the book. Ms. Compton does a great job keeping you guessing. I admired Hailey's tenacity and her willingness to face daunting odds.
The book holds your attention and educates you in regards to intercity gang behavior.
I recommend the book.
Hailey is a bike courier with a secret. She left West Point under unknown circumstances but what she learned there, keeps her alive through some harrowing circumstances. She truly believes in honor, respect and loyalty.
Hailey is an enigma in this story to both her friends and her enemies. She has a secret that she refuses to share. The author did a great job in maintaining mystery regarding that secret until the final conclusion.
There is artful misdirection in much of the book. Ms. Compton does a great job keeping you guessing. I admired Hailey's tenacity and her willingness to face daunting odds.
The book holds your attention and educates you in regards to intercity gang behavior.
I recommend the book.
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