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kimberly_c86's review
4.0
This needs to be updated and made into a movie asap
Excellent vehicle for Native Americans in film
Perfect story
The paperback copy that I read had a blurb on the back that says Stephen King called it “one of the best horror novels in the last twenty years”. It was published in 1977.
I don’t if there is a connection but on page 236 of this edition there is a line:
“EVERYTHING . . . FOR YOU!”
And for some reason it reminded me of the Trashcan Man in King’s The Stand and his declaration “My life for you” published in 1978
Excellent vehicle for Native Americans in film
Perfect story
The paperback copy that I read had a blurb on the back that says Stephen King called it “one of the best horror novels in the last twenty years”. It was published in 1977.
I don’t if there is a connection but on page 236 of this edition there is a line:
“EVERYTHING . . . FOR YOU!”
And for some reason it reminded me of the Trashcan Man in King’s The Stand and his declaration “My life for you” published in 1978
sean_from_ohio's review
4.0
Martin Cruz Smith is one of my favorite writes but I wasn’t sure how a horror novel by him would work out. After reading Nightwing, I can say I would definitely check out anything he writes. While the book reads similar to a Michael Crichton novel it has a spiritual/supernatural twist that increases the interest level. I would have liked the book to be a little longer by expounding on some of the terrorizing scenes involving the bats. While they were the threat, it was a much too fast threat. Overall, a really good book.
timothyneesam's review
4.0
I revisited Nightwing after a conversation with a friend about some of Martin Cruz Smith’s other books. I first read Nightwing in high school, just after its release and before Marin had the success of Gorky Park. I didn’t remember much beyond the burnished orange voer cover, the Southwest U.S. setting, and my struggle to understand the main character’s motivations (was he a good guy or a bad guy?) or the book’s hallucinatory elements.
Having re-read it, I appreciate it more, especially for its vivid desert setting and the depth of the main character’s motivation.
Youngman Duran, the Indigenous deputy sheriff of a Hopi reservation in Arizona, investigates a deadly infestation of vampire bats. The story is more Jaws than Dracula, blending mysticism, Indigenous culture, and ecological disaster as the bats, carriers of the bubonic plague, migrate steadily into the U.S. While I can’t speak to the accuracy of the depiction of life on the Hopi reservation, I’m aware that Smith is part Indigenous, and the portrayal feels authentic.
The book leans heavily on Duran, a wonderfully complex character—a solitary alcoholic who rises to the challenge of stopping the bats. The novel's hallucinatory quality comes from Duran’s use of peyote, which connects him to Abner, a shaman who dies early in the story, and to Darata, an ancient Hopi prophecy foretelling the world’s end due to an imbalance between nature and humanity.
I enjoyed the book immensely and didn’t find it dated—two thumbs up to a novel by a favourite author early in his career.
Having re-read it, I appreciate it more, especially for its vivid desert setting and the depth of the main character’s motivation.
Youngman Duran, the Indigenous deputy sheriff of a Hopi reservation in Arizona, investigates a deadly infestation of vampire bats. The story is more Jaws than Dracula, blending mysticism, Indigenous culture, and ecological disaster as the bats, carriers of the bubonic plague, migrate steadily into the U.S. While I can’t speak to the accuracy of the depiction of life on the Hopi reservation, I’m aware that Smith is part Indigenous, and the portrayal feels authentic.
The book leans heavily on Duran, a wonderfully complex character—a solitary alcoholic who rises to the challenge of stopping the bats. The novel's hallucinatory quality comes from Duran’s use of peyote, which connects him to Abner, a shaman who dies early in the story, and to Darata, an ancient Hopi prophecy foretelling the world’s end due to an imbalance between nature and humanity.
I enjoyed the book immensely and didn’t find it dated—two thumbs up to a novel by a favourite author early in his career.
jbrito's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
2.0
Not sure what blurb turned me on to this book but it was nothing that I was anticipating. Oddly it’s a book following a plague epidemic started by bats on a Native American reservation. I was under the impression this was a horror novel, but it was just a formulaic thriller that wasn’t all that thrilling. Not one of my favorites.
karadavis1990's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
When the novel took turns toward the thriller genre, it lost me a bit, but for the most part, the atmosphere, character development, and beautiful writing kept me engrossed. This story nails it with the sense of desolation that never quite creeps toward despair. Highly underrated creature feature that is so much more.
ruthypoo2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
itcamefromthepage's review
5.0
This was outstanding.
Author Martin Cruz Smith is Native American allowing one of the few experiences of reading Native American characters in vintage genre fiction that isn't co-opting their beliefs.
As a result you get a very angry, well thought out book that really focuses on the plight of reservation life told through the lens of an animal attack novel.
The characters are all well thought out, with great arcs.
The animal attacks deliver in spades. There were many truly creepy scenes that will get under your skin. I'd be interested to see if the Hollywood adaptation managed to capture the vibrant life found in this book.
I was reading this in the park and I read into the onset of the night. As I put down the book and looked up I could see the bats roaming the skies. The perfect caper to one of the best animal attack books I've ever read.
Author Martin Cruz Smith is Native American allowing one of the few experiences of reading Native American characters in vintage genre fiction that isn't co-opting their beliefs.
As a result you get a very angry, well thought out book that really focuses on the plight of reservation life told through the lens of an animal attack novel.
The characters are all well thought out, with great arcs.
The animal attacks deliver in spades. There were many truly creepy scenes that will get under your skin. I'd be interested to see if the Hollywood adaptation managed to capture the vibrant life found in this book.
I was reading this in the park and I read into the onset of the night. As I put down the book and looked up I could see the bats roaming the skies. The perfect caper to one of the best animal attack books I've ever read.