This book is phenomenal!
This story jumps into different POV of different members of the family and other characters. I really enjoyed this one!
So this book literally shows the dramatic impact that war and death can have on one family.
Gibby is the youngest of three boys. His father is a police detective and he tries really hard to protect Gibby from the world. Jason is the oldest son, his twin brother was drafted and ended up dying in the war and then when his parents received the news of the twins death his mother said that it should have been Jason so he has carried that on his shoulders for a good while.
When Jason gets out of jail he kind of sneaks an adventure with Gibby without his mother noticing and they have a good time until the boys come across a prison bus and one of the girls traveling with them decides to flash the bus full of inmates.
When this girl is found out to be murdered, Jason is the first suspect the police go after and Gibby is determined to prove that his brother is innocent!
This is a good old fashioned mystery/thriller! I really enjoyed it soo much I will definitely look into more from this author. The audiobook is great! The narrator spoke clearly and was easily understood. I was hooked within the first 20 minutes!

Book Review: The Unwilling by John Hart, Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)
(Published by Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press, February 2, 2021)

5.0 Stars! Plus a new favorite author alert!

Deep South, USA. Ex-Marine Jason French's homecoming is uneventful - and unwelcomed. Back from Vietnam, he'd been dishonorably discharged under mysterious circumstances. (Twenty-nine confirmed kills in his first year.) That's how much he gave to his country. And now, here he is, out of a two-year lock up for violence and drugs. Unwanted at home, he lives in a desolate, dingy room - rented by a motorcycle gang.

-----

William and Gabrielle French have the perfect life for an improbable couple. College dropout turned cop marries Vanderbilt grad.

"...Gabrielle was out of his league on the day they'd met..."

Three sons and thirty years later, she was still a gift - his whole life. Along with the boys - the twins Robert and Jason, and the baby, Gibson, now eighteen.

Then comes the family's Aeschylus moment, that tragic life changing event - when Robert gets killed in Vietnam. Jason follows his twin brother's footsteps to Nam and subsequently suffers his own misfortunes. The parents are determined to shelter their youngest.

-----

But Gibby isn't about to be denied the companionship of his only surviving elder brother. And the feeling is mutual. They arrange for a joy ride in Gibby's Mustang with two women, braless and tanned. On the road, they come across a bus with chicken-wired windows, a prison bus, from Lanesworth, Jason's old haunts. XRQ-741. Someone takes the tag number of Gibby's car.

After the road trip, Tara, one of the women, gets slaughtered. And the entire world of the French family meets the personification of evil itself, hell in its darkest recesses.

But, the Unwilling, undaunted, empowers himself, discovers the world he's been sheltered from and the guts he'd thought only his two elder brothers possessed, finds redemption for his parents, for his brother, for himself - and comes of age.

-----

John Hart's written several books, some translated to Japanese. Definitely an author to anticipate and for further reading.

An enthralling read. Recommended!

Review based on an ARC from Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.

I listened to the audio version of this and thought that the narration was well done. The writing and detail of the plot were good but it wasn’t my favorite John Hart book. There’s nothing really bad that I can say about it but it was too long and just didn’t hold my interest. However, I do believe that this will appeal to many readers.

Many thanks to Netgalley, MacMillan Audio and John Hart for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Jason French returns to Charleston after being dishonorably discharged from the Marines, followed by a stint in prison. His family is still grieving the loss of his brother, Robert - Jason's twin, killed in Vietnam.

Back home, his younger brother Gibby is in his senior year of high school. Gibby is at an impressionable age, and looks up to his older brother - much to his mother’s displeasure. Their father, William, is a police officer, and the mother, Gabrielle, seems to lack much in the way of definition. She seems almost constantly overwhelmed by life, and even more so upon the return of Jason. Her lack of desire to have anything to do with her son, Jason, creates a rift between Gibby and his mom, since he is sure that Jason is innocent of what he was charged with, which also creates a small rift between him and his father.

In part, this is Gibby’s coming-of-age story, a story of brotherly love, as well as a bit of a love story with some disturbing twists and turns that end in a conflagration of violence, while in between there’s the story of life in prison, a prisoner awaiting his execution and a chilling story of how far his reach extends both inside and outside the prison walls.

This is not my usual genre, although it is the second book by John Hart that I’ve read. For me it fell a little short of five stars, I think I would have enjoyed it more had the family story been explored more thoroughly. The mother seemed devoid of a personality, more like a prop than a person, she was ‘in’ the story rather than truly being a part of the story. This wasn’t as predictable as his Redemption Road was for me, what I enjoyed most was Gibby’s story, and his devotion to his brother. Fans of this genre and this author will likely enjoy this more than I did.

For those who enjoy listening to books, the audio version was very well done, and the narration by Kevin Stillwell was excellent!


Pub Date: 02 Feb 2021

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Macmillan Audio / St. Martin’s Press

What did I just listen to? The Unwilling by John Hart kept me gripped at the edge of my seat for the entire ride. I was having flashbacks of my feelings for when I read Intensity by Dean Koontz for the for the first time, except in that novel there was only one psychopath. I even felt a little of Hannibal Lector there for a bit ::THIS WAS SO GOOD::.

The Unwilling has MULTIPLE scary guys and there are some scenes that I almost couldn't allow my brain to picture, but I just couldn't stop with this book. I listened to this one on audio (Thanks McMIllian Audio) and I was finding myself driving around the neighborhood after work just to listen a little bit longer. I just loved it!

This book gives you teen angst, police procedural, psychological thought-processes, and "What the hell!?" a few times. 4.75 Stars from this gal- Thanks John Hart.

3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley Audio for this, my second experience with their app. I still do not care for the app... It is not user friendly. The chapter numbers or names do not display anywhere so if you need to go back to a previous chapter, good luck. Any change to the speed of the narration is not remembered and must be reset for each listening session.
I like John Hart very much and this story had good intentions, set during the Vietnam war era. A strong family unit with one black sheep, just out of prison. His war story and drug use are unforgivable, until all the facts are revealed.
Then it veers off to a killer sitting on death row. This part of the story was rather ridiculous and I wish none of it had ever happened.
The author's note states he doesn't write dark, he writes about finding light within the dark. I can accept that and recommend this as long as you know to suspend some disbelief along the way.

This one is a little difficult for me because I think it's really well written, with evocative settings and descriptions, dialogue that rings true, and a complex and (I assume) well-developed story. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator is first-rate. However, I stopped listening at 30% because I decided the story is just not for me. I muscled my way through the dark and disturbing brutality of the first torture/murder, but when the second one happened, I decided I didn't want to know any more. I would not hesitate to recommend it to those who like this kind of violent story, but I'm not that person; I don't like or watch violent movies either. I'm still giving it 4 stars because I can appreciate its good aspects, and I suppose it's my fault for choosing it when the synopsis made pretty clear what could be expected. Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audio version of this book.

5 ⭐️
Excellent audiobook, I was swept in the minute this story started. This historical, suspense thriller was probably one of the best Ive listened to this year. Every detail was put into play for a reason and the author did a fantastic job. He held me captive with troubled characters and events that were almost unbelievable. Almost. The writing was fluent and crisp. I loved it.
I wasnt sure I was going to enjoy the parts about Vietnam but it didnt bother me.
I highly recommend this audiobook and if you love suspenseful thrillers then this is the book for you.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

The best thing about John Hart's books are the characters. The Unwilling is no exception. Full of very complex characters and relationships.

The Unwilling is a family drama and thriller in one. We have the French family- the patriarch is a cop, the matriarch is grieving and overprotective, the eldest son died in Vietnam, his twin came home from war a changed person, then there is the youngest- who has been very sheltered due to the loss of his brother. Jason, the veteran, finds himself in trouble. Gibby, the youngest son, tries to save him, putting himself in danger. Their father is torn between his sons, as many of his actions will help one son at the expense of the other.

I listened to the audiobook version of the story. For the most part, Kevin Stillwell did a good job narrating it. The pace was good. He used a variety of voices. My only complaint was that the story would switch POVs without even a pause. It could be slightly confusing for a few seconds. All of a sudden the story didn't make sense. Then I'd realize because we have a different character narrating.

Overall, as with every John Hart book I've read, I highly recommend this one.

I received a copy of the audiobook, provided by Macmillan Audio, in exchange for an honest review.

At first I thought, wow, this reminds me of Dennis Lehane or William Kent Krueger (both of whom I like), but having finished it, to be honest, my review for this book could be "It's okay". It started off really well, and I liked the exploration of a family touched so tragically by the Vietnam War, inspired, in part, but real events. However, the story quickly veered in all sorts of different directions and really lost its steam and cohesion for me. I felt there were too many characters for any one to emerge as a real standout, and the scenes in prison felt so cliched and tired, and the torture scenes gratuitous. I also felt there were too many cliches. One that was particularly tedious was the "honorable" gangster, which felt deeply unoriginal and I could not connect to that story-line at all. I do think Hart does a good job setting the scene and he does try to craft a complex, multi-faceted story. For me, however, it just didn't come together successfully. It's not a bad book, but neither is it one I am going to be thinking about a week from now either. I do want to say, though, we are mere days away from the 2020 election here in the US, so I am a little distracted and it could be a case of "it's not the book, it's me"...

Thank you Netgalley for approving THE UNWILLING BY John Hart.
My phone is an iphone, but needs IOS upgrade to install the Netgalley shelf.

I am sorry to have asked for this book and can't download it.

Once I upgrade my phone, i will install.

The morall of this story - make sure you have the IOS 13 on your phone to install Netgalley shelf.


thanks.

Raw and perfectly narrated, this is a story of family, courage, choices and life in a time when the country was in turmoil. A story of crime, corruption and cover ups. It’s the story of sacrifice, love, hope and a generation fearing a draft. Tough, yet tender, Hart is at his best with a story that will stick with you long after the last word is read.

“The Unwilling” is a crime mystery set in the 70’s during the Vietnam War. Despite John Hart being a New York Times bestselling author, it took me a WHILE to get into the story. It was almost a straight up DNF for me.

But, because I signed up to provide an honest review—and there were so many over-the-top 4- and 5-star reviews, I persevered. But barely…

Here’s the gist.
Robert French died in the Vietnam war. And his brother, Jason, returned from the same war alive, but damaged. He was a heroin addict and decorated killer. The youngest brother, Gibby, is the family favorite.

But Gibby and Jason’s day at the lake with two girls, Tyra and Sara, turns dark. All of a sudden, Tyra, a young, attractive brunette, ends up savagely murdered.

And Jason is the suspect.

But Gibby doesn’t believe his brother is to blame. Despite his efforts to clear Jason’s name, Gibby finds himself in a dark world. Then when Sara ends up killed, the spotlight turns onto Gibby, and he too becomes a suspect.

The Unwilling combines addiction, murder, family drama, intrigue and mental health issues.

The narrator, Kevin Stillwell, did a fine job, but ultimately I wasn’t hooked. It’s probably based on the content, not the delivery. After all, Stillwell is an award-winning audiobook narrator, so I shouldn’t discount his efforts.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Great book!! I feel that this book had a little bit of everything in it. Love, death, mystery, and mental health issues. It looked in on how soldiers are affected by the war and how unless you are there we don't understand the effects. I am hoping for a second book due to the ending.

Thriller that goes much deeper - an exploration family history and the human consequences of war.

The Unwilling surprised me in that it is not only a really good thriller, but also a riveting piece of fiction analyzing the consequences of the Vietnam War. I usually reach for thrillers for the mere pleasure of a suspenseful read, but I loved that this audiobook managed to surprise me with such food for throught in its underlying issues.

As I mentioned, I listened to Hart's novel in the form of an audiobook, which was an excellent choice - the narration is highly suspenseful, chilling and very well accentuated. And at the end, we get to listen to the letter from John Hart which is well worth a listen as much as his book.

The book begins by a very accurate quote from an Unknown Soldier: "We the Unwilling, led by the Unqualified to kill the Unfortunate, die for the Ungrateful." It sums up what happens in this book and poignantly sets the bone chilling mood which prevails.

In short, this novel is a thriller, a family drama and a coming of age novel about a young man's participation of war and the consequenses of it. Truly brilliant and one of a kind.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Unwilling takes place in the 70’s. There is a lot going on in this novel. Including a very complex family crisis. The writing is very good and the characters are believable. However, there is some explicit violence.

All in all I found the story to be very suspenseful and interesting. I just wish the Netgalley audible app worked better.

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan audio for the ARC. #NetGalley #TheUnwilling #Macmillanaudio

The Unwilling is set in the early 70’s, right before the end of the Viet Nam Conflict. Hart gives a good illustration of a family in crisis with the oldest son killed in the war; the second son has returned addicted and has recently been released from prison; the third son, 18, is torn between enlisting and going to college. There is a lot going on in this novel. The family dynamics were well crafted, but this novel needs a strong warning for explicit violence and gore. Having worked in a prison for three years I also found so many implausibilities that I simply couldn’t suspend belief enough to enjoy the novel.

The Unwilling by John Hart (Author), Kevin Stillwell (Narrator)

For me, listening to a book is always a different experience than reading the same book. In the case of The Unwilling, the narrator, Kevin Stillwell, did an excellent job of giving the various characters distinct voices. Without a doubt, I plan to listen to more audio books narrated by this narrator. 

My feelings about the book are all over the place. There is the heartbreak of the French family, the father, a murder cop, the oldest (good) twin dead after being shot in Vietnam, the other twin (bad) still alive after surviving Vietnam and prison, and the eighteen year old son, Gibby, fighting the bubble wrapped life that his mother insists for him, after his brother's death. But we find that nothing is so black and white and that the living twin, Jason, is so much more than his bad reputation...he's been done wrong in so many ways and if only his family knew more, his mother might have not demand he was no longer alive to her. 

Jason wants to spend one more day with Gibby before his little brother graduates and Jason moves on with his life full of bad things. But something very bad happens and it's blamed on Jason, dragging Gibby into the horrific mess. Jacob and Gibby's father is caught in all of it, being a murder cop, but also having to make decisions that mean choosing between the good son and the bad son. The thing is, Gibby's parents had always thought he was like Richard, the good twin, but now Gibby's father can see just how much he's resembling, Jason, the bad twin. Gibby is growing up and becoming his own man, choosing his own way of dealing with the impossible choices of life. 

All the family things pulled at my heart. There is Gibby's poor best friend, Chance, a favorite character of mine and Gibby's new girlfriend, a classmate he's always had a crush on. There are good cops and bad cops (who are willing to destroy the lives of their co-workers in their effort to move up). There are women who make very bad choices but still don't deserve to die and gangs that will probably be killing each other and those that cross them, from here to eternity. 

This book also has at least two serial killers. It is the character of X, living in a suite of cells below death row, running the world with his connections and billions of dollars, that is so over the top and so overpowered that it throws parts of the story into comic book super supervillain territory. So this story left the realm of real life for me and became something else. I cared so much for the characters of the family and their friends but not so much at all for the ugly underworld that had taken over Jason's life. 

Trigger warnings galore for almost everything!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

I have to say, it took me a while to get into this book and I didn’t like the narration at first, but the voice grew on me as did the story. This is a dark tale but has issues running through it, surrounding the horrors of war that make it deeper than your average thriller. I am glad I persevered to the end

All of the main players in The Unwilling are presented in a context of life experiences that have shaped them in unexpected ways. The characters in this story are complicated and not always as they may appear.

This audiobook was expertly narrated by Kevin Stillwell and his voice evoked a movie in my mind. He was perfectly expressive and gave unique life to each character.

This story would be perfect for the big screen and worthy of an all-star cast. You can bet I’ll be first in line for tickets!