The beauty of I Am Pilgrim is that it never relies on red herrings, plot twists, or sleights of hand to misdirect a reader. Instead, it is an old-fashioned detective novel in which a reader gets all of the clues, which they can either try to reorganize and solve the puzzle or wait for Pilgrim to reveal the answers. Either way, the story is highly enjoyable. It is an extremely clever and intense plot with incredible pacing and fully-developed characters. The glimpses into the shadow world of secret agents are chilling but effective, making it easy for readers to reconcile the fact that the world should not know about certain government actions. In addition, the writing is spectacular. Hayes manages to make both Pilgrim and Saracen sympathetic figures, neither condemning them for their actions nor entirely excusing them. In this new world of terrorism and religious extremists, Hayes highlights how blurred the lines become between good and evil and how everyone is a victim. I Am Pilgrim is a fantastic read and needs to be on everyone’s summer must-read list.
