Sail
by Howard Roughan, James Patterson
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Book Reviews of Sail
Book Review: An enjoyable read
Summary: 4 Stars
Katherine Dunne has decided her family of three needs a little vacation. Katherine decides that Carrie, Mark, and Ernie need a little family time together to pull themselves out of the slump they are in. Katherine enlists the help of her brother-in-law Jake to sail her husband's boat. Katherine's husband Stuart died four years ago in a scuba diving accident. It's been four years since the family has dealt with the grief of losing a husband, father, and brother. To all it seems this is a little summer vacation that anyone would want, including Katherine's new husband Peter.
As the trip starts Carrie decides to commit suicide by jumping off the boat. It takes Jake and Katherine to pull her back aboard. Mark hasn't even left shore good before he's lighting a doobie, which his mother catches him doing. Exasperated she demands all of the marijuana he has and dumps it overboard. Ten-year-old Ernie never gives either Katherine nor Jake any trouble. All is set for Sail until a terrible accident occurs.
James Patterson and Howard Roughan set a tale on a tiny sailboat that suddenly has more disasters than can be counted. As the mystery rolls across the ocean, the reader is anxious for more information about how the Dunne family really exists--and what makes husband Peter Carlyle tick. Suddenly the reader is speeding along in a speedboat rather than taking a sail on a sailboat when getting to the end of the story.
Armchair Interviews says: Sail is another great read by James Patterson and Howard Roughan.
Book Review: Characterization and dialogue very cheesy.
Summary: 1 Stars
This is the first James Patterson novel I've read, so take that into account when reading this review. Having said that, though, I can't really imagine this ever getting published if it didn't have James Patterson's name on it. Sure, it's entertaining enough to keep reading to see what happens next, but the characters are so one-dimensional it makes me cringe. And some of the words and mannerisms coming out of the "teenagers" mouths are so out of touch with today's youth. One of them actually says "up yours!" and means it, and another one shakes his fist in anger, and another actually says "Jesus H. Christ." It hasn't been that long since I was teenager, but I don't think teens today act like that. There are lots more examples, but you get the idea. It's as if your grandpa is sitting at the coffee table telling you a story about a group of kids. There's just so much disconnect that it's not even funny, just embarrassing.
Later in the story, one of the characters even jokes about the daughter's suicide attempt, and she laughs it off, but I don't recall her ever really getting over it in the first place. And that's not something I think anybody would ever laugh off.
I'm a sucker for good characters driving a good plot. This is a good plot driving poor attempts at characters that act how the out-of-touch author thinks they'd act.
Pick it up when it gets to the dollar bin.
Book Review: A fast read..a "can't put it downer"!
Summary: 4 Stars
This watery Patterson epic sent a missle directly to the heart of one of my greatest fears - being stranded out in the middle of the ocean - nothing but deep, dark ocean waters, endless sky and an occasional fin, just to keep the adrenalin pumping. Add to that a dysfunctional family with a Mom, hoping that the "family vacation" will bring the group together like nothing else will. I granted myself the luxury of reading SAIL in one sitting, and even with the Olympics in full swing on the TV, I stayed riveted to the bobbing raft. Since I have been very critical of Patterson's last couple of efforts, I'm happy to report that he has redeemed himself in my eyes, with SAIL.
Patterson took a little more care than usual in developing his characters, so it was easy to love'em or hate'em appropriately. I love it when I don't know what is going to happen next - and although the players were clearly labeled from the beginning, when and how and a few surprises were left to be revealed as we neared the ending - as it should be.
Altogether, this was a very satisfying read - very realistic even if they had to throw in a snake that tasted like chicken, and a giant tuna with a digestion problem. I read for fun, for heaven's sakes! Even so, I've decided to re-think my idea for a family reunion aboard a boat next summer...just to be on the safe side.
Book Review: Too implausable to be enjoyed
Summary: 2 Stars
The mother of a wealthy, dysfunctional family decides to spend a summer sailing with her teenage children in hopes of improving relationships between siblings and their mother. They invite the uncle of the children to join them as captain of the yacht. The children's stepfather, a wealthy lawyer, stays home in New York so the mother and her children can bond better without competing with the husband/wife relationship.
Things start to go wrong aboard the boat from day one. Someone has tampered with the ship, so it almost sinks, but before that happens, the daughter tries to commit suicide by jumping overboard! The plot slides downhill from there.
The writers of this book seem to assume that their readers will know nothing about boats or boating and will accept any impossible fabrication, e.g., a family on a sinkiing ship that doesn't try to contact the Coast Guard for help, and giant snakes living in deserted Bahama islands that attack people and eat them, The entire story is based on the premise that the shipwrecked family put a note in a coke bottle, which was immediately eaten by a giant tuna, which was caught the next day or so and the bottle recovered, which ultimately led to the family's rescue. If that sounds like a good read to you, you will enjoy this book!
Book Review: nice quick read for the beach but nothing more
Summary: 3 Stars
Never having read a James Patterson book I took this up on the suggestion of a friend. The plot is pretty straight forward. A troubled family goes for a vacation in their deceased father's yacht in the attempt to reconnect. A bomb goes off after a lengthy storm and they are on an uninhabited island. Shock of all shocks her husband is behind it! Will they get out alive? Will the husband find them before the search team? Will the do gooder detective beat them to the punch???
As you probably guessed this book is oozing cliques (he actually uses a TON of them in his descriptions), predictable plot lines and works more on building up suspense than characters who you can truly connect and relate to. This is not a sophisticated piece of writing and was probably done to make a few more bucks rather than to inspire, move or even showcase a true literary talent. However, it is an incredibly easy read and the suspense is done pretty well. I finished it in a couple hours and although it was cheesy, so are some of the sitcoms I have sat through.
I was curious about Patterson after all the hype surrounding some of his novels, and I don't hate the book, but I probably won't read another one of his books unless I want to take a break from thinking.