Sail

A Pitiful Endeavor

JP must be driven by greed these days. While the plot itself held some promise, its treatment was so incredibly poorly developed, it was difficult to believe JP had any role in writing it. I almost threw the book away half way through because the worn out cliches were really getting to me. That and the fact that each mini chapter (they are all so short) had to introduce some new crisis of unbelievable porportions to deal with made for an unrealistic, annoying tale. I have been a fan of JP, love the Women's Murder Club series and others, but this one has made me wary of ever picking up one of his books again. I will closely review any that are co-written. I have to believe that the problem lies largely with the coauthor, especially in this case. My recommendation - don't bother, it's a waste of time and, in my case, an exercise in frustration.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Three Sheets to the Wind

If your looking for character, nuance, symbolism, irony, metaphor, or anything else remotely literary, than this isn't your novel. Plot, and plot alone, drives most of Patterson's writing. Lately his novels read like outlines for TV movies-of-the-week. Cliches abound, coincidences generally save the day, and the characters are at best 1 dimensional. This is, however, a good book if you want a diversion that's not at all demanding and is reasonably entertaining - the way one might feel watching re-runs of Gilligan's Island, for example. It is a fast read and not a bad way of passing commuting time.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great to listen to....

Listened to this one while traveling. It held my interest through out the book and did not make me tired. Highly recommend for anyone traveling.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Perfect blend of everything needed in a thrilling short novel

I was skeptical of this book at first. i saw it on the shelf, thought it may be interesting, but looked at the "number 1s" it got and decided to try it out. ive never been so greatful for something in my life. it was an amazing read that i literally did not put down a single time while reading it. it had me shocked to the point of adrenaline racing through my body, flipping pages faster than i have before. and it had me laughing out loud at the personalities and communications between unique family members. AMAZING READ, i recommend it to everyone. old, young, someone with no time on their hands, someone with all the time in the world. its just simply amazing.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Sail is worth taking on a flight or the beach

A great beach or backyard read. Hard to put down once started. A surprise ending.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

When fun in the sun ends in tears and screams

I wouldn't say this book is filled with terror and is better than Jaws but it was a fun read. Short and fast paced making it a cinch to read in a day or two, "Sail" delivers entertainment and some tension but overall the seas aren't as rough as the editorial reviews would lead one to believe.

Family on the brink of total disconnect decides to sail for two months on their luxury yacht. Katherine Dunne and her kids along with her ex-lover and brother of her deceased husband look forward to some time in the sun and hopefully some much needed bonding. Her new husband Peter Carlyle is absent due to a stressful trail he's preparing for and is unable to travel with his family, as time and ocean space lengthens the distance between the married could so do their morals. Pretty soon all sorts of disasters strike the boat and the family is not only in danger from the elements but something else, something sinister that has been set in motion before the trip even started.

After reading it I can see both negative and positive things about it so I understand the varied rating for "Sail". Some positive things worth mentioning would include the short chapters that often end with anticipation, the book is very easy to read, sometimes too easy and there are few cool twists that surprised me, perhaps because I didn't read many reviews before I got to it. The negatives issues are more about one dimensional characters, especially the kids; they don't really stand out other than being a group of dysfunctional spoiled brats as knows why they act in such a way. The time at sea is not really lengthy, the sailing seems to be more of an afterthought, and the book lacks depth, making it more of a fun, easy read rather than an emotional stunner. It's hard to say what this book is about, on one hand there's the sailing adventure that sort of falls apart and at the other is a marriage gone wrong, with people whom we know nothing about acting in bizarre ways, at the end it all somehow comes together but with much help from the authors who patched it up for the finish. Not the strongest from Patterson but worth a read.

- Kasia S.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Was alright

Not horrible, not fantastic just a time filler

Fast paced, exciting easy read

The end will surprise you, the beginning capture your intrest, and the middle makes you pause and think while enjoying every minute.

Not Typical JP

I normally really like James Patterson's books - even those that are written by someone else. But this book was just plain dumb and completely not plausible. Now, I know you are probably saying, "Not plausible? What JP books are plausible?" This one was poorly written and some of the events were just so far 'out there' that I rolled my eyes. Save your money and buy something else!

A good in-between book

This is a good in between book. What I mean is a light read after a more heavy book. You don't have to do a whole lot of thinking for this book. The plot is very predictable with some cheesy romance scenes.

Throw it overboard.

To many cheesy one-liners and plot twists. I found myself rolling my eyes as yet another plot twist unveiled itself. The general plot concept is good but the book was just not written well.

Loved This Book

I will tell you the truth, I love this book. This book is actually the reason why I started buying Patterson's books in the first place. The book portraits a mother, who is taking her children on a sailing trip to help them cope with the death of their father. Who would have known that a peaceful trip would turn into an adventure which would terrify her and her children, but at the same time help them find themselves. A very quick and captivating read. Loved it. Would definitely recommend to others.

Still a great read

Some areas predictable? Yes. However, I'm a huge Patterson fan and this one still came out a winner. Little bit of romance with some drama. If you like Patterson, you'll enjoy this read.

Quick read for summer

This book certainly classifys as a thriller, but I was slightly disappointed with the depth of the characters and plot. I usually walk away from this type of novel feeling pretty affected. With this book, however, I just put it aside and moved on to the next. Overall, good beach read.

Very shallow book

The plot was a great idea that just wasn't pulled off well. I'm disappointed.

Loved the book until the ending

book was great but ending sucked.

Not Up to James Patterson's Usual

This book seemed very shallow in its plot and its characters. It did not pull me like his books usually do. I read it because it was written by him but it is not one that I would whole-heartedly recommend.

Must read

One of the best books I've read in a while. Very entertaining

Beach Book

Quick read, keeps you guessing. Similar to several other stories. Good escape or beach book. Not as good as normal plot for this authour. Not believable.

Pathetic

This piece of drivel has nothing to recommend it. I read an average of 2 to 3 books a month and this one wins the dubious honor of being the most inane piece of garbage I've ever waded through. It taxes my imagination to believe that James Patterson wrote or approved this sophomoiric effort for publication. Shame on you, Mr. Patterson. If it were possible to rate it below the lowest rating, I would.