Sail

This book was so bad, I don't know where to begin. This book is written on such a basic level, that I actually feel less intelligent for reading the dumbed down storyline. What is up with the crazy short chapters? A chapter should mark a transition between major plot points or some dramatic turn of events. It feels as if the authors knew they didn't have enough material to make a decent book, so by adding so many chapters, they can stretch a bad short story a few more pages to make it a novel. An annoying yet constant shift between third person to first person is very distracting, and draws the reader out of the story at every transition. As for the story, left field doesn't begin to describe how farfetched it is. An excessive amount of lucky coincidences befall the main characters making the plot entirely unbelievable. I'm not going to touch on the technology discussed in this book, because as a work of fiction, an author can get by with stretching some capabilities.

For me, this book was a chore to read, which I did because it was the only thing I had for a distraction on a boring day. This is the second Patterson book I've read, and I am so disappointed with both, that I am going home and trash the other three I have yet to get to.

James Patterson
Little, Brown & Co., 2008
ISBN: 9780316018708
5 Stars
Gripping...

When I think of the word sail, I think of placid waters, a blowing breeze, and a gentle lull of the water as it slaps against the hull. (I admit I have never been sailing and have romanticized the sport).
In James Patterson's latest book Sail, the sea and voyage is anything but placid. What began as a vacation that would pull her family closer together quickly turned into a nightmare. I have never been a fan of Patterson. I was pleasantly surprised when Sail quickly captured my attention and held it all the way through. I eagerly turned the pages in this epic size novel. There were enough twists and turns throughout the book to remind me of a back road in Kentucky. The suspense in Sail is incredibly thick in this book. Readers will quickly connect to Sail.

I finished this book in a day because I kept reading trying to find reason. This books plot is totally insignificant and is like a thousand similar "ship wrecked" stories. Will never buy another James Patterson book. Total waste of time and piece of GARBAGE.

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.

This is a good read. As others mention not up to the Cross series or the 3 female detective novels, but it does hold one's attention. Much better than I anticipated it to be after realizing it was not one of his usual series.

Someone else mentioned reading it quickly. With Patterson's 3 page chapters padding out the apparent link, I find that his books usually take 1/3 less time than any other novels I read.

But it was fun.