Sail

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terrible - Rated
I have been a big fun of James Patterson for many years. I have never expected him to write something as terrible and boring as this book. I can't even believe that he wrote this book, it is not his style.

Really gripping - Rated
This book was brilliant, James Patterson has finally picked up the ball and is running away with it. I loved the Alex Cross series and the WMC books, with the exception of 7th Heaven!

A real gripping page turner, highly recommended

Easy reading - Rated
I read this book in a couple of evenings and thought the description of the storm especially good. Fast moving and different from the norm plot.
Would have given 5 stars, but found the final ending a little far fetched. That apart a very good read and recommended.

Man overboard! - Rated
`Sail' is the new stand-alone thriller from the fastest writer on the planet James Patterson, again teaming up with co-author Howard Roughan. The story begins when Katherine Dunne and her family are not getting along very well after the death of her husband and the children's father in a boating accident a few years ago. So, in an attempt to bring the family closer together again, Kath, her 3 children and her brother-in-law Jake take to the seas for 2 months of family time. Kath has also recently re-married to handsome, rich and charming New York lawyer Peter Carlysle who is staying behind to work on one of the biggest cases of his life and to also sit back while his family goes missing - something that he is behind in order to inherit Kath's $100 million fortune following their "mysterious" deaths. First a storm hits and then a bomb on the boat smashes the boat to pieces leaving the family stranded in the middle of the water, unable to be found because of the fake co-ordinates that Peter and his accomplice have deliberately set up to send the coastguard completely off-course.

I started this book on Sunday morning and had it finished by Sunday evening, so it's not short of exciting thrills and fast-paced storyline, but I just felt that the book was completely let down by Patterson's (or maybe Roughan's) terrible style of writing with this one. For a start it feels like it has been written aimed at 12 year olds as it is just so simply written and everything that was just explained was repeated in a way that I haven't came across since I used to read young adult novels back when I was in my early teens, so I can only imagine that he must have been still in Maximum Ride/Daniel X-mode when writing this one. Then it is just full of product placements and stupid and childish catchphrases that just became annoying after a few chapters.

The story itself is actually pretty good with a decent plot, likeable characters and some great and unexpected twists. The short chapters keep the pace flowing smoothly and quickly, so you'll fly through it in no time at all. It's not the best book Patterson has ever written by a long shot but it's definitely not the worst, but of all of the co-authors Patterson has written with I'd have to say that Roughan is the worst with this being the second in a row (as well as You've Been Warned) that has been nothing more than average.

Overall, if you can put up with being baby-fed the story this isn't a bad book that I think is actually a perfect holiday read that can be read with no real thought involved and can then be forgotten about. Just don't expect nothing near the quality of Patterson's Alex Cross or Women's Murder Club novels.

I liked it... - Rated
It was something you could imagine on the big screen. Certainly was a page turner for me, except... when getting near to the end of the book, I felt robbed a little of some of the major parts of the plot.

Good ending though, and certainly worth 4 stars for Mr P.