caitatoes's review against another edition
2.0
i feel like comparing this book to redwall is kind of pointless because theyre very different books, but the writing in general was weaker in this one. i didn't get much farther than once they got off the flying dutchman, cause it just didn't really keep my attention.
lw7710's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
gkneveu's review against another edition
1.0
I was very disappointed with this book. My friend had told me about it and it sounded really cool so I got it. I'd never really been into Redwall (the very popular series by this author), but this book is very different than those, so I decided to give it a try, unfortunately it only served to remind me of all the reasons I had never finished a Redwall book.
The story is about a boy and his dog, two unfortunate beings unwillingly taken onto the Flying Dutchman(pre-curse). They are mistreated but remain strong and loyal to each other, and when the captain angers the gods and dooms the entire ship, the boy and his dog are spared because of their innocence. They get the good end of the deal and are immortal like the rest of the crew, but are allowed to leave the ship. Cool idea, right? Too bad it's about the only good thing about the book. The rest of the story is unoriginal and extremely predictable. The writing is mediocre, and the unnatural and forced dialogue makes me cringe. There was so much you could do with this idea, so many interesting stories could come from this young boy and dog who've been alive for hundreds of years, never aging, never able to stay in one place very long and never allowed to get attached to anyone. But the story is so predictable, so uninspired. The characters were flat and uninteresting, and I got attached to none of them, not even the two main characters. It's too bad that such a cool, original idea was so poorly executed.
The story is about a boy and his dog, two unfortunate beings unwillingly taken onto the Flying Dutchman(pre-curse). They are mistreated but remain strong and loyal to each other, and when the captain angers the gods and dooms the entire ship, the boy and his dog are spared because of their innocence. They get the good end of the deal and are immortal like the rest of the crew, but are allowed to leave the ship. Cool idea, right? Too bad it's about the only good thing about the book. The rest of the story is unoriginal and extremely predictable. The writing is mediocre, and the unnatural and forced dialogue makes me cringe. There was so much you could do with this idea, so many interesting stories could come from this young boy and dog who've been alive for hundreds of years, never aging, never able to stay in one place very long and never allowed to get attached to anyone. But the story is so predictable, so uninspired. The characters were flat and uninteresting, and I got attached to none of them, not even the two main characters. It's too bad that such a cool, original idea was so poorly executed.
hjoyner12's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
dare2smile's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
wanderinginthewoods's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
cthuwu's review against another edition
3.0
i haven't really been feeling long reviews lately so if you see me giving stuff just a star rating that's why. this wasn't as good an opener as redwall was, but i have such a feeling of nostalgia about it i couldn't rate it any less than three stars.
hybum's review against another edition
4.0
I had NO idea what the plot was before reading this book. I expect that people could be disappointed if they were expecting some sort of seafaring adventure like that of Pirates of the Caribbean. However, if you're expect Redwall but with humans, this book is perfect for you.
Castaways of the Flying Dutchman is very similar to The Pearls of Lutra, in that it revolves around treasure hunting and clue solving. I thought the clues themselves were a little weak sauce, but other than that I quite liked the book. Ben and Ned are very likeable characters, and the story lends itself very neatly to sequels.
Without giving too much away, I loved how they slowly recruited more and more people, so that in the end it was a town victory, not a Ben-and-Ned-saved-the-day kind of situation. It's very uncliché in that regard.
I think anyone could enjoy this book, but I particularly recommend it to fans of Redwall. Just remember, this is not a book about sailing the seas.
Castaways of the Flying Dutchman is very similar to The Pearls of Lutra, in that it revolves around treasure hunting and clue solving. I thought the clues themselves were a little weak sauce, but other than that I quite liked the book. Ben and Ned are very likeable characters, and the story lends itself very neatly to sequels.
Without giving too much away, I loved how they slowly recruited more and more people, so that in the end it was a town victory, not a Ben-and-Ned-saved-the-day kind of situation. It's very uncliché in that regard.
I think anyone could enjoy this book, but I particularly recommend it to fans of Redwall. Just remember, this is not a book about sailing the seas.
nie_fertig's review against another edition
I ended about halfway through this book just because the Biblical/Christian messages are literally shoved down the reader's throat - it was too much. I thought the plot was super cool - how this boy and his intellectual dog are immortal after a brutal storm on the Flying Dutchman and they spend eternity around the world helping people. Like, that's super cool!! But, this boy and his dog constantly mention how wholesome they are for the Lord and how grateful they are for God - the religious messages get extremely biased when they travel into this small village where everyone (except the antagonists w o w) are proud Christians and they have to let the world know 24/7. Sorry if this review sounds offensive, but when any religion (especially any form of Christianity) is constantly mentioned to the point where the media is pretty much saying "if you're not Christian, then you're a bad person," then I can't stand it! Besides, you could replace the overuse of Christianity in this book with anything and it would still be annoying...
Nevertheless, I did love how the author wrote dialogue like the stuttering librarian was actually stuttering and when the dog was learning how to speak, he was actually barking in his dialogue. As a writer who does the same thing, I really like that stylistic dialogue choice!
Nevertheless, I did love how the author wrote dialogue like the stuttering librarian was actually stuttering and when the dog was learning how to speak, he was actually barking in his dialogue. As a writer who does the same thing, I really like that stylistic dialogue choice!