Reviews

Abandoned at page 115. Advertised as a retelling of Robinson Crusoe, it was not at all what I was expecting — though sometimes that can be a welcome and refreshing turn of events, in this case it was not. The best derivative novels I have read build on and enhance the original, not challenge it entirely; or, if changes are introduced, they're part of a clever, plausible plot twist. In this book, even the first few pages began with a surprising amount of contradictory details compared with Crusoe, the first being that the shipwreck occurred on the Pacific side of South America rather than Atlantic, a modification bizarre and pointless. Further and nearly constant contradictions abounded thereafter, to the point of annoyance and much eyerolling. Though I had just recently read the original, it was a bit like being gaslit ("You thought that's what happened? No, here's what really happened."). This book is colossally boring, particularly all the philosophizing in Crusoe's journal entries, which were so arduous I could barely get through them. Where it reached the point of no return for weirdness was when Robinson began having sex with a tree. Though I had made it halfway through the book, I set it down with zero regrets, despite the eponymous "Friday" having yet to even make an appearance.

capochou's review against another edition

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adventurous

3.5

nickreallylovestoread's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Read this for a class, so while this book was challenging for me, I could see how it wouldn't be for others. Easily digestible chapters with supporting pictures make this an enjoyable read. I liked the contrast between Robinson and Vendredi's values, and I thought the author effectively re-contextualized the story for modern audiences.