The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
imandanial's review against another edition
3.0
The main character's obsession towards Terry Prendergast is quite disturbing to be honest, haha.
izzatiidrus's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
When I picked up this book, I actually said, "I'm in such a reading mood right now, you can give me anything and I'd lap 'em up in two days!" because it had been true for the past four reads. Unfortunately, I was wrong, because this book put a stop to that. It took me about 9 days to finish it.
I bought this book ages ago and only chose to read it now in my mission to read as many books off my TBR pile (especially the older ones) as I could. By the time I picked it up, I forgot what it was about, but the blurb at the back sounded promising. I didn't realize it was a non-fiction, a documentary of a man's adventure, not a fiction. I only did realize when I saw the back cover labelled "non-fiction".
But as much as I wanted to like the book because I found some similarities between me and the author (and the boy in the book), I found it rather draggy. There were a lot of things that I felt they could do without, for example a list of items the author found when he was staying in Prendergast Caravan Park. Though I understand the author's obsessive quirk, his possible need to be detailed about things, I just felt like it was a little bit of a bore.
I did wonder too, how he managed to document everything in such detail, but my question was answered in the Afterword where he mentioned that he did plan to turn this adventure into a Choose Your Own Documentary show. I just tried the online version of it at theboyinthebook.co.uk, and I thought it was interesting to be able to immerse myself in the game (as I've been a lifelong player of your-choices-determine-the-endings kind of game) and to be able to glean more in video and picture forms of what had been mentioned in the book.
Still, personally I wish the book was shorter and gave me more satisfaction than it really did.
I bought this book ages ago and only chose to read it now in my mission to read as many books off my TBR pile (especially the older ones) as I could. By the time I picked it up, I forgot what it was about, but the blurb at the back sounded promising. I didn't realize it was a non-fiction, a documentary of a man's adventure, not a fiction. I only did realize when I saw the back cover labelled "non-fiction".
But as much as I wanted to like the book because I found some similarities between me and the author (and the boy in the book), I found it rather draggy. There were a lot of things that I felt they could do without, for example a list of items the author found when he was staying in Prendergast Caravan Park. Though I understand the author's obsessive quirk, his possible need to be detailed about things, I just felt like it was a little bit of a bore.
I did wonder too, how he managed to document everything in such detail, but my question was answered in the Afterword where he mentioned that he did plan to turn this adventure into a Choose Your Own Documentary show. I just tried the online version of it at theboyinthebook.co.uk, and I thought it was interesting to be able to immerse myself in the game (as I've been a lifelong player of your-choices-determine-the-endings kind of game) and to be able to glean more in video and picture forms of what had been mentioned in the book.
Still, personally I wish the book was shorter and gave me more satisfaction than it really did.
xiuhui3007's review against another edition
3.0
Picked up this book thinking it was a light read but it ended up being something more serious. Kinda like a “searching myself” book. Took me quite an amount of perseverance to get through the middle of it as well.
gildius's review against another edition
3.0
Read my review: http://www.50ayear.com/2014/08/08/29-boy-book-nathan-penlington-2/
jaclynwds's review against another edition
3.0
Really interesting concept for a book. Something very different.
The story makes you want to read more, and I found myself intrigued by the passage of the book, and where it was going to next.
My main problem, however, was the constant cultural references (be it modern pop culture or older) which I found to feel almost like the author was name dropping.
Near the end there was a long section when the main character speaks to a doctor about depression. Interesting and good advice, but it actually made me look over the book again to see if it was endorsed by some mental health organisation. It went on and on. Not too great for those of us who don't have a problem with this so maybe it would be better included at the end, in it's own chapter.
The story makes you want to read more, and I found myself intrigued by the passage of the book, and where it was going to next.
My main problem, however, was the constant cultural references (be it modern pop culture or older) which I found to feel almost like the author was name dropping.
Near the end there was a long section when the main character speaks to a doctor about depression. Interesting and good advice, but it actually made me look over the book again to see if it was endorsed by some mental health organisation. It went on and on. Not too great for those of us who don't have a problem with this so maybe it would be better included at the end, in it's own chapter.
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