Clever Word Play Does Not Make This Okay.

Hey world! It's finally time for that bonus post I told you about yesterday! Woohoo! Welcome. Remember, next Wednesday is Bring a Friend Day. And by next Wednesday, I mean the one that's about to happen. I hear there's controversy over the whole "this" and "next" thing when it comes to dates. Me, I'm confused about "next month." Does it mean onthe same day next month, or about 31 days from now? And what if it's a leap year? 

So, about two days ago I finished this book called X Isle by Steve Augarde that I started a week before that date. The link in the author's name is to his blog, I can't seem to find an official author site, but that's fine with me so I hope it's fine with you. As far as I know, this book is not starting a series or anything, it is a standalone. Though, disappointingly, Mr. Augarde has written several other books. I never would have guessed it (I think you see where this is going).

Summaryish: After terrible floods that leave most of the Earth covered in water, the only hope for young Baz to find a better life for himself is on X Isle - a salvage operation rumored to be a great place to live and work. The only problem is, it's the only hope of dozens of other boys just like him. But when he is chosen to live on the island, he learns that not everything is sunshine, roses and three meals a day. The island is run by a madman, and what once was his only hope is quickly turning into the death of him. 

Review: Maybe you picked up on this, but I did not like this book. I feel so bad for this story, which probably would have been wonderful in the hands of Eoin Colfer, but instead was killed by an endless telling void of showing. Yeah, sure, the story was okay, and it definitely has potential, it was simply poorly written. The characters were flat, and dare I say clichéd. I didn't care about them at all. Plus, it took forever for the story to even go anywhere. I felt like I was wading through waist-deep imagery for years. I do respect the fact that everything that happened did contribute to the story. There was no pointless wandering, everything had a destination in mind. But it certainly could have happened a lot faster. In addition, I felt one step removed the whole time. I couldn't get into the characters' minds like I like to. It just wasn't that great of a read.

About the Cover:

It was such a great cover...I saw it and immediately wanted it. Judging books by their covers generally works for me. How disappointing.

See you on Bring a Friend Day!

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Anonymous Book Reviewer.