Book Review
Title: Sail
Author: James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: June 9, 2008
Number of Pages: 400
ISBN: 0316018708 

Reviewed By: Karen O'Connor (Okinawa Correspondent - Japan)

I think I probably could have read Sail in three days but instead I wasn't turning each page with anticipation and at a "blistering pace" so it took me a long five days to finish it. I never connected with any of the characters and plot lines so it was hard to be committed. 

Anne Dunne takes her not so happy children out on a summer sailing trip on the family sailboat, The Family Dunne (pronounced DONE).  She has remarried since the untimely death of her first husband to Peter Carlyle, Esq.  Carlyle is a shark of the legal world but he may also be the 'shark' that tries to end the lives of his new family.  The sailing trip is lead by Anne's former brother-in-law, Jake Dunne.  After some unfortunate ‘accidents' in the first few days of the trip on The Family Dunne, a storm of tremendous fury takes the boat on a rip roaring trip that takes the family further into a perilous vacation. 

With some side steps to build up the character of a DEA Agent as well as to shed light on the darker side of perfect Peter Carlyle, Esq., the story fails to deliver any real shocking twists.  I will admit that I gasped after reading one twist that I didn't quite see coming, but for the most part I felt let down by the "#1 Thriller Author In The World".  

I used to enjoy the books that James Patterson cranks out and back in 2001 I even attended one of his book signings, but for the life of me I can't remember which book he was promoting.  My signed copy is in a storage unit outside Memphis, TN.  I had come across a question on a book blog in my on-line travels that had asked if you think your reading preferences change over time and I think they do.  I'm not talking about before the age of twenty-one for myself but I find that my tastes have changed a bit in my twenties and now into my thirties.  I still like to read best sellers but not necessarily the self-promoting blockbusters.  I read this book based on the summary of it on Amazon.com.    

If you are interested in a light read to get from one airport to the other, then I will recommend this book to you.  If you are interested in reading something substantial and memorable than I would advise against Sail.

Karen O'Connor's Blog: Planet Books