Official Review: Bluewater Walkabout by Tina Dreffin

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Rachaelamb1
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Official Review: Bluewater Walkabout by Tina Dreffin

Post by Rachaelamb1 »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Bluewater Walkabout" by Tina Dreffin.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Bluewater Walkabout by Tina Dreffin is a memoir about one woman's journey with nature, foreign cultures, and perilous adventures.

Tina Dreffin and her husband have an incredibly unique lifestyle; they live on the ocean. This certainly brings about a lot of fun stories as well as frightening situations. The author takes you through some of these tales while weaving in her personal story of sexual assault, loss of a child, and healing. There are many different aspects to this novel; it is a story of romance, heartbreak, adventure, humor, and parenting.

Much of the book is centered around a trip that Tina and her husband took with their two teen boys and their two friends as they sailed through some of the most dangerous waters around Africa. This adventure nearly unglued their family as the author tried desperately to protect the boys. Africa is a dangerous place for four teenagers who think they are invincible! Not to mention that life at sea, far from any medical assistance, is enough to keep any mother up at night.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this memoir. Even with some heavy themes, the story has a positive tone. Initially, I was concerned that it would be depressing, but that was not the case at all. I was also worried that I would get lost with technical terms since I am not familiar with boats. However, the author did well to make most of it clear. I do not feel like I missed out on anything important in the story, despite my ignorance of certain terminology.

It is impressive how well written this book is. Even though it jumps back and forth in time, it is easy to keep track of what is happening. The author manages to make the story flow, giving you enough back history without bogging down the entire story. The way she writes is very open and relatable. I was a little surprised at how easy it was to relate to her story even though I have not experienced many of the things she has. The way the author describes the places they have been is so clear that you almost feel as if you are right there with her.

My rating for Bluewater Walkabout is 4 out of 4 stars. It is an excellent travel memoir. Not only will nature and travel enthusiasts love it, but also those who love heartwarming family stories. I found the author’s life to be fascinating and I was not ready for the book to end. In fact, there is a slight cliffhanger at the end of this book which is something I have never seen before in a memoir. It definitely makes me want to check out the author’s next book and find out what happens next.

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Bluewater Walkabout
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Post by bookowlie »

Great review! How interesting that this type of book ended with a cliffhanger! Maybe you will get lucky and the author will submit the sequel for review. :)
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Post by Kdonegan91 »

Great review! After reading your review, I have to read this! I am happy to know that the author simply explained the boat terminology because I have no clue about boats. Glad you enjoyed it!
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Post by Rachaelamb1 »

bookowlie wrote:Great review! How interesting that this type of book ended with a cliffhanger! Maybe you will get lucky and the author will submit the sequel for review. :)
You never know! Maybe she will!

-- 08 Dec 2016, 00:10 --
Kdonegan91 wrote:Great review! After reading your review, I have to read this! I am happy to know that the author simply explained the boat terminology because I have no clue about boats. Glad you enjoyed it!
Let me know how you like it!
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Post by peprica21 »

Wonderful review, thank you! This book sounds great. What a life the author has led!!
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Post by Rachaelamb1 »

Thank you! I hope you get the chance to read it!
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

This sounds like a very enjoyable, and your review is excellent. I actually considered reviewing this one, so now I feel like I have to read it!
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Post by Rachaelamb1 »

I hope you like it! The author leads an incredible life!
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Post by Heidi M Simone »

What a wonderful review of what seems like a wonderful memoir! I can't imagine living on the sea and experiencing dangerous situations in an unfamiliar environment. It's great that the author keeps the tone positive even with its heavy content and themes. I'm glad you were able to enjoy the read and congratulations to the author for receiving such a positive review!
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Post by gali »

Sounds like an interesting travel memoir for fans of the genre. It sounds like quite the adventure! It is good that one can keep track of the plot despite the time jumps. It is good of the author to share her adventures as well as her personal tale of abuse. The personal touch should enrich the memoir. Not sure it it for me, but I am glad you enjoy the book. Thank you for the review!
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Post by Scerakor »

Wow, this book sounds extremely interesting. The idea of living that long off of the ocean combined with raising children in such a challenging environment is entirely intriguing. It really sounds like there are a lot of elements working for this book. I may have to give this one a shot.
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Post by Katherine Smith »

I love your review and the idea of living on the ocean sounds fun, but also scary. I like that the author uses her personal experiences to craft a well written story that anyone can relate to. I also like that they are traveling around Africa and the distinct cultures that are there.
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Post by Zero »

Great review! I don't know that is this book for me or not? But the cliffhanger interests me. Maybe just to read that I might read the book, who knows?!
Anyway, sounds like the genre lovers would love to read the book as it is full of adventure, humor, etc.
Another interesting thing is that it has many instants of time switch, past and future, as you have mentioned in the review.
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Post by Ellie Gatillo »

I like the fact that the author added humor to this seemingly sad and traumatic experiences she had written. It is difficult to see the brighter side of things when one is really down.
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Post by mindyg123 »

Great review. Love reading about grand adventures. Living on the ocean sounds interesting to me. All the adventures make for an interesting read. Congrats on being BOTD and on the great reviews.
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