Review by amandathebibliophile -- Adrift by Charlie Sheldon

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amandathebibliophile
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Review by amandathebibliophile -- Adrift by Charlie Sheldon

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[Following is a volunteer review of "Adrift" by Charlie Sheldon.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Adrift by Charlie Sheldon, the second book in the Strong Heart Series, is a carefully crafted masterpiece of suspense, action, a touch of magical realism, and a beautiful commentary on the strength of the human spirit.

The story opens onboard the Seattle Express, a cargo ship sailing in the North Pacific. Captain Steve Procida is awakened to a ship captain’s worst nightmare: a fire so devastating that abandoning ship seems the only option. It’s December, the weather is extreme, and the closest land is the sparsely populated and dangerous-to-navigate islands known as Haida Gwaii. Still, in order to survive, the twenty members of the ship’s crew split up between the two lifeboats and abandon ship, set adrift on one of the most dangerous waters in the world.

Abandoning the Seattle Express quickly sets in motion a series of unforgettable events that leave the reader unable to put the book down and cheering for her or his favorite characters. On the one hand is Louise and Larry’s crew aboard the old tugboat, Warhorse, frantically trying to beat Buckhorn’s high-speed tugs to make the claim on the burning Seattle Express. On the other hand is the questionable survival of the crew from the abandoned ship.

The story is told from multiple perspectives and switches back and forth from first to third person, adding a lot of dimension to the characters and making it easy for the reader to become attached to many of these endearing and admirable people. Its themes are of survival, love, friendship, the human capacity to accomplish challenging feats against all odds...and a beautiful dash of magical realism having to do with anthropology and human origins stories. I found that because I read Strong Heart, book one in the series, I was more in the know about this magical realistic side of things. However, I am confident that had I not read it, I would still have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Of the many relatable and endearing characters, I liked Sarah, William, and Louise perhaps the best. Sarah and Louise for their fierce independence and strength, and William for his calm wisdom and enduring spirit.

The entire story is fantastically written. Scenes and conversation and emotion are vividly developed and described. I found it super easy to become swept away at every turn. I definitely didn’t want this story to end (and so I’m especially excited that the third book is coming out soon!).

I’m sure it’s clear that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is suspenseful, compelling, and tugs at the heartstrings. I think readers who enjoy strong character development, suspense, and adventure stories will absolutely love this book. Because of a small amount of adult language, I’d recommend for young or sensitive readers to proceed with caution. But I overall highly recommend the book! I found a few errors, but all were minor typos (such as “overhead” instead of “overheard”) and didn’t interfere with the flow of the writing in the slightest. I absolutely give this book 4 out of 4 stars and would give it more if I could!

******
Adrift
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

Wow! What an amazing review. I also recently read this book and I rated it 4 out of 4 stars. Can't wait for the third book. I had also read the first book and so it was quite simple to understand how the characters had evolved.
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Post by Janalyn101 »

Although I enjoyed Amanda‘s review of Adrift by Charlie Sheldon. I don’t agree that all characters were admirable. I do agree that Sarah, William and Louise were most admirable. I’m also happy to learn that was a previous book and a book 3 coming out soon. What a great review, thanks.
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Post by Delaney35 »

I'm currently reading this one and it's so good! Excellent review!
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Post by Aniza Butt »

I read a few pages of the book and the author's writing style seemed compelling. Thanks for the review amanda.
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Post by Chrystal Oaks »

I have not read the first book and am grateful that Adrift can be read as a standalone. A well-written, well-developed book, with strong characters dealing with incredible odds, is the kind of book I will enjoy reading. I suspect I'm going to want to read the first one, and the third one when it becomes available. Thanks for the positive review!
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Post by ElizaBeth Adams »

Thank you for your very helpful and well-written review. I have started reading this book. Reading your review encourages me that finishing it will be time well spent. I can't wait to get swept away myself. I like that you pointed out the change from first to third person. I am very intrigued to see how the author uses this technique to fuel the story. Thanks again for a great review.
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Post by janinewesterweel »

Lovely review, thanks @amandathebibliophile :) I have just started reading this and am being drawn into it very quickly! You say that had you not read book one, you would still have enjoyed this novel, but I have serious FOMO when it comes to series! Can I read this as a pure stand-alone, or should I try and read Strong Heart first??
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Post by amandathebibliophile »

Hmmm, great question @janinewesterweel !! Personally, I say read Strong Heart first — but only because it’s so good, and not because it’s necessary to enjoy Adrift :)
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Post by amandathebibliophile »

Janalyn101 wrote: 01 Apr 2019, 08:05 Although I enjoyed Amanda‘s review of Adrift by Charlie Sheldon. I don’t agree that all characters were admirable. I do agree that Sarah, William and Louise were most admirable. I’m also happy to learn that was a previous book and a book 3 coming out soon. What a great review, thanks.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I want to be clear that I didn’t find all of the characters admirable. I said that many of them were endearing and relatable. I agree that some were not nice (thinking of Buckhorn employees, for example!) Thanks again for sharing ☺️
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Post by janinewesterweel »

amandathebibliophile wrote: 03 Apr 2019, 09:39 Hmmm, great question @janinewesterweel !! Personally, I say read Strong Heart first — but only because it’s so good, and not because it’s necessary to enjoy Adrift :)
Got it, thank you! But I might end up reading them back to front... :lol:
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Post by amandathebibliophile »

ElizaBeth Adams wrote: 02 Apr 2019, 08:27 Thank you for your very helpful and well-written review. I have started reading this book. Reading your review encourages me that finishing it will be time well spent. I can't wait to get swept away myself. I like that you pointed out the change from first to third person. I am very intrigued to see how the author uses this technique to fuel the story. Thanks again for a great review.
You are so welcome! If you enjoy the book even half as much as I did, you’ll love it 😊
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Post by amandathebibliophile »

Chrystal Oaks wrote: 01 Apr 2019, 23:39 I have not read the first book and am grateful that Adrift can be read as a standalone. A well-written, well-developed book, with strong characters dealing with incredible odds, is the kind of book I will enjoy reading. I suspect I'm going to want to read the first one, and the third one when it becomes available. Thanks for the positive review!
You’re quite welcome! I hope you enjoy 😊
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Anna Bellle wrote: 01 Apr 2019, 12:00 I read a few pages of the book and the author's writing style seemed compelling. Thanks for the review amanda.
You are quite welcome! I hope you enjoy 😊
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Post by amandathebibliophile »

Kibetious wrote: 27 Feb 2019, 02:33 Wow! What an amazing review. I also recently read this book and I rated it 4 out of 4 stars. Can't wait for the third book. I had also read the first book and so it was quite simple to understand how the characters had evolved.
I’m so excited for book three! Thanks for the positive comments!
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