Official Review: Voyage of Pearl of the Seas

[dragonet07]

I loved The Chronicles of Narnia as a child--this book particularly reminds me of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader--and I have a soft spot for lyrical prose, especially with mythological and literary allusions. However, based on the excerpt given here, I'm not sure if this book is for me. I just don't think I have the time or patience to decipher writing like this. Thank you for the very helpful review.

[Sammrenee]

In the sample I read, the way this author writes is extremely distracting to me. The review was written masterfully and actually had me wanting to go back and read more of this book, until I remembered how offputting the writing style is.

I don't want to seem mean but in all seriousness, it truly felt like my grandmother with dementia wrote this book.

[eddix]

Thanks, for your helpful and thorough review. Based on the excerpt that I read, I totally agree with you. The writing style is interesting, but I don't see myself reading an entire book of it.

[Samanthajayne12]

Thanks for the review! I’m not sure this one would be of interest to me, especially if the poetic writing style distracts from the story!

[Ana Njeri]

Lovely review. The cover of the book looks very interesting but the bad grammar makes the book a no for me.

[Sanyesto]

The story line of this book seems interesting but the writing style is what puts me off. I am also a literal reader and this may prove difficult for me to follow.

[Angelverabet]

Truly its interesting.. A story combined with prose and poetry..Got a lot of adventures..Voyage of Pearl of the Seas is a book for everyone..get yours now...

[Quinto]

I am drawn to the book because of the sea adventure and voyage. However, the prose style writing will turn me away.

[Zomuani]

From your review and the sample I have read, I don't think this will be the kind of book I would normally read. If I wanted poetry I'll read poetry, simple. When reading a book I like to feel connected like I'm living in it .
The plot seems interesting but I feel the way the author delivered the story won't be my cup of tea.

[Jclynn]

Many have posted that the work is like C. S. Lewis, but I disagree. The unconventional grammar style the author uses definitely takes away from the book rather than adding to it. I personally would not enjoy reading more of the book. I would give it 1 out of 4 stars

[Gracie777]

I thought this was a book I would try out but according to your review, I think I will pass it. I am a more literal-minded person and I love stories that draw me in not out. Thank you for your well-written review.

[ducksphilip]

Voyage of the Pearl of the Sea, by Ruth Finnegan :As an adventurous person, this book is like being in a world where it is easier to dream until tomorrow comes. After all the adventures, finding their way back home is the most amazing puzzle. We should all live our lives in a present continuous now. This is the sublime message to all who treasure adventure.

[Cristina Chifane]

I loved the passage you quoted and I totally understood the writer's choice in terms of the lack of punctuation. The passage would have lost its purpose if it had been written otherwise. I'll give this book a try because I like Ruth Finnegan's poetic style and the inspiration from mythology and classical literature. In addition, a book for teenagers bringing together Rumi and Walt Whitman is definitely original. Thanks for your detailed review!

[TashaCrispin]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Voyage of Pearl of the Seas" by Ruth Finnegan.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Fans of CS Lewis will likely enjoy the tale of Chris, Kate, and Holly – two kids and a dog who voyage across the ocean on a ship of their own making. Their dreamy and mystical adventure takes them to strange, fantastical places, and they bump into plenty of interesting people along the way. But when all is said and done, will they be able to find their way home?

Ruth Finnegan’s Voyage of Pearl of the Seas is a lyrical, poetic piece of YA fantasy. I’m sure there are certain kinds of readers that will absolutely adore it, but personally, I had a few misgivings. I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.

Let’s start with the high points. Voyage of Pearl of the Seas tells a deeply layered story, full of allusions to mythology and classic literature. Finnegan pulls inspiration and quotations from the likes of Rumi and Walt Whitman, along with plenty of references to Christian beliefs. These allusions are all pointed out and explained in the Notes section at the end of the book, offering readers a chance to expand their literary horizons and explore the deeper themes of the book.

Speaking of exploration, the author also includes a set of discussion questions to get her readers thinking more critically about the story. I really love when YA authors include discussion prompts – they are wonderful conversation starters for kids and parents alike.

I also adored Rachel Backshall’s gorgeous illustrations. A handful of full-page pencil drawings were scattered throughout the chapters, and each one is brimming with detail. The abstract art style added to the dreamy feel of the story as a whole, and they were probably my favorite part of the entire book.

Unfortunately, that same dreamy feel also plays into what I disliked about Voyage of Pearl of the Seas. Finnegan’s writing style leans far more towards poetry than prose. The semi-abstract, stream-of-consciousness storytelling made it difficult for me to really understand the specifics of the situations that Chris and Kate were in.

I’m a pretty literal person, so this is just my personal preference and not a complaint. I do, however, have a complaint. It seemed like in order to get that poetic feel, the author let punctuation and sentence structure fall to the wayside, which often made sentences confusing. Here’s an excerpt so you can see what I mean.

But Kate was deep in a fairytale full of dreams and did not want to be disturbed. And even when she wasn't reading, her secret vi- - well reading wasn't really a 'vice' was it whatever her mum said? More like a 'voice'. (Oh there you go again Katey Kate, voices and vices and wises and songses, and three-sonicked word-fullnesses sound-ringing in her head - we’ll just have to get used to it, you, so just – well, manage)…

I think there’s a way to make prose more poetic without sacrificing function for form. More conventional grammar would have made this book easier to parse. As it stands, the writing style took me out of the story instead of drawing me in, which is why I’m giving it a final rating of 2 out of 4 stars.

While this book isn’t a book for me, I still think there are plenty of readers out there who will enjoy it. If a heady blend of poetry and Narnia sounds like something you’d enjoy, you should definitely give this book a try! If you’re more literal-minded and a stickler for commas, it might not be for you either.

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Voyage of Pearl of the Seas
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Like BookishCreature's review? Post a comment saying so!

I love poetry in a book but this one seems like it lacked flow. I have to check the author's other work. Seems like a good story creator.

[Ashiyya Tariq]

Writing a prose book in a poetry style may make the reader a bit confusing. Thanks for your warning.