Deathwatch

Rating:
Summary: Denial in the Desert
Review: Deathwatch invovles a college kid named Ben. Ben has been in college for a semester and needs money for the next semester. Ben decides to be a guide for a hunter, Madec who is looking for a big horn sheep in a desert, which Ben knows well. Madec is a cynical buisnessman who thinks he can either buy or kill anything he wants. When out in the desert, Ben and Madec get into a disagreement about something and Madec offers Ben a deal. Madec will let Ben have his way if Ben does the unthinkable. Walking through the desert some forty or fifty miles without water, food, or even clothing except his boxers as well as Madec harassing him the whole way. Will Ben defeat Madec?
This is a good book for readers who enjoy a suspenseful mood. It also combines your classic good versus evil along with some sarcasm as well as irony. This book is also similar to The Long Walk by Stephen King. In both books, the main character is walking along trying to win or defeat someone. This book also includes a lot of outwitting and outthinking by both Ben and Madec. A suspenseful ending along with the above mentioned make this a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Deathwatch is boring
Review: Deathwatch is a book about a desert guide who crosses hairs with the wrong hunter. After Madec an extreme hunter accidentally shoots an old prospector while after the hunt opportunity of a lifetime. His guide Ben insists that they must go to the police and tell them what happened. After arguing Madec makes Ben take off his clothes and wonder the desert until he dies. Not only this but Madec is following him making sure Ben doesn't find food or water. As soon as Ben finds water he goes after Madec and takes him to the police. At first the police do not believe Ben's far fetched story, but after finding Ben's slingshot they are proven wrong and Ben is set free.
I thought this book was absolutely boring. It was too wordy, told too much about the scenery, and all Ben did was complain. I myself am an actiony kind of guy. I thought it was too unrealistic how Madec was at the right waterhole every time Ben tried to get water. Ben also made no attempt to get back to civilization which any real person would have done. I didn't like this book and I recomend you do not read this book. It was a complete waste of my time, and you know what they say, time is money. This book stunk as bad as old gym socks.

Rating:
Summary: Deprived in the Desert
Review: Deathwatch tells the story of a young man named Ben who assists a bighorn hunter by the name of Madec. The beginning of the trip was going fine until Madec accidently shoots an unknown prospector and kills him. He then becomes afraid because Ben wants to tell someone what happened. Madec gets angry and turns on Ben. He makes Ben take of his clothes and takes away his gun, therefore giving him a slim chance of survival. Except with Ben's will to live and clever desert skills, he is able to outsmart Madec. He gains control of the jeep and Madec, then heads toward home. Ben didn't take into account that Madec would tell his own story of how the prospector was shot and the explanation of what happened. Little did he know about the troubles he would face once getting home.
I think Deathwatch was intriguing. The good things about the book were that most of the time it would keep me interested in finding out what would happen next. Robb White definately did a good job at keeping readers wondering if Ben would survive. He also made me wonder how a man like Madec could be so cruel to Ben. The flaws of the book were that the description of the desert, in my opinion, was excessive. The descriptions were also hard to follow and picture. Another flaw was the fact that Ben seemed perfect and was too kind to even testify against Madec for what he'd done to him. Even though, the book was captivating and kept me curious.

Rating:
Summary: Suffering in the Desert
Review: Ben is a calm quiet person who lives in the desert and loves everything in it. Madec is a shrewd city man who loves to hunt. Madec hires Ben as a guide to help him through the desert while Madec hunts bighorn sheep. A mistake is made where Madec shoots and old prospector and kills him. Ben believes that they should tell the sheriff, but Madec doesn't want to get in trouble. To make sure Ben doesn't tell what happened Madec sends him out into the desert without clothes, food, and most importantly, water. As Ben roams the desert Madec gives him a hard time by drying up all the possible water supplies making it even more difficult. Ben eventually finds water and eats birds to control his hunger, but now there is a very big problem. How will he escape a very intelligent man with a .358 and get back home.
I believe that this book would have actually made a better movie than a book. There was far to much description. It spent so much time describing rocks and desert that it would be difficult to hold the readers interest. The protagonist, Ben, and the antagonist, Madec, were clearly defined. The themes or subplots of the book were easily recognized. Some of which were survival and water. The literary devices were used very well. An example of personification ( a literary device) ,giving an inanimate object human characteristics, is on page 35, "There was a chill gripping his shoulders." The conflict was also written well with Ben versus Madec. However the amount of description ruined everything. When the book is so descriptive it can't hold the readers attention, something should be changed.

Rating:
Summary: Deathwatch
Review: Deathwatch was a novel full of drama, twists, and turns. You never knew what was
going to happen next! It all starts out with this college student named Ben who takes a
job to help a man named Madec hunt Big Horned Sheep. A major accident happens and
Ben and Madec totally disagree on what to do about it. Madec finally forces Ben to strip
down to his underwear, take his shoes and socks off, and set out into the open desert.
Now Madec is watching Ben with his .386 just waiting for him to die. Will Ben get back
to town? Will Madec kill Ben? These questions and more are all answered in this
wonderful tale of survival and just how far a man will go to settle a disagreement.

The many uses of imagery, symbolism, and mood make this novel a wonderful
masterpiece. The use of imagery makes you feel like you are right there in the grueling
desert with Ben. Many points in the book were so descriptive that you could feel the
exhaustion Ben was experiencing. There was also a great presence of symbolism in the
book. Many objects signified life or a way to survive. This was vital to keeping the
reader's attention. The most important device in this book I think was mood. Whether it
was saddness, surprise, or even sympothy, the mood of what you were reading defined
the whole situation. The only critical statement I have is a dry spot in the middle of the
book. There are a couple of chapters at the midpoint of this novel that are a little boring.
Other than that I think Deathwatch is a wonderful book about perserverence, honesty,
and believing in yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Daring Deathwatch
Review: Madec, a very powerful and wealthy man, takes Ben with him into the desert to hunt Big horn sheep. When Madec 'accidentally' kills a prospector, Bens life is turned upside down. Madec is afraid Ben will report the accident and blame it all on Madec so Madec gets even. He tells Ben to strip down to nothing and start walking to the town which is about 40 miles away. Madec torchers Ben and makes his life miserable. Ben finally gets Madec tied up and brings him into the Sherriffs office. Madec turns the story around making it look like this was all Bens fault. Ben tells the truth and they belive him.. but Madec never goes to jail.
I loved the book 'Deathwatch'. The battle with Man vs. Nature and Man vs. Man was incredible. I would have never thought of that much detail and description. Madec and Ben were excelently chosen by personality and appearance. The desert was a place where Madec and Ben battled it out, starving for food, water, and survival. I personally liked the book becasue it always kept you going. You never knew what was going to happen next since it always had you on the edge of your seat!

Rating:
Summary: "Deathwatch"... the book of the millinium!
Review:  The book begins with the suspenseful ambition of Madac . . . the psycho hunter that wants
the head of one of the rarest sheep in the world to hang amongst the many others at his house.
Along side him is Ben, the very trustworthy and honest man helping Madac find the sheep so that
Madac will pay Ben enough money to go to college. The book really starts to heat up when
Madac accidentally kills an old prospector and Ben wants to turn the accident in to the sheriff.
Everything turns Bens World upside down when Madac tries to kill Ben by making him strip off
his clothes and try to survive with no food, water, or any shelter to give him mercy against the temperatures that reach well over 90 during the day! Without these how is he supposed to make headway to the
nearest town that is across the desert! The tactics Ben uses helps him through hunger,
dehydration, and times of travail. Only hope gets him through, and finally, he overcomes the fear
Madac and takes him to the sheriff. The tables turn when Madac tries to put everything off to
make it look like Ben is the one who tried to kill Madac! Everyone believes Madac until the local
doctor finds what solves the case and Madac's lie turns topsy-turvy in a whirlwind of excitement! ~

~ I think this is a very good book yet I don't like some of the detail in how he eats a raw
bloody bird. I think that is plain repulsive and nauseating! Some other things in the book make it
grotesque in some parts! This is definitely a book for ages 13 and up! Throughout the book the
author of this book uses very interesting imagery and the book has explicated detail to where you
can experience what the character feels. This is a mind engaging and very intriguing book . . .
Everyone should read it once in their lifetime for the adventure of a lifetime!

Rating:
Summary: January Book Report - Deathwatch
Review: Deathwatch is an intriguing story about a boy named Ben in need of college money who makes a huge mistake. Well, actually a couple mistakes. The first Ben made was to go on a hunting trip with a man named Madec as a guide to get the extra money for next semester. That in itself was not too bad, but what happened next is what made that such a bad choice. As Ben and Madec were looking for bighorn sheep, Madec accidentally shoots an old prospector. Ben wanted to just report the whole thing as an accidental shooting to the sheriff, but Madec said no. Madec wanted to just forget the incident, so they could hunt for bighorns some more. After all, he only had four more days before his permit expired. Ben, however, insists on reporting the shooting, claiming that Madec would not get sent to jail for an accident. After a huge argument, Ben gives in and says he won't say a word. You'd think Madec would be happy with that, but he decides he can't trust Ben. He forces Ben (under gunpoint) to take off his clothes and walk back to town, or at least the highway. Everything would be groovy, considering what was happening. After all, everyone has read those stories where someone gets stranded in the wilderness and has to find their own way home. Well, there are a couple of small, slight problems. Number one, Deathwatch takes place in the desert, sixty-five miles from civilization. Number two, Madec insists on making sure Ben finds no food or water the entire way. Ouch. So then the problem is this: can Ben, who lived in the desert his entire life, outsmart Madec, an incredibly intelligent businessman with a .358 magnum and a jeep, without any supplies whatsoever? Even if he can survive the desert, will Ben be able to stop Madec in court? Overall, (no, not the pants) Deathwatch is not just a Hatchet imitator.

I, personally, would give Deathwatch four out of five stars (****). While it is possible to compare Hatchet to Deathwatch, it's not easy to do. These books are just too different. There were a few cliffhanger moments (literally, as well as figuratively), but the length of the book could tell you the outcome, like "will Ben get to water?" when the book isn't even half through. There were two main reasons I gave this book four (as opposed to five) stars. The first big thing is the ending. It ends the book so abruptly, and it doesn't really tell you what's going to happen. In that sense, the book doesn't actually end. The other big reason is Robb White's (the author) lack of poetic usage. Anything that adds color to the scenes is what goes on in Ben's mind. Otherwise, this book is as bare as the desert that it takes place in. However, I have to admit that this emptiness spontaneously takes away from and adds to the story. It adds to the feeling that Ben is trapped in an empty wasteland, and things are NOT going his way. One last thing is what took away that one star, but it is relatively minor. The book leaves a couple of questions whose answers are somewhere in the desert. For example, we never know about Ben's parents; they just aren't included in the story. Despite these small problems, Deathwatch is a great novel to pick up and read, and you won't put it down until you either finish or your language arts teacher tells you to, whichever comes first.

Rating:
Summary: DeathWatch Review
Review: DeathWatch is a about a young man named Ben on the run from a evil, and quite sycophathic huntin man named Madec. Madec's ways of thinking are so commonly used by him its in his name. It begins in the blaze of the desert with Ben as Madec's tracker while hunting. The is for the rare but still hunted Bighorn of the dersert. The book takes a dramadic turn when Madec susposably acceidetaly kills a desert wanderig man. When Ben see the man dead Madec holds Ben at gun point and tells him to try to make it to town with only his boxers on. That's when the long and deadly game of cat and mouse begins for the both of them. With Madec with the jeep, and both the Hornet .22, and the .386, all that Ben has i his brain and a slingshot to fend of the dangers of the desert.

My overall rating of the book has to be 4 stars. The book just barly fails to make my bar because of the uneven amount of suspence and action. In one part of the book it can have you on the egde of whatever your sitting on, but in other parts it makes you wonder if its a book or a text book. Also, soe of it seemed unreal due to the exaderaed elements Ben has to deal with. Plus, most likly, with Madec being as crazy as he is i would never think he could a huge company like he says he does. But i'm not trying to cut the book down t size. It had very many entense parts that could pretty likly to give a new movie producer a influense. The discription of the ungiving desert makes you think the hot dersert sun is beating down on you, more less Ben. This book honestly goes into my top ten of books. But then again, i've havn't read all that many books.

Rating:
Summary: The end of this book SUCKS!
Review: Ok, basically what happens in this book is a college kid named Ben who needs money for another semester is hired by a powerful executive-type man, Madec, as a guide to hunt bighorn sheep in the desert. When Madec "accidentally" shoots an old man in the desert, he decides to make it look like Ben shot the old man. What happens next can only be described as cruel and unusual. Madec makes Ben take off his shoes and all of his clothes except his underwear and tells him to start walking home, with no water and nothing to protect him from the blazing desert sun. When Ben finally does get home, it is with Madec tied up in the backseat of the Jeep. At first, Madec makes it look as though Ben killed the old man & tried to kill him. However, I'm not going to totally spoil the end for you, so if you decide that you really MUST know what happens, youll have to read the book.

This was a VERY exciting book to read because of the tension of not wanting Madec to win the little game of cat-and-mouse and also because of the wanting Ben to survive against the elements. There is a truly disgusting part where Ben eats a lizard and a few desert birds RAW! I seriously think that Robb White is a really good author and this book deserves to be read.