Floodland

Rating:
Summary: Can she Survive???
Review: RE: AUDIO CASSETTE VERSION. When I began, I didn't realize that this story was written for pre-adult audiences. That accounts for the fact that the savage violence occuring all around is only alluded to, never described realistically (...). While such restraint is entirely appropriate for younger readers, I cannot imagine that the slow pace and off-stage action prove very satisfying to the target audience. The story itself is a post-apocalyptic take on Alice Through the Looking Glass/Dorothy in Oz searching for a way home, but without any of the humor, whimsey or enchantment of those models. The premise is intriguing but a much lighter touch is needed to entertain young readers, either that or a much harder edge for adults.

Rating:
Summary: Alice in Floodland
Review: RE: AUDIO CASSETTE VERSION. When I began, I didn't realize that this story was written for pre-adult audiences. That accounts for the fact that the savage violence occuring all around is only alluded to, never described realistically (...). While such restraint is entirely appropriate for younger readers, I cannot imagine that the slow pace and off-stage action prove very satisfying to the target audience. The story itself is a post-apocalyptic take on Alice Through the Looking Glass/Dorothy in Oz searching for a way home, but without any of the humor, whimsey or enchantment of those models. The premise is intriguing but a much lighter touch is needed to entertain young readers, either that or a much harder edge for adults.

Rating:
Summary: Floodland
Review: The name of the book I'm reviewing is Floodland. The author of this book is Marcus Sedwick. It is about a girl named Zoe Black. The sea keeps rising until the city of Norwich turns into an island. The city was crumbling. Zoe gets left behind on the island when her parents go ahead to the mainland. She finds a row boat and goes out to look for her parents. She gets abducted by a warrish gang called the Eels. Zoe spends some time on the island until another gang attacks. The leader a boy named Dooby takes the boat and Zoe. Dooby gets into a fight with a kid named Spat. Then a kid named Munchkin gets in and they row off into the ocean. I would recommend this to a friend because it is a good action book.

Rating:
Summary: Can she Survive???
Review: This is THE most thrilling book of all times!!! I love it!!! But as another reviewer put it, it is a little violent (the cassete tapes I mean) for younger listers. I'd rate it as #2 in my 'favorite books' list (the first one is Anne of Green Gables). The only problem is... he leaves you a little cliff-hanging.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable "what if"
Review: What if the polar icecaps melted? What if most of the planet were under water? No, this isn't the movie "Waterworld," it is the slightly-fantasy "Floodland," an enjoyable what-if story. Don't worry--aside from the premise there aren't many similarities to the movie, and first-time author Maurice Sedgwick does a good job.

In this new Earth, humans are learning ways to survive other than growing crops and breeding animals. The heroine is ten-year-old Zoe, accidently torn away from her missing parents. She is able to navigate with a rowboat, but is soon stranded on one of the bits of land by the Eels, a bunch of even more desperate teens who steal her boat.

Alone, she can't escape the Eels and their rotten commander alone, she does have a couple of allies. One is a nice guy named Munchkin, and another is a supposedly-insane "Mad William," who claims that he is William Blake (hey, why not?) The Eels pay little attention to William, but Zoe recognizes that William may be able to help her find her parents — and land! But not surprisingly, there is a time limit, as the water is always going higher.

This is an undeniably enjoyable book. The heroine's characterization is a bit uneven at times, though she is still a likeable and realistic young woman. I especially liked the character of William, the mad seer who sees far more clearly than Dobby or the Eels (aside from nice-guy Munchkin--nice guy, very nice guy! Very good to read about).

The writing style was a little spare for my taste, but was descriptive enough and got across the images nicely; dialogue was pretty good, with interludes of VERY good interaction between Zoe and the others, especially Mad William. The usage of William Blake (the poet, not Mad William) to illustrate points along the way was especially good.

I'm looking forward to any future books of Mr. Sedgwick's!