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3.09 AVERAGE
3.09 AVERAGE
As I mentioned earlier, I have decided that I am not able to finish reading Riverkeep. I gave the book 100 pages and almost the entire time reading it, all I could think of was other things which I wanted to read. I adore the cover of this book and it sounded like an awesome premise to me. However, I just couldn't lose myself in this book like I wanted to.
Riverkeep tells the story of Wulliam, who is set to inherit the job of Riverkeep upon his 16th birthday in a week or so. The job entails keeping the river flowing in the horribly cold weather and removing the dead when they are found. Wulliam does not want the job, but is forced to start early when his father is taken by the river late one evening, only to return a few hours later as a very different person. Add in a few sea legends and some monsters and it sounds like a great book, and I am sure there will be many out there who will like it.
There were just too many issues for me. I found the book to be long-winded and boring. There is a specific dialect used with the writing and I was just not focused enough to catch on or even care. I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters and although I have it 100 pages, when I decided to quit, there was still over 300 pages still waiting and I just couldn't bear to go on.
I rarely DNF a book. I think this is the third since 2011. It is not a decision I take lightly and even after it was made, and I moved on to another book which I am thrilled to say I am really liking, I still feel bad. I will never know what happened to Wulliam and his father, or if the sea monster was caught or killed. I will just have to live with that though because there is no going back for me. I am not providing a rating for Riverkeep because I think it would be unfair. I do believe it holds an interesting story for some and hope others find it interesting and intriguing. This was just the wrong book for me.
I received Riverkeep from the Penguin First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.
Riverkeep tells the story of Wulliam, who is set to inherit the job of Riverkeep upon his 16th birthday in a week or so. The job entails keeping the river flowing in the horribly cold weather and removing the dead when they are found. Wulliam does not want the job, but is forced to start early when his father is taken by the river late one evening, only to return a few hours later as a very different person. Add in a few sea legends and some monsters and it sounds like a great book, and I am sure there will be many out there who will like it.
There were just too many issues for me. I found the book to be long-winded and boring. There is a specific dialect used with the writing and I was just not focused enough to catch on or even care. I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters and although I have it 100 pages, when I decided to quit, there was still over 300 pages still waiting and I just couldn't bear to go on.
I rarely DNF a book. I think this is the third since 2011. It is not a decision I take lightly and even after it was made, and I moved on to another book which I am thrilled to say I am really liking, I still feel bad. I will never know what happened to Wulliam and his father, or if the sea monster was caught or killed. I will just have to live with that though because there is no going back for me. I am not providing a rating for Riverkeep because I think it would be unfair. I do believe it holds an interesting story for some and hope others find it interesting and intriguing. This was just the wrong book for me.
I received Riverkeep from the Penguin First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.
I listened to the audiobook with James Cosmo’s voice. His reading deserves 5 stars, and I hope to hear him read the telephone book in the future. He would do a fantastic job. Although know going in that the book is dual POV, and sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.
As for the story itself, if you love rich description, the high fantasy “feel,” fantasy tropes, and stories about fathers and sons, this is a fun read. I was deeply moved by some of the lessons at the end. That being said, the world-building feels a little random, the pacing could have used some work, and I spent the first part asking, “Where are all the women?” And if you’re not here for the description, you’ll fall asleep. (But what better voice to fall asleep to than James Cosmo’s?)
If you’ve always wanted to read Moby Dick in a more fun and readable format, go for it. If that plot doesn’t interest you at all, this may not be for you.
As for the story itself, if you love rich description, the high fantasy “feel,” fantasy tropes, and stories about fathers and sons, this is a fun read. I was deeply moved by some of the lessons at the end. That being said, the world-building feels a little random, the pacing could have used some work, and I spent the first part asking, “Where are all the women?” And if you’re not here for the description, you’ll fall asleep. (But what better voice to fall asleep to than James Cosmo’s?)
If you’ve always wanted to read Moby Dick in a more fun and readable format, go for it. If that plot doesn’t interest you at all, this may not be for you.