My feelings regarding this book telling the tale of Abby Sunderland’s quest to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe were rather mixed. Despite being interested in Abby’s experience, I had trouble staying engaged and ended up not finishing the book, largely because I had other pressing review commitments that were more in line with my interests.
In alternating chapters, the book is narrated from shifting viewpoints, including those of Abby herself, her parents, and others involved with her endeavor, giving the reader the story from a number of different perspectives. I liked the idea, but at times it felt a bit redundant, and I felt that while they were the most relevant, those chapters told in Abby’s voice seemed a bit juvenile.
While I did not particularly connect with this is a book, I think that it would definitely be better appreciated by a junior high school audience. Also, those with a strong background in sailing would likely have an easier time with the book-I struggled a bit, as many of the terms and experiences were simply outside my realm of experience.
Despite not finishing the book I still give it three stars, as I think there is a particular audience out there for it, and it was not poorly written; I was simply not the right reader. It is also a very fast read, so even if you would simply like a first person account of Abby’s fascinating journey, you might consider this one.
I recently watched the film THE DOVE, which is a story about Robin Lee Graham's often horrendous, sailing experiences on his 23ft. sail boat. He began his journey when he was 16 yrs. old and ended it 5 years later. Thank you for information about UNSINKABLE which I read and try not to make unfair comparisons to THE DOVE.
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