The Raft

Book Title: The Raft

Author: S.A. Bodeen

Number of Pages: 231

Rating: 1 star

Genres: Survival

Books like it: NA

My favorite quote: NA

Brief Synopsis from Goodreads:

Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.

And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way.

My Summary:

Introduction:

This was one of the worst books that I have ever read. Hands down. My friend told me it was an amazing book, and so I picked it up, expecting greatness. What I got was a piece of trash that was called a book. The only reason I  finished this book is because I wanted to see if the main character would get what she deserved. That sounds awful, but I am telling you, this character made me wring my hair and want to scream in frustration. Word of advice: spare yourself the pain and agony of reading this book and just leave it alone.

A Basic Summary:

So basically what happens is the first few chapters we get some action, and then the rest of the book falls flat. This girl gets on a plane, it crashes, and she has to survive on a raft. Here is the problem. What is entertaining in a book about a girl who is stuck in the middle of the ocean on a raft? Nothing. She thinks about the birds and how they are more free than her. She hopes for rescue. She thinks about very boring and irrelevant things. This, in short, is the whole book. No plot, no action, no nothing except a girl feeling sorry for herself.

Snore.

Then the next problem is EVERYTHING IS SO SHUT THE FRIDGIN CONVENIENT FOR HER!!!!

You are hungry? Bada bing! There is a king size bag of Skittles in one of the containers.

Oh, now you’re thirsty? Bada bing! Let’s make it rain so you can get a drink.

Oh, you’re getting dehydrated and might die? Bada bing! There is an island in front of you!

Oh, you need something to light a signal fire with? Bada bing! There is a lighter in the sand THAT WORKS!!!

Oh, you need to be rescued? Bada bing! There is a boat out there that could do the trick for you.

What’s that? I just spoiled some of the book for you? Oh good. Now you won’t have to suffer through actually reading it!

You are so welcome. I am so thoughtful.

And now you should move on to a different book. Because this one is awful.

A List of ALL the other problems:

Max went to a Taylor Swift concert.

Okay, I am just telling the author right now. IF you are going to write a book for young adults and include things that young adults like, DO YOUR RESEARCH.  So in highschool Max went to a Taylor Swift concert with his girlfriend. Max went to pilot school. So, he is probably in his late/mid twenties during the book. Being a Swiftie, I can tell you that her first tour was in 2009. Five years ago. SO,  what the author is implying is that Max went to a Taylor Swift concert in his highschool years, when in reality, when Taylor Swift started touring, he would have been about 23-25. No where near highschool age.

Robbie

This is ONE OF THE WORST main characters I have EVER encountered. She was stupid, naive, and I wanted to smack her most of the time. She is in the middle of the ocean, with no water, no food, and no chance of survival, and what does she do? She complains about her nosering.

And then she says to Max: Is there anything worse than this?

Wow. Way to be brave and heroic and to fight your way out of this situation. You wanted a hero with backbone? Nah. Let’s just give you a self-centered, oh pity me kind of gal.

And this is where all of you guys are getting angry with me.

She’s on a raft, for crying out loud.

Well, yes, I am well aware of that. But shouldn’t she at least be TRYING to survive? DOES SHE EVEN WANT TO?

And then there was that one part-

No.

But-

NO! WE ARE NOT MENTIONING THIS PART. IT WILL JUST FRUSTRATE YOU MORE.

But-

AGHHGH

Look at me. I am not even making any sense because I am so FRUSTRATED.

Conclusions:

The author rushed this book WAY too much. The plot was boring and not well thought out, the main character was whiny and unrealistic, many parts of the book were rushed, and everything happened without a good reason behind it. It was a boring book with no action, except for the half a page where a shark comes and goes. But I wasn’t even worried that the shark was going to be a problem (which it wasn’t) so this book was boring anyway. Piece of advice: Stay away from this book. It has issues.