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witchylevy's review
3.0
3 young teens tossed into an unfamiliar setting where the wildlife seems to be on steroids. One boy is a thrill seeking idiot, the other a brainiac jock. The girl is hot for the idiot. They are so worried about being found. Even after they've proven it's dangerous they aren't seeking means of protection. I'm surprised the author could make the series last more than 2 books with how dumb they seem. Probably won't continue this series.
vikingwolf's review
2.0
My review is based on reading part one of the series. This covers the boat caught in the storm, the three teenagers being thrown into the sea, sucked into a whirlpool and landing on the island.
The plot was fun enough. The description of the storm was pretty good and it wasn't difficult to imagine the panic of finding your parents gone and being unable to save the boat taking on water. The visual descriptions of the island and its strange sights was pretty good, making it obvious to us, if not all of the kids, that they are not in their own world anymore. The twin suns and glowing sand were a bit of a giveaway but Jack is too stubborn to believe that. I enjoyed the attack of the big spiders because I am totally arachnophobic and thinking about them gave me the horrors!
Now the plot holes. We must stay on the beach because that is where rescue will come from. So seconds later they all decide to wander off into the jungle. This is where they find the spiders. Now we need to run away and get back to the beach to make a big help sign. OK don't you think a sign on the beach should have been done BEFORE you wander into the jungle? That way if rescue were to come, they will then know roughly where you are? Bit of an oversight from Jack who seems to have all the answers to every possible problem, which was a bit too convenient for me.
But it was the characters who really did my head in. Casey was the bimbo from hell. She doesn't know if her beloved parents are dead or alive, she's stuck in another world but huge bloody spiders chasing her and all she cares about is her appearance and whether Mike fancies her. Oh please! If I were in that situation, I'd be scared witless and not really caring about romance!!! Mike was a total asshat whose reckless antics were putting them all in danger. He was arrogant, vain and just had to be the centre of attention at all times and I just couldn't stand his antics. Jack was the sensible one but his ability to know the answer to everything just got on my nerves.
I was in two minds whether to continue with the series so I checked out other Goodreads reviews and I'm glad that I did. When I read that Casey and Mike have a big romance despite danger from velociraptors and T Rex etc I decided that I would give the rest of it a miss. Teenage hormones flying when there are bloody dinosaurs trying to eat you would just bug the hell out of me.
Trying to rate this book was hard. I'd give it three for imagination and description, two for the plot holes and dreadful characters. 2.5 would probably be the fairest result but I'm rounding it down to two because of its faults.
The plot was fun enough. The description of the storm was pretty good and it wasn't difficult to imagine the panic of finding your parents gone and being unable to save the boat taking on water. The visual descriptions of the island and its strange sights was pretty good, making it obvious to us, if not all of the kids, that they are not in their own world anymore. The twin suns and glowing sand were a bit of a giveaway but Jack is too stubborn to believe that. I enjoyed the attack of the big spiders because I am totally arachnophobic and thinking about them gave me the horrors!
Now the plot holes. We must stay on the beach because that is where rescue will come from. So seconds later they all decide to wander off into the jungle. This is where they find the spiders. Now we need to run away and get back to the beach to make a big help sign. OK don't you think a sign on the beach should have been done BEFORE you wander into the jungle? That way if rescue were to come, they will then know roughly where you are? Bit of an oversight from Jack who seems to have all the answers to every possible problem, which was a bit too convenient for me.
But it was the characters who really did my head in. Casey was the bimbo from hell. She doesn't know if her beloved parents are dead or alive, she's stuck in another world but huge bloody spiders chasing her and all she cares about is her appearance and whether Mike fancies her. Oh please! If I were in that situation, I'd be scared witless and not really caring about romance!!! Mike was a total asshat whose reckless antics were putting them all in danger. He was arrogant, vain and just had to be the centre of attention at all times and I just couldn't stand his antics. Jack was the sensible one but his ability to know the answer to everything just got on my nerves.
I was in two minds whether to continue with the series so I checked out other Goodreads reviews and I'm glad that I did. When I read that Casey and Mike have a big romance despite danger from velociraptors and T Rex etc I decided that I would give the rest of it a miss. Teenage hormones flying when there are bloody dinosaurs trying to eat you would just bug the hell out of me.
Trying to rate this book was hard. I'd give it three for imagination and description, two for the plot holes and dreadful characters. 2.5 would probably be the fairest result but I'm rounding it down to two because of its faults.
dblue236's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
wombat_88's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
theladygonzalez's review
3.0
Agartha's Castaway by Chrissy Peebles is the story of three friends who become shipwrecked on a rather strange deserted island. I have to say that the characters are rather one-dimensional. They are given stereotypes in the beginning and stay within those lines throughout the book. I found this to be true with Mike and Jack in particular. Jack is the brains of the operation and Mike is the jock. Jack acts with caution, while Mike brazenly jumps into dangerous situations without a second thought. He is constantly getting the three of them into trouble. Hopefully, in the sequel, we will see them break away from this and develop into more dynamic characters.
While the plotline was a little farfetched at times for my liking, it was both thrilling and exciting. Peebles also does an excellent job with the imagery. Everything is described in such lush, descriptive detail that you can’t help but create a vivid, beautiful image in your mind.
I enjoyed Casey and her narrative - she’s feisty and determined. Although at times she did get under my skin. She’s was rather dense when it came to her interactions with Jack and Mike; mostly with Jack. Although, that can be attributed to what I believe is the target audience. If I had read this story as a preteen I probably wouldn’t have had any issues with Casey.
I can also say that I truly enjoyed the unpredictable nature of the plot line. While the characters were a little stereotypical, the plot was nothing of the sort. Peebles packs so much excitement and entertainment into this book that it’s unreal. Honestly, it seems like every other page brings some sort of challenge for the three teenagers. I would definitely say that Agartha’s Castaway is plot/action driven, rather than character driven.
I feel bad pinpointing and nitpicking Agartha’s Castaway, because I feel it is superbly written for a younger audience. It’s just that, as an older reader, I struggled with bits of it. Hopefully the sequel with have a bit more character development, then we will be treated to the best of both worlds. Peebles has already got the excitement, danger and action down.
While the plotline was a little farfetched at times for my liking, it was both thrilling and exciting. Peebles also does an excellent job with the imagery. Everything is described in such lush, descriptive detail that you can’t help but create a vivid, beautiful image in your mind.
I enjoyed Casey and her narrative - she’s feisty and determined. Although at times she did get under my skin. She’s was rather dense when it came to her interactions with Jack and Mike; mostly with Jack. Although, that can be attributed to what I believe is the target audience. If I had read this story as a preteen I probably wouldn’t have had any issues with Casey.
I can also say that I truly enjoyed the unpredictable nature of the plot line. While the characters were a little stereotypical, the plot was nothing of the sort. Peebles packs so much excitement and entertainment into this book that it’s unreal. Honestly, it seems like every other page brings some sort of challenge for the three teenagers. I would definitely say that Agartha’s Castaway is plot/action driven, rather than character driven.
I feel bad pinpointing and nitpicking Agartha’s Castaway, because I feel it is superbly written for a younger audience. It’s just that, as an older reader, I struggled with bits of it. Hopefully the sequel with have a bit more character development, then we will be treated to the best of both worlds. Peebles has already got the excitement, danger and action down.
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