Official Review: Voyage of Pearl of the Seas

BookishCreature · Post by **BookishCreature** » 14 May 2018, 17:06

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Voyage of Pearl of the Seas" by Ruth Finnegan.]

2 out of 4 stars

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Fans of CS Lewis will likely enjoy the tale of Chris, Kate, and Holly – two kids and a dog who voyage across the ocean on a ship of their own making. Their dreamy and mystical adventure takes them to strange, fantastical places, and they bump into plenty of interesting people along the way. But when all is said and done, will they be able to find their way home?

Ruth Finnegan’s Voyage of Pearl of the Seas is a lyrical, poetic piece of YA fantasy. I’m sure there are certain kinds of readers that will absolutely adore it, but personally, I had a few misgivings. I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.

Let’s start with the high points. Voyage of Pearl of the Seas tells a deeply layered story, full of allusions to mythology and classic literature. Finnegan pulls inspiration and quotations from the likes of Rumi and Walt Whitman, along with plenty of references to Christian beliefs. These allusions are all pointed out and explained in the Notes section at the end of the book, offering readers a chance to expand their literary horizons and explore the deeper themes of the book.

Speaking of exploration, the author also includes a set of discussion questions to get her readers thinking more critically about the story. I really love when YA authors include discussion prompts – they are wonderful conversation starters for kids and parents alike.

I also adored Rachel Backshall’s gorgeous illustrations. A handful of full-page pencil drawings were scattered throughout the chapters, and each one is brimming with detail. The abstract art style added to the dreamy feel of the story as a whole, and they were probably my favorite part of the entire book.

Unfortunately, that same dreamy feel also plays into what I disliked about Voyage of Pearl of the Seas. Finnegan’s writing style leans far more towards poetry than prose. The semi-abstract, stream-of-consciousness storytelling made it difficult for me to really understand the specifics of the situations that Chris and Kate were in.

I’m a pretty literal person, so this is just my personal preference and not a complaint. I do, however, have a complaint. It seemed like in order to get that poetic feel, the author let punctuation and sentence structure fall to the wayside, which often made sentences confusing. Here’s an excerpt so you can see what I mean.

But Kate was deep in a fairytale full of dreams and did not want to be disturbed. And even when she wasn't reading, her secret vi- - well reading wasn't really a 'vice' was it whatever her mum said? More like a 'voice'. (Oh there you go again Katey Kate, voices and vices and wises and songses, and three-sonicked word-fullnesses sound-ringing in her head - we’ll just have to get used to it, you, so just – well, manage)…

I think there’s a way to make prose more poetic without sacrificing function for form. More conventional grammar would have made this book easier to parse. As it stands, the writing style took me out of the story instead of drawing me in, which is why I’m giving it a final rating of 2 out of 4 stars.

While this book isn’t a book for me, I still think there are plenty of readers out there who will enjoy it. If a heady blend of poetry and Narnia sounds like something you’d enjoy, you should definitely give this book a try! If you’re more literal-minded and a stickler for commas, it might not be for you either.

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Voyage of Pearl of the Seas
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Post by **kandscreeley** » 17 May 2018, 07:22

Even the title kind of reminds me of C.S. Lewis. It sounds interesting. I can see where you had problems, though. All in all, I just don't think it's unique enough for me to enjoy it. The poetic nature of the story is interesting, but not something I would probably be happy with. Thanks for the thorough review.

revna01 · Post by **revna01** » 17 May 2018, 13:15

I reviewed this book and wholeheartedly feel as you do; I also gave it two out of four stars. Thanks for the detailed review!

melissy370 · Post by **melissy370** » 17 May 2018, 19:14

I love C.S. Lewis, but this one is a miss for me. I would agree the excerpt was all over the place. Thanks for your review.

NL Hartje · Post by **NL Hartje** » 20 May 2018, 14:35

BookishCreature wrote: ↑14 May 2018, 17:06 As it stands, the writing style took me out of the story instead of drawing me in,

It's interesting to me when authors use poor grammar and syntax choices. I acquaint this with singer's singing with no reference to key or tonality. It just doesn't work. How do these choices get made and moreover, make it past editors?!

Kendra M Parker · Post by **Kendra M Parker** » 26 May 2018, 14:59

While I loved C.S. Lewis' works, I’m not sure something quite so poetic is to my taste. I enjoy a whimsical story, and I can even go for some poetry at times, but without punctuation, I tend to get lost. The passage you quoted pretty well shows me this is not my thing, either.

Ferdinand_Otieno · Post by **Ferdinand_Otieno** » 29 May 2018, 11:18

The onlinebookclub review of the book was written masterfully and highlighted the best the book has to offer and I loved the unique writing style. I rated the book 2 out of 4 stars.

FilmStar · Post by **FilmStar** » 29 May 2018, 11:24

I feel like I wouldn't like it. While I like C.S. Lewis, I wouldn't like reading something that seems more like poetry and less like a story. I'll skip on this one.

Aliyuoniye · Post by **Aliyuoniye** » 29 May 2018, 11:26

unput-downable tale of two children building a boat from a log they find buried in the sand and sailing off to far-off fantastic lands in a stormy sea-driven adventure. Sound like a good adventure to me.

JuliaKay · Post by **JuliaKay** » 29 May 2018, 11:27

I have read a lot of acclaimed novels that were much too poetic for me-the story sometimes gets lost. I'm sad to read that this was the case for you. The story seems great, but the poetic bits would be a distraction for me. I think it is a difficult balance.

"Let’s start with the high points. Voyage of Pearl of the Seas tells a deeply layered story, full of allusions to mythology and classic literature. Finnegan pulls inspiration and quotations from the likes of Rumi and Walt Whitman, along with plenty of references to Christian beliefs."

I love the the author utilized mythology and classic literature because this makes me feel a stronger connected with the writing.

jemgirl202 · Post by **jemgirl202** » 29 May 2018, 11:27

This book is an adventure that is compared to The Chronicles of Narnia in the review and filled with dreamy prose. I love how the author captures mythology and lore in their prose. Congrats on book of the day! Great review!

Stantheman · Post by **Stantheman** » 29 May 2018, 11:29

If you're not into poetry, then I'd advise you move on to the next. Worth a try though.

klwoodford · Post by **klwoodford** » 29 May 2018, 11:30

I grew up reading C.S. Lewis, so your comparison really peaks my interest in this novel. Thank you for including an excerpt showing the technical side to the writing. I will admit that the style makes it hard for me to really get into. Overall, I think it would be a novel worth checking out. Thank you for the wonderful review

MsTri · Post by **MsTri** » 29 May 2018, 11:33

Unfortunately, that same dreamy feel also plays into what I disliked about Voyage of Pearl of the Seas. Finnegan’s writing style leans far more towards poetry than prose. The semi-abstract, stream-of-consciousness storytelling made it difficult for me to really understand the specifics of the situations that Chris and Kate were in.

I’m a pretty literal person, so this is just my personal preference and not a complaint. I do, however, have a complaint. It seemed like in order to get that poetic feel, the author let punctuation and sentence structure fall to the wayside, which often made sentences confusing. Here’s an excerpt so you can see what I mean.

But Kate was deep in a fairytale full of dreams and did not want to be disturbed. And even when she wasn't reading, her secret vi- - well reading wasn't really a 'vice' was it whatever her mum said? More like a 'voice'. (Oh there you go again Katey Kate, voices and vices and wises and songses, and three-sonicked word-fullnesses sound-ringing in her head - we’ll just have to get used to it, you, so just – well, manage)…

I think there’s a way to make prose more poetic without sacrificing function for form. More conventional grammar would have made this book easier to parse. As it stands, the writing style took me out of the story instead of drawing me in, which is why I’m giving it a final rating of 2 out of 4 stars.

This description reminded me SOOO much of a book that I reviewed once that I had to go and look and sure as heck, I gave this same author 1-star for a book I read in Oct, for this very same reason!

With that being said, even though the plot sounds like something I'd normally like, I am definitely passing on this one! And it's such a shame because I'd like to experience those great illustrations...but not enough to muddle through more of Ms. Finnegan's "writing"... I'm sorry for your experience, but thanks for the warning!