Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Book Review: Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques


 Hi there, fellow nerds! I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've updated this blog. :/ I'm not making any promises, since life gets in the way a lot, but hopefully I can update this thing more often. Just a warning, though: it might get pretty random. But hey, I did tell you I was a nerd, right?

Anyways, I was bored yesterday and I ended up picking up a book that I had started quite a few times, but just never got around to finishing. I liked it, I just kept losing my place in it, starting over, getting busy and forgetting about it, etc. 

The book is called Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by one of my favorite authors, Brian Jacques. In case you haven't heard of him, he wrote the Redwall series and quite a few other books, too. I just love his writing style and how masterfully he tells the story, and I really enjoyed the book, so I thought I'd give it a review.


To sum it all up


The book is about a teenage boy, his faithful dog, and the legendary ship, the Flying Dutchman


As the legend goes, the ship was cursed to sail upon the seas for eternity or something like that (I don't know the entire story, haha), but Jacques takes that legend and puts a creative spin on it. The boy, Ben, and his dog, Ned, manage to escape the ship before it sinks, and they find themselves on the shore near a kind old shepherd's hut. He takes them in and shows them kindness they've never seen in their short, hard lives; here the boy and dog's adventures begin. But there's a catch: after escaping from the cursed ship, the two discover that they aren't like everyone else. They're ageless! Guided by an angel who speaks to them in dreams, Ben and Ned travel through centuries, trying to find their purpose. Everyone else knows that they're different, but the two know that no one would ever believe them if they told them that they once sailed on the legendary ship over two hundred years ago.

(Just a warning: if you plan to read Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, I'd advise you not to read the rest of this review, because there might be a few spoilers!)


Characters (7/10):


Jacques crafts the most lovable characters, and even the villains have so much depth. The pirates are delightfully wicked, and you just love to hate them. Other antagonists like Obadiah Smithers and Maud Bowe are so infuriating that you really feel for Ben and his friends; you despise the villains so much that you never stop rooting for the protagonists.

Ben has a good heart, yet he's wonderfully complicated. No one can figure him out; he's kind to all he meets (even his enemies), clever, levelheaded, and he loves his friends dearly. But he's wise beyond his years, and even though others can sense this, no one can unravel his mystery. He's jolly and friendly, but his blue eyes often hold an unbearable sadness. The only one who really understands is his faithful companion, Den.

Den is another heartwarming character. He's just as brilliant as his master, but he's also witty and good-natured. He's about as loyal as it gets (of course--he's a dog!). Others often wonder about his intelligence, so it's interesting to see how Ben conveys Den's ideas to his friends, while still giving the dog plenty of credit. Den loves attention, and he communicates with his master in a snarky yet lovable way.

Winnie is so sweet and giving, despite all of the sadness she tries to hide. Although she doesn't want others to know, she truly is a lonely woman, and she really wants someone to keep her company. She was so hospitable to Ben and his friends, and she's faced so much sorrow that you really want to do everything you can to help her.

Amy is incredibly understanding and smart (and to be honest, I was shipping her and Ben). She's a really good friend to Ben. She sees through Ben's mysterious eyes, and even though she doesn't know his story, she knows that he's different. 

Alex is a nice addition to the friend circle. He doesn't quite understand Ben, and he kind of relies on Amy to explain things about him. He's a bit of a coward at first, but Ben teaches him so much, and it was nice to see him change throughout the book.

Wilfred is your average bully: he pretends to be tough on the outside when on the inside, he's really just a stinkin' coward. He considers Ben his sworn enemy, but after the cool, levelheaded boy teaches him quite a few lessons, he settles down a little.


Plot (8/10):


I thoroughly enjoyed the plot. It was so much more than a simple legend; it was the legend of the Flying Dutchman combined with lovable characters, heartwarming friendships, hope, kindness, bravery, and of course, the important role that a man's best friend plays. It had so much depth to it, really. There was plenty of conflict, but it does slow down enough to let Ben catch his breath--and to let the reader do the same. 

Even after Ben escaped his cruel family, the Flying Dutchman, and the merciless sea, the plot continues to twist and turn--all while driving Ben and Ned forward. 


Writing Style (8/10):


Hopefully this doesn't sound biased, as I did mention that Brian Jacques was one of my favorite authors. :D Jacques' writing style is simple yet fluent; he is gloriously descriptive, but he doesn't pause the story to fill us in on necessary details. One complaint I do have is that some of the people's "accents" are a bit excessive; sometimes the slang gets so out of hand that it's difficult to follow along with the dialogue.


Overall: 8/10


This was a great book, and I definitely recommend it to any of you who are fans of fantasy!! :D 

Oh, thanks for reading. =)

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