I guarantee he never even read it. This is a book about what goes on in sailing written by a guy who's never been on a boat.
Paragraph after paragraph - once they're on the boat, the actions either can't happen, wouldn't happen or contradict what has already been said.
If you've ever sailed, this is maddening. If you've never sailed, you will have to assume that sailors are schizophrenic superheroes who, most of the time, transform into completely useless idiots. That's what the author would have us believe.
Horrible unreadable book. Sailors beware.

I read this book in less than 24 hours. The chapters are short like most Patterson books. This book lacked detail and the detail it had was humorous.

There is a wealthy lawyer from Manhattan and it is stated that you can tell he is rich because he has his own aircraft. The aircraft listed is a Cessna Skyhawk. This aircraft is a training aircraft and one used by most novice aviators of middle class, not overpaid lawyers from NY.

This book reads just slightly better than a Encyclopedia Brown book. Hopefully Patterson will stop mass producing books and create something well researched.

The mother of a wealthy, dysfunctional family decides to spend a summer sailing with her teenage children in hopes of improving relationships between siblings and their mother. They invite the uncle of the children to join them as captain of the yacht. The children's stepfather, a wealthy lawyer, stays home in New York so the mother and her children can bond better without competing with the husband/wife relationship.

Things start to go wrong aboard the boat from day one. Someone has tampered with the ship, so it almost sinks, but before that happens, the daughter tries to commit suicide by jumping overboard! The plot slides downhill from there.

The writers of this book seem to assume that their readers will know nothing about boats or boating and will accept any impossible fabrication, e.g., a family on a sinkiing ship that doesn't try to contact the Coast Guard for help, and giant snakes living in deserted Bahama islands that attack people and eat them, The entire story is based on the premise that the shipwrecked family put a note in a coke bottle, which was immediately eaten by a giant tuna, which was caught the next day or so and the bottle recovered, which ultimately led to the family's rescue. If that sounds like a good read to you, you will enjoy this book!

As a James patterson fan, I was deeply dissaointed with this book. Its obvious he is just letting his name be attached to books just to make money. This was more predictable, fake, and unrealistic than a silly movie.


I was flipping the pages literally stunned that each event was ACTUALLY happening because it was so stupid and surreal.

Dont waste your time. This book stinks.

James Patterson has written some memorable thrillers but Sail seems to be written by a ghost writer who is new (or tired) of the genre and pushed to this book on the masses using the Patterson label. Don't get me wrong, this is a quick and easy read, but the characters never seem to grasp the readers interest. The scene is set when the dad is killed in a sailing accident and the family tumbles into chaos. The mother is a character that should have been written out of the story. The dialog seems to date back to the Twenties and the characters are all flat. Does this sound like the Patterson we know? I've given it three stars but could easily understand someone giving it one star - what I can't understand is someone giving it five stars.

Editor of the highly recommended novel: Fates by Georgiou Tino: Best of 2008

Katherine Dunne lost her husband four years earlier to a scuba diving accident. Eleven months ago she married a shark of man, Attorney Peter Caryle. Carlyle is after Kathy's dough and he doesn't want to wait for it. To that end he employs Gerard Devoux, a sailboat savvy hitman to smooth his way to all that cash.

Katherine feels she's going bonkers, her oldest, eighteen-year-old Yalie freshman Carrie is a bulimic on the verge of suicide, next in line is sixteen-year-old, pot-smoking, spoiled Mark and lastly there's ten-year-old quiet and troubled Ernie. These people are about as dysfunctional as you can get and to bind them together, heal them maybe, Katherine decides to set sail in the Caribbean on the family boat. Of course they need an experienced captain and who better than an ex-lover, brother in law named Jake.

Needless to say a lot of bad stuff goes wrong on this three hour tour (well it was more than tree hours). Carrie tries to kill herself, Mark gets caught smoking dope, they almost sink, the boat blows up, they're lost on an island, where they fend off sharks and a really big snake and their epirb (emergency position indicating radio beacon) has been rigged by Devoux to tell the world that the castaways Dunne are they aren't.

Meanwhile hitman Devoux's got himself a seaplane and guess who he's coming after?

Okay, did I like it. Yeah, I did, though one has to wonder these days if Mr. Patterson is really writing these stories. The characters were quickly sketched, not really fleshed out, but that's okay in this kind of story. There were too many sharks, but that's okay too. That snake was a bit much, but it'll give you goose bumps. And as one who has actually been on a boat in the Caribbean when it's sinking, I can tell you I was right there with these people. This is good entertainment.

Is there really a James Patterson, or was he created by a computer too? "Sail" reads like a comic book. It is totally predictable. I can only imagine how this "book" was created. It appears to me that someone sat down at a computer with a grab bag of potential scripted happenings, pulled up a variety of them, and then wrote a "story" transitioning from one scripted event to another, sort of like panels in a comic strip. Sad to say, it appears Little, Brown and Company has "sold their soul," and is willing to crank out garbage to take advantage of a popular name. The story line is so trite! Don't waste your money on this bad joke of a book. Patterson must laugh all the way to the bank, assuming that there really is a Patterson!

This book was really bad. I had read a Patterson book before and remember that I didn't like his style of writing then, way too juvenile. This book just confirmed that line of thinking for me. I can't believe this is best selling author material.
I took the chance because I love stories of people shipwrecked, survival, that kind of thing. There was maybe 5 pages of that in this book and it was a joke.
The plot was so completely predictable, shallow and the sex scenes were written like a hormonal 15 year old boy would write.

Had problem : received two copies of the book from different sources.
Feel sure that the error was on my end, and would have returned one but felt the process was too cumbersome and not worth the effort.The book itself was okay, nothing special. Service by your suppliers was excellent.
It's tough doing business when one is an old man with fat fingers.

W. Henderson

Always love his books - this one was very suspenseful. I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down.

I was expecting the book to have bumps and waves because of the synopsis but being a James Patterson fan I figured I would give it a try.
I should have known better coming from him, the book was intense and a page turner right from the beginning. It's the second book that I have read from Patterson and Howard Roughan but not the last.These two authors team up and keep you on the edge of your seat.
Kudos gentlemen and thanks for a great read.

I have read many of the Patterson novels and was excited to get into Sail. Predictable but not a completely disappointing read as there is plenty of action to hold your attention. If there are other Patterson novels you haven't read, you may want to look into those first.

I have read all of James Patterson's books and loved them. SAIL is a predictable, watered-down, boring story lacking any mystery or suspense. I was highly disappointed and happy I did not pay full price for this book.

I liked this book. It was a quick read, but not obvious. Yes...at some point I started to figure it out, but just the same I did enjoy the book.

Don't waste your money on this one. It was like reading a book I had already read and a movie I had already seen. It was predictable, boring and lacked substance. I'll never purchase another Patterson book that has a coauthor. I've been a fan of Patterson for more than 10yrs. but I feel I wasted my $$$$ on this one. Come on James give us a good suspense novel that you built your reputation and your fan base on!

As usual, the product is superb and the delivery very timely. I would highly reccommend this book.

Like most Patterson books, this one is a page turner. It has well defined characters with pleanty of suprises and duel plots.

Ugh. This book was bland. It had no intrigue no suspense no depth of characters and definitely not worth hardcover prices. Save your money and watch any movie on Lifetime that has a struggling woman & family at sea.
That being said, if you're looking for a good James Patterson book for the summer, I would suggest Beach Road, now that has twists and turns!

This book was so bad, I don't know where to begin. This book is written on such a basic level, that I actually feel less intelligent for reading the dumbed down storyline. What is up with the crazy short chapters? A chapter should mark a transition between major plot points or some dramatic turn of events. It feels as if the authors knew they didn't have enough material to make a decent book, so by adding so many chapters, they can stretch a bad short story a few more pages to make it a novel. An annoying yet constant shift between third person to first person is very distracting, and draws the reader out of the story at every transition. As for the story, left field doesn't begin to describe how farfetched it is. An excessive amount of lucky coincidences befall the main characters making the plot entirely unbelievable. I'm not going to touch on the technology discussed in this book, because as a work of fiction, an author can get by with stretching some capabilities.

For me, this book was a chore to read, which I did because it was the only thing I had for a distraction on a boring day. This is the second Patterson book I've read, and I am so disappointed with both, that I am going home and trash the other three I have yet to get to.

My daughter & I both read Sail this summer. We both thought the same thing. It was definitely a good summer read. A little predictable in parts, but it kept moving. You know how some books tend to stall in places, this did not. We both like James Patterson's books more when he collaberates with another writer.

James Patterson
Little, Brown & Co., 2008
ISBN: 9780316018708
5 Stars
Gripping...

When I think of the word sail, I think of placid waters, a blowing breeze, and a gentle lull of the water as it slaps against the hull. (I admit I have never been sailing and have romanticized the sport).
In James Patterson's latest book Sail, the sea and voyage is anything but placid. What began as a vacation that would pull her family closer together quickly turned into a nightmare. I have never been a fan of Patterson. I was pleasantly surprised when Sail quickly captured my attention and held it all the way through. I eagerly turned the pages in this epic size novel. There were enough twists and turns throughout the book to remind me of a back road in Kentucky. The suspense in Sail is incredibly thick in this book. Readers will quickly connect to Sail.

I finished this book in a day because I kept reading trying to find reason. This books plot is totally insignificant and is like a thousand similar "ship wrecked" stories. Will never buy another James Patterson book. Total waste of time and piece of GARBAGE.

This watery Patterson epic sent a missle directly to the heart of one of my greatest fears - being stranded out in the middle of the ocean - nothing but deep, dark ocean waters, endless sky and an occasional fin, just to keep the adrenalin pumping. Add to that a dysfunctional family with a Mom, hoping that the "family vacation" will bring the group together like nothing else will. I granted myself the luxury of reading SAIL in one sitting, and even with the Olympics in full swing on the TV, I stayed riveted to the bobbing raft. Since I have been very critical of Patterson's last couple of efforts, I'm happy to report that he has redeemed himself in my eyes, with SAIL.

Patterson took a little more care than usual in developing his characters, so it was easy to love'em or hate'em appropriately. I love it when I don't know what is going to happen next - and although the players were clearly labeled from the beginning, when and how and a few surprises were left to be revealed as we neared the ending - as it should be.

Altogether, this was a very satisfying read - very realistic even if they had to throw in a snake that tasted like chicken, and a giant tuna with a digestion problem. I read for fun, for heaven's sakes! Even so, I've decided to re-think my idea for a family reunion aboard a boat next summer...just to be on the safe side.

Mr. Patterson failed to entertain but did amaze me. Can't believe this wasn't written in a high school composition contest. Predictable, cliche, b o r i n g!!!! Waste of time.

This is a good read. As others mention not up to the Cross series or the 3 female detective novels, but it does hold one's attention. Much better than I anticipated it to be after realizing it was not one of his usual series.

Someone else mentioned reading it quickly. With Patterson's 3 page chapters padding out the apparent link, I find that his books usually take 1/3 less time than any other novels I read.

But it was fun.

i enjoyed the book as it was a good weekend book . as i was reading the book i actually put myself in some of the situations. from the daughter jumping off the boat , to the snake coiling around the moms body . i would recommend this book as a good summer reader..

I have read all of James Pattersons books, this was one of his best. I too read this book in less the 24 hours; I could not put it down! It is a great story, with great characters, filled with lots of suspense! Would love a follow up book to this, where are the Dunnes now???????????

Sail provided hours of entertainment on a long drive. Surprise twists occurred whenever you thought you knew the plot. Cliffhangers kept you in suspense. Highly recommended for listening enjoyment.

Because of the lead author, I ordered this book. Was I ever disappointed.
This is not the James Patterson of the past, his co-author had to have
written this. It is trite, tacky and terrible. What a waste of money.
Don't order this book....characters are trashy and the story line is so
obvious that you don't need to finish it. Hopefully, Patterson will go back to the way he used to write.Sail

One cannot take this book seriously given all its many booboos. A giant tuna just happens to be caught with the main clue in its mouth; the biggest snake in the world killed by 3 kids. Things just go on and on at a breakneck pace. But it was so much fun to read!!!!

If you just want an entertaning, unrealistic story, short chapters, bad guys to hate, improbable healing of a disfunctional family, this book is for you. It's a fast read, just what I needed here in Florida waiting for FAY to devastate my home!!!!!!

I cannot review anything other than Amazon getting the book to my Mother in Wyoming in a timely fashion...

This book was well written as all of James Patterson's books are. As I was reading this book, I was sitting on the beach looking out at the ocean, and I felt like I was on that sailboat with the family who were lost at sea. There was a lot of suspense in this book, and the author really knows how to hold the reader's interest. And I highly reccommend buying this book for yourself or giving to someone as a gift.

Bought this for my mother who is legally blind and listens to audiobooks every day. She thought this was a good read - entertaining and interesting.

Sail is a predictable, nothing special thriller. I could see where it was going from the middle of the book. The characters were not all that believable and you were not that empathetic for them. I was hoping for more to happen to them on the island, but the only things that did happen on the island were predictable, and then they were quickly in court. Nothing special.

This is my second reading of James Patterson after his "you've been warned". However, unlike "you've been warned" which really impressed me and made me think a lot, this book is very disappointing. This book includes every elements, murder plots, weathly family problem, explosion, CIA..., to make it attractive, but it failed for me. Very plain story, with bad bad guy and good good guy. --But it could be made into a very typical Hollywood movie.

Was this book supposed to be taken seriously by the reader? It just so happens that the largest tuna, shark, and snake ever known to man make an appearance in this book. After reading the prologue, I knew this book was going to be absurd and far-fetched. Cliche after cliche fill the remainder of this book, the authors using awfully convenient situations to keep the story moving. James Patterson is the epitome of sheer greed in its finest form. There is no reason that he has to produce a book almost monthly just to make as much money as possible. Patterson sacrifices quality in preference for quantity. He needs to go back to writing books by himself which are enjoyable to read. As long as he keeps using other authors to write his books I no longer will buy them. He has lost a long-time fan.

This is the first book I've read by James Patterson and I'm disappointed. First, if you're going to write a book at least make it accurate. Right in the beginning Katherine thanks Peter for flying the family (2 adults and 3 kids) to the marina in a Cessna Skyhawk, a 4 seater airplane. Later on Peter wears a $6000 suit but probably can't afford voice mail since the maid hears a message on the home answering machine. A doctor and a lawyer in Manhattan with an answering machine! I thought I was going to read something by a seasoned author. This is just a foolish, unbelievable tale. I didn't even finish it.

As a long time James Patterson fan, I was very disappointed with this book. The characters lacked development, the events began and ended too fast for the reader to gain an emotional attachment to what was going on. It seemed everything was crammed into the book in order to make it more interesting, but it just made it more unrealistic. It comes off as a book written in a hurry in order to make it on people's summer reading list. For the most part, it was a waste of my time and I would not recommend it to my friends.

First of all, I am a huge fan of James Patterson books. I have so many that my bookcase is bulging. This book is one of my favorites. It is a quick read. (Great for taking on vacation) Mr. Patterson is known for taking twists and turns and I am usually mad at him because of whom he made the "bad guy" in the book but this time I was very pleased with him!! Enjoy!!

As a long time James Patterson fan, I was very disappointed with this book. The characters lacked development, the events began and ended too fast for the reader to gain an emotional attachment to what was going on. It seemed everything was crammed into the book in order to make it more interesting, but it just made it more unrealistic. It comes off as a book written in a hurry in order to make it on people's summer reading list. For the most part, it was a waste of my time and I would not recommend it to my friends.

First of all, I am a huge fan of James Patterson books. I have so many that my bookcase is bulging. This book is one of my favorites. It is a quick read. (Great for taking on vacation) Mr. Patterson is known for taking twists and turns and I am usually mad at him because of whom he made the "bad guy" in the book but this time I was very pleased with him!! Enjoy!!

After not fully enjoying his past few books I was skeptical about reading this one. This book was given to me by a friend,so I figured if i dont like it no loss since I didnt pay for it. I was a bit surprised as to how well this book really was. A very good story line and a quick read. Also his characters werent the one dimensional types he normally creates. i dont want to give the story away so i wont get into details but the ending shocked me, normally I can come very close to predicting his endings but with this book I wasnt able to. If you are/were a doubting thomas (like me) when it comes to reading pattersons books,you may want to pick this one up and give him a second chance.

This book by James Patterson was an easy read. However, I didn't feel it was really up to his usual standards. I kept thinking someone else had written this book. I know it is written with another author but it felt like the other author wrote the book, period. I didn't feel James in this book as I do when I read any of the Cross series. Having said all that, it was an interesting but predictable plot, had the bad guys figured out in the first chapter. Good pool side read.

Once again, James Patterson has put his name to another author's work. His name should be followed by James Patterson, Mass Publisher.

I thought the writing was as if a teenager wrote the book. The main character was kind of sily and was not very likable The only character that was likable, her brother-in-law, was killed off after the author led us to believe that he would be the hero. Toward the end of the book, it did get a little better. It is hard to believe that the bad guy (her husband) could cover up his evil side long enough to woo and marry her. There is no explanation even of how they met and got married, especially, with her working day and night at the hospital.

I think I am going to write Patterson's name off my list of favorite authors. If you really want to read a good book where you get your money's worth, try Greg Iles or P.J. Parrish.

Although I personally am not talented enough to write a book, I do expect famous authors making millions off the masses to at least find authors who have the same style of writing before putting their name on it. He should be embarrassed to take credit for this book.

i love most of patterson's books. even when he co-athors i wish i could have thought of doing it. i will keep reading his books. i will re read them like all of my books. i can't believe how much i miss the first time i read a book. the re-read makes me know i can sleep while reading just the same as watching tv. thanks for giving me something to take me to another place.

It was a very good book filled with lots of twists that kept you on the edge!!!! Very Very good!!!!!!!!

This book will keep your attention. Just when you think you have it figured out, comes the change.

It was a good book to listen to while driving on a long trip. A no-brainer. However, it was too unbelievable at times.

At first I was like OK.. Am I really going to like this??? And I was surprised that I did. It truly was better than I expected. It did have twists that I did not expect. After reading the same authors work all the time you normally know where they are going and some parts of this book I didn't so that was good. That snake of a husband deserved what he got, it was a surprise but wish he suffered more! LoL

You may find that after you read this book you feel slighted. It had so much potential to be so good. I felt like James Patterson could have taken this rather weak and overdone plot to a new level if he had just written a new ending.

It is a good read for an airplane trip or a day at the spa. You may like its twists and turns toward the middle of the story but I can guarantee you will be so disappointed by the ending. It was just too Hollywood. I expect to see this made into a screenplay in a few years...at least a pathetic made for television version. Sigh.