Review: A reasonable read in need of some editing
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 27, 2013
REVIEW:By Harmony Kent3 out of 5 StarsABOUT THE BOOK:"Head out for adventure and romance with Jimmy and Naomi as they sail the high seas, dodging pirates and terrorists every step of the way! Experience the unforgettable chase from Florida to the West Indies, and then on to Jamaica, where the two lovers are finally captured in a pitched gun battle. And then imagine yourself in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip, where a group of terrorists blow up a megaresort, bringing the city to its knees. While most of the terrorists are either killed or captured, one survives to dog Jimmy and Naomi across the snow-capped mountains of Northern Nevada in a desperate, last-ditch attempt at revenge... Take off into high adventure you'll never forget! Another Day In Paradise is the sequel to Free Money."MY THOUGHTS:If you like action and adventure, wild chases and gun fights then you may well enjoy this book.  There is plenty of violence, but not over the top.  Also, there are sexual references but nothing explicit.  I would deem this book safe for the older YA reader, as well as suitable for Adults.  On the whole this was an enjoyable read, however the writing has some issues.  I felt that Jimmy was kind of a good guy/bad guy sort...you know, stealing from Casinos but trying to be a nice person in all other respects.  Both he and Naomi come across as somewhat reckless, with a happy go lucky approach to life.THE STRUCTURE:The book is 384 pages in length, and I read it in a couple of sittings.  The plot is fairly fast paced, until the end of the book (more on that later).  The Point Of View is from the main character, Jimmy, and remains consistent throughout.  Character development is okay, but could have drawn out the protagonists' feelings and responses to situations a little more.  I felt I knew the dog, Max, more than Jimmy or Naomi.  There is a lot of passive writing and over use of the `ing' formulation throughout the narrative, which lets down what could otherwise be a cracking good read.  The proof reading has been done to a high standard, with only four typos (approx.) found in the whole book.  It is, however, in need of further editing and reworking.  The end of the book is long and drawn out, once the final action has taken place, and in my view could end much earlier than it does.SUMMARY:This book sits firmly within the action thriller genre, and has the potential to be really great.  The writing can be engaging, even funny, at times.  Intense at others.  Unfortunately, passive writing and slightly below par character development lets it down.  It maintains a good plot pace, but the end of the book is too drawn out, which spoils the overall effect.  As it stands, I have to give it 3 out of 5 stars.  I could see myself revising this upwards once the book has been edited and polished up.