Earthman Jack Vs. The Ghost Planet (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
I received this from NetGalley for a review.I'll never see the word "kitten" in the same way again! There are about 4 (seriously, I think there were literally only 4) instances where earthly foul language is used, appropriately for the most part. The words pissed, crap and ass are the culprits. If your a stickler with zero tolerance for your youth, then you might want to pass on this book.A wild, whacky, thrilling ride! Once the action starts it doesn't let up. The book is long, book description says 680 pages whereas on my Nook it showed up as 488 pages. For the majority it didn't seem to be that lengthy. There were a few times I found myself thinking; a few parts could be cut. But truthfully, I enjoyed the detailed ride. It played out like a movie in my head.Lots of action. Jack is a wise-cracking young teen with heart, you can't help but like this character. There is subject matter dealing with bullies and standing up to them. Many issues that youth deal with are found here in varying degrees, crushes, bully's, video gaming, homeroom, teachers, Physics, teacher/student relationship, home life, single parenting, friendships, etc. Add to that... other worldly contact with alien life. There is space travel, space fighting, all the while the universe is in peril. So many different characters both to love and despise. Some times the storyline is a bit cheesy, but for some reason that just adds to the enjoyment factor here. Did I mention - NON STOP ACTION? Yes, loads upon loads of action, thrills, daring feats. Also, there are several moments of heart break, that almost made me cry. One very cool spaceship, one very annoying robot, a tough loveable princess, death-lords and more. Many jokes and laugh out loud moments too. Hovercrafts, electric death balls, plasma rays, mines, and space bugs and one gruesome frightening tornado as well.Favorite things: Jacks patented strategy numbers!Character: Has to be GrohmFavorite phrase: We're Kittened!I look forward to more stories about earthman Jack. I knew after reading only a few pages of this book that I loved the author’s voice. It’s lively, and full of imagination and wit, just what I like, with some really loveable and hilarious characters. And because of that I'm giving it 3* and I would say, if you don’t mind the 650 pages, and skipping through some, it’s worth a read.However, for me that length was the major flaw in the book. It wasn’t that it was slow, far from it, but from about halfway through I felt as though I was seeing the same plot twists being repeated over and over again…oh, they’ve almost got away…oh no, they havn’t. If an editor came in and took out about a third, I think it could be a great book. For example, if the story dived straight in at the point where Jack and his crew are jetting away from Earth, escaping, it would cut more than 100 pages from the beginning, and all the important plot points from that section could be incorporated later on. And less time on the Death Lord’s ship in the middle and more quickly onto the end on the Ghost Planet would have speeded up the middle and made the book feel more balanced. Maybe a helpful tip for the next book?The other problem I had was for me the hero and heroine were too ‘perfect’, they felt too flat, I needed some major flaws to make them real, to bring them off the page. It was such a shame – and a bit frustrating – because the author did that brilliantly well with more minor characters – particularly the megalomaniac robot, which I loved.All in all I would say a good read, but the length was too long for the plot. The language and story feels like it’s aimed at 9-12 year olds, but it was marketed as a book for young adults. I would say it’s too long for one and not sophisticated enough for the other - but that's just me. The author is obviously a good writer and I will look for more, but for the next book I'll be looking for a shorter and more complex plot.
What do You think about Earthman Jack Vs. The Ghost Planet (2013)?
This is why I read. For books like this that are pure pleasure to read. Fun escapist stuff
—Karishma
Silly, but oddly enjoyable...I would read another
—zoekate
