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Flotilla
Flotilla
Flotilla is an unyielding exploration of people and technology in a perilous world. When 15-year-old Jim joins his father on Colony D, he thinks it's a free pass out of rehab to spend the summer on a man-made island in the Pacific, leaving his troubles marooned on the mainland. His Dad has secrets of his own and when things stop adding up, Jim makes a horrible discovery. But now, that's the least of his problems. The United States come under attack, and Jim's parents go missing. Drug runners and modern-day pirates are coming to settle a score. All he and his sister have now are an old boat, limited supplies, and each other. Jim must race against time if he wants to escape the catastrophic meltdown of civilization.
422 pages, Paperback
First published November 25, 2011
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July 13, 2016
In Flotilla, we meet Jim Westfield, who is 15 years old. Jim and his sister are alone on their father’s boat, floating in the Pacific, and facing an unknown future. Drug dealers, pirates and biological terrorist attacks on the United States have forced them to flee Colony D. They don’t know if their parents are alive or dead.
Jim has been in and out of trouble because of his penchant for heavy drinking. After his last bout of binge drinking, Jim was put on probation, and the only thing that kept him from spending the summer in rehab was a trip to stay with his father, Rick.
Rick left when Jim and his sister were quite young. His life is a mystery. He spent some time in prison, and now he has made a new life as a fish farmer on Colony D. Colony D is a self-sustained, man-made island in the Pacific, overseen by the fish farming corporation, PAC Fish. The island is made up of an assortment of boats lashed together into a community which lives by its own rules. The community is somewhat reminiscent of Water World.
As Jim’s story of living on Colony D unfolds, and he gets to know his father more, he begins to see that this man is much more complicated than he appears to be on the surface. Rick is a man who will never be satisfied with the life he has, he always wants more, and he is constantly looking for new ways to make a buck. Some of those ways may get him into trouble.
Jim is your typical teenaged smart aleck kid, who thinks he knows it all and that the parents are jerks. He’s a smart kid, but he has a lot to learn, and he needs to learn it without the effects of alcohol clouding his judgment. He is at turns funny, bone-headed, insecure and, well…a teenager. It’s refreshing to read about a teen doing things a teen would do! His escapades with his friend Riley are so reflective of that male teenage spirit!
As the book draws to a close, Jim brings us full circle, back to how he and his sister wound up alone on the boat. The end is a bit of a cliffhanger, leaving you anxious to see what happens next. Taking place in the near future, Flotilla is a unique and very enjoyable coming of age tale.
I want to thank the author and the publisher (Northern & 71st) for providing me with the ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.
Jim has been in and out of trouble because of his penchant for heavy drinking. After his last bout of binge drinking, Jim was put on probation, and the only thing that kept him from spending the summer in rehab was a trip to stay with his father, Rick.
Rick left when Jim and his sister were quite young. His life is a mystery. He spent some time in prison, and now he has made a new life as a fish farmer on Colony D. Colony D is a self-sustained, man-made island in the Pacific, overseen by the fish farming corporation, PAC Fish. The island is made up of an assortment of boats lashed together into a community which lives by its own rules. The community is somewhat reminiscent of Water World.
As Jim’s story of living on Colony D unfolds, and he gets to know his father more, he begins to see that this man is much more complicated than he appears to be on the surface. Rick is a man who will never be satisfied with the life he has, he always wants more, and he is constantly looking for new ways to make a buck. Some of those ways may get him into trouble.
Jim is your typical teenaged smart aleck kid, who thinks he knows it all and that the parents are jerks. He’s a smart kid, but he has a lot to learn, and he needs to learn it without the effects of alcohol clouding his judgment. He is at turns funny, bone-headed, insecure and, well…a teenager. It’s refreshing to read about a teen doing things a teen would do! His escapades with his friend Riley are so reflective of that male teenage spirit!
As the book draws to a close, Jim brings us full circle, back to how he and his sister wound up alone on the boat. The end is a bit of a cliffhanger, leaving you anxious to see what happens next. Taking place in the near future, Flotilla is a unique and very enjoyable coming of age tale.
I want to thank the author and the publisher (Northern & 71st) for providing me with the ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.
June 28, 2016
Jim is 14 and already a recovery alcoholic. As part of his treatment, he's sent to live with his emotionally and physically distant father on the Colony. The Colony is a flotilla (Hey! Title alert!) of hundreds of boats tied together, floating a hundred miles off the California coast, where the occupants farm fish. Jim's father has been living there for several years raising fish and raising money is ways slightly less than legal ways.
At the Colony, Jim begins to grow up. He finds a degree of discipline, becomes more independent, gets jobs, makes friends, mostly avoids alcohol, and finds his first girlfriend. Unfortunately, the Colony also comes with drug dealers, smugglers, pirates, and a host of other excitement.
And in the backdrop of Jim's Colony adventures, the reader knows that Jim somehow ends up on a boat with his little sister, no parents, and the world in an apocalyptic state. So how does Jim's relatively idyllic world transform into that? That's the mystery behind the building tension in the novel!
This novel was fun. It's a nice coming of age story and a nice first novel to introduce a series. It sets up the various characters and the setting for an interesting apocalyptic adventure story.
The setting of the Colony was really fantastic. From the descriptions of fish tanks to the different circles of the colonies to the parties to the various groups that lived there, the reader gets a great sense of the community. It kind of reminded me of the flotilla from Snow Crash, so if that really spoke to you maybe this is worth checking out. I liked that there were a variety of occupations in the community from the actual fish farmers to those who had graduated to service or entertainment jobs.
I particularly liked the descriptions of the gun range and the characters who visited it, the Burning Man groupies, the naked-yoga neighbors, and the steeplechase event. I felt like the there are wonderfully varied type of people who live in the Colony and also a great sense of community. In my opinion, the parts of the novel in which Jim got to know various community members and adjusted to life on the colony -- including learning to contribute in a variety of fashions -- were the most intriguing part of the novel.
Actually, my biggest complaint is that there wasn't enough of this. Maybe there was a need to shrink the novel down for publication, but there were plenty of scenes I wish could have been fleshed out. In between these wonderful community and character descriptions were whole sections that brushed action, adventure, and understanding under the rug with a few terse sentences.
In particular, drawing out more of Jim's dad's dealings with the Colony would be great. Jim's father ends up being a much flatter character because a lot of his motivations and mistakes and recovery from mistakes aren't shown to the reader. I wish the whole section at the beginning of Jim's second summer was greatly expanded. I think I read "It turns out" twenty times when I'd like to see how it turned out rather than being told.
I have mixed feelings about the buildup that the prologue introduced. While I admit that knowing there was some horrible disaster coming kept me intrigued in the story, I felt like it was a bit disingenuous. There is disaster and fear at the end, but it made me think I was reading a different type of story than I was. This novel itself is not dystopian or post-apocalyptic. The beginning promises that, and I rather suspect future novels will fulfill, but this one was a pretty straight bildungsroman. It's about a boy figuring himself and his family out. That's fine, but I felt a little mislead.
I think this series has potential. There's an interesting story here and some interesting ideas. I'm somewhat curious to see where it goes.
At the Colony, Jim begins to grow up. He finds a degree of discipline, becomes more independent, gets jobs, makes friends, mostly avoids alcohol, and finds his first girlfriend. Unfortunately, the Colony also comes with drug dealers, smugglers, pirates, and a host of other excitement.
And in the backdrop of Jim's Colony adventures, the reader knows that Jim somehow ends up on a boat with his little sister, no parents, and the world in an apocalyptic state. So how does Jim's relatively idyllic world transform into that? That's the mystery behind the building tension in the novel!
This novel was fun. It's a nice coming of age story and a nice first novel to introduce a series. It sets up the various characters and the setting for an interesting apocalyptic adventure story.
The setting of the Colony was really fantastic. From the descriptions of fish tanks to the different circles of the colonies to the parties to the various groups that lived there, the reader gets a great sense of the community. It kind of reminded me of the flotilla from Snow Crash, so if that really spoke to you maybe this is worth checking out. I liked that there were a variety of occupations in the community from the actual fish farmers to those who had graduated to service or entertainment jobs.
I particularly liked the descriptions of the gun range and the characters who visited it, the Burning Man groupies, the naked-yoga neighbors, and the steeplechase event. I felt like the there are wonderfully varied type of people who live in the Colony and also a great sense of community. In my opinion, the parts of the novel in which Jim got to know various community members and adjusted to life on the colony -- including learning to contribute in a variety of fashions -- were the most intriguing part of the novel.
Actually, my biggest complaint is that there wasn't enough of this. Maybe there was a need to shrink the novel down for publication, but there were plenty of scenes I wish could have been fleshed out. In between these wonderful community and character descriptions were whole sections that brushed action, adventure, and understanding under the rug with a few terse sentences.
In particular, drawing out more of Jim's dad's dealings with the Colony would be great. Jim's father ends up being a much flatter character because a lot of his motivations and mistakes and recovery from mistakes aren't shown to the reader. I wish the whole section at the beginning of Jim's second summer was greatly expanded. I think I read "It turns out" twenty times when I'd like to see how it turned out rather than being told.
I have mixed feelings about the buildup that the prologue introduced. While I admit that knowing there was some horrible disaster coming kept me intrigued in the story, I felt like it was a bit disingenuous. There is disaster and fear at the end, but it made me think I was reading a different type of story than I was. This novel itself is not dystopian or post-apocalyptic. The beginning promises that, and I rather suspect future novels will fulfill, but this one was a pretty straight bildungsroman. It's about a boy figuring himself and his family out. That's fine, but I felt a little mislead.
I think this series has potential. There's an interesting story here and some interesting ideas. I'm somewhat curious to see where it goes.
November 12, 2012
I loved this 17 chapter book. It was told through Jim’s first person point-of-view. The author had a brilliant talent with POV. The narration sounded like a 14 year old boy, turning 15–in the stage where he wants to stay a kid when it suits him but wants to be treated like an adult when someone tells him what to do. Jim definitely had to grow up fast; his dad kept getting him into trouble due to his “scams.”
I enjoyed getting to understand Jim and his family dynamics as well as how he treated his friends. Readers learn this through the narration (especially during some of the flashback scenes), his dialogue and interactions with other characters. I’m happy that Jim decided he wanted more for his life than ending up a dead beat like his dad.
Speaking of Rick (his dad), he was a real piece of work. Yeah, Jim was an alcoholic but he was trying to get his life together. Once Jim would take a step forward, his dad would cause him to take 5 steps back. Due to his “scams” and “schemes” on The Colony, Rick got his son into trouble on more than one occasion. When Madison (his sister) visited, their dad left them when they needed him the most.
Daniel Haight did great with characterization because I cared about all the people in his story, even the ones I disliked. He did a great job with revealing motives and making villains–villains and heroes–heroes. Even some of the heroes had gray areas where they were sort of shady.
The story was intense and action packed, especially towards the end. Even though The Colony was a place, the way Jim described it made it sound like a character in its own right. I enjoyed the drama elements as well–him feeling unloved by his parents, the misunderstandings regarding his friend, the reasons why he drowned his sorrows with alcohol.
My favorite scenes: 1) the Jet Ski Race Day event 2) when Mitch and his buddy leave Jim stranded on the beach because he accidentally snooped around 3) the pranks Jim and his best friend played on each other 4) when he visits The Colony again for winter break and meets Stacy on the boat. The way their relationship blossomed was sweet.
I RECOMMEND this book to read.
I enjoyed getting to understand Jim and his family dynamics as well as how he treated his friends. Readers learn this through the narration (especially during some of the flashback scenes), his dialogue and interactions with other characters. I’m happy that Jim decided he wanted more for his life than ending up a dead beat like his dad.
Speaking of Rick (his dad), he was a real piece of work. Yeah, Jim was an alcoholic but he was trying to get his life together. Once Jim would take a step forward, his dad would cause him to take 5 steps back. Due to his “scams” and “schemes” on The Colony, Rick got his son into trouble on more than one occasion. When Madison (his sister) visited, their dad left them when they needed him the most.
Daniel Haight did great with characterization because I cared about all the people in his story, even the ones I disliked. He did a great job with revealing motives and making villains–villains and heroes–heroes. Even some of the heroes had gray areas where they were sort of shady.
The story was intense and action packed, especially towards the end. Even though The Colony was a place, the way Jim described it made it sound like a character in its own right. I enjoyed the drama elements as well–him feeling unloved by his parents, the misunderstandings regarding his friend, the reasons why he drowned his sorrows with alcohol.
My favorite scenes: 1) the Jet Ski Race Day event 2) when Mitch and his buddy leave Jim stranded on the beach because he accidentally snooped around 3) the pranks Jim and his best friend played on each other 4) when he visits The Colony again for winter break and meets Stacy on the boat. The way their relationship blossomed was sweet.
I RECOMMEND this book to read.
March 1, 2013
Flotilla by Dan Haight was a delight to read. This is a coming of age story like nothing you've ever read or seen. Jim is thrown into a world where he does not know friend from enemy, has to grow up and make hard decisions or risk death. The characters in Flotilla are colorful, and just plane weird but in a good way. The internal struggles that Jim faces feel genuine and in the end this helps greatly in making his story feel real. There are a few hilarious moments in the book, however it's a guy thing. I think guys will enjoy reading this book much more than girls will, which is an excellent accomplishment. This book is ideal for tweens and teens, but I would not recommend young children read it, as there are some mature topics covered in the book. The only other critique that I had about this book, is that the first half was exceptionally well written, but after that it got sloppy. Words repeating, or not there at all, and grammar issues littered the pages. This often times caused me to stop and having to evaluate what the author was trying to convey. This really interrupted the flow of the story and I found it distracting having to guess what was supposed to go there. Other than that, I enjoyed the book, and can't wait to read the next one... if there is one... oh please let there be one...
August 10, 2012
This book is a must have!! I can't wait for the sequel!!
August 22, 2012
I liked this book.
December 21, 2012
Flotilla by Daniel Haight is a crossover apocalyptic science-fiction story about a fourteen-year-old boy named Jim, who leaves his mother on the mainland to live with his father at the colony, a floating, fishing community in the middle of the ocean. He is sent to live with his father after getting out of rehab for alcohol abuse. He spends two summers with his father learning to deal with the strange environment of the colony when a terrorist attack occurs on the mainland throwing Jim’s world into chaos. The father leaves Jim and his visiting younger sister at the colony to fend for themselves, while he helps on the mainland.
This book was sent to me for review. I read the prologue and liked the first person voice and character of Jim and the adventure the prologue promised, so I decided to read on and review the book. Unfortunately, this book dragged on forever with multiple editing problems and redundant passages that could be cut to shorten the work and help it move faster.
The sci-fi apocalyptic part promised in the prologue doesn’t occur until seventy-five percent into the novel. The book starts out with a coming of age literary style about a boy coming to terms with alcohol abuse and a jailbird father who abandoned him. Then near the end changes gears to an apocalyptic situation, almost as if the author didn’t know how to resolve the book he started writing, so decided to throw in the terrorist attack to liven the book up.
I feel the terrorist attacks occur far too late in the novel for it to be a sci-fi apocalyptic story. It should have hit around the twenty-five percent range or at the latest the fifty percent range. Waiting until the end makes it feel like you’ve been thrown into a different novel. Twenty-five percent in would have been plenty of space to establish Jim’s character and his flaws, the colony, and his gypsy-like father. About fifty percent in, I became bored and almost stopped reading. I was tired of waiting for what the prologue promised. I didn’t stop. I began to skip, reading only dialog (which there is little of) and the beginning of paragraphs to get to what I was waiting for.
Some readers may find Jim’s experiences on the ocean colony interesting if you are looking for a book that takes you out of your normal life and puts you in the everyday life of a boy living in a unique situation. Just be warned, the issues between Jim and his father are not resolved in this book. You will have to read on in a second book, which due to the terrorist attack, may or may not be the same story.
Jim must end up at the colony or we don’t have a story, but I have a problem with the way the transfer is handled. What kind of mother sends her rehab son to live out on the ocean with a dad who was in prison and abandoned them all twelve years ago? What kind of a probation officer would agree to this situation? As a mother, I would fight tooth and nail to prevent my son from being sent off to a deadbeat dad. Maybe the mother is bad, too. She isn’t portrayed as a bad, uncaring mother who wants to get rid of the son she can’t control, so it doesn’t make sense to me.
Jim, in my opinion, should be far more upset and angry with his dad than he is as well. That could have made a great character arc for the story instead of throwing in the terrorist attack. Maybe the mother loses a custody battle and is forced to send her son to the dad. The son doesn’t want to go to the dad he hates. Over time the two resolve their issues and maybe the son somehow helps the dad improve his character. These events may take place in a second or third novel. You’ll have to read on to find out.
With the above in mind, I’d like to add this book ends abruptly and nothing is resolved or concluded. I’m beginning to wonder if new self-publishing authors know how to conclude a book with a satisfying ending. I will not read a second and third book by an author who has not concluded something, anything in the first book. I don’t want to waste my time reading four books only to find out it has a terrible conclusion. Prove to me that you know what you’re doing by concluding the first book and still leave enough unanswered for a second book.
Do I recommend this book? Yes as long as you know what you’re getting. The character development is good and the setting is interesting. The author definitely has potential, but for me, my expectations were not met soon enough.
This book was sent to me for review. I read the prologue and liked the first person voice and character of Jim and the adventure the prologue promised, so I decided to read on and review the book. Unfortunately, this book dragged on forever with multiple editing problems and redundant passages that could be cut to shorten the work and help it move faster.
The sci-fi apocalyptic part promised in the prologue doesn’t occur until seventy-five percent into the novel. The book starts out with a coming of age literary style about a boy coming to terms with alcohol abuse and a jailbird father who abandoned him. Then near the end changes gears to an apocalyptic situation, almost as if the author didn’t know how to resolve the book he started writing, so decided to throw in the terrorist attack to liven the book up.
I feel the terrorist attacks occur far too late in the novel for it to be a sci-fi apocalyptic story. It should have hit around the twenty-five percent range or at the latest the fifty percent range. Waiting until the end makes it feel like you’ve been thrown into a different novel. Twenty-five percent in would have been plenty of space to establish Jim’s character and his flaws, the colony, and his gypsy-like father. About fifty percent in, I became bored and almost stopped reading. I was tired of waiting for what the prologue promised. I didn’t stop. I began to skip, reading only dialog (which there is little of) and the beginning of paragraphs to get to what I was waiting for.
Some readers may find Jim’s experiences on the ocean colony interesting if you are looking for a book that takes you out of your normal life and puts you in the everyday life of a boy living in a unique situation. Just be warned, the issues between Jim and his father are not resolved in this book. You will have to read on in a second book, which due to the terrorist attack, may or may not be the same story.
Jim must end up at the colony or we don’t have a story, but I have a problem with the way the transfer is handled. What kind of mother sends her rehab son to live out on the ocean with a dad who was in prison and abandoned them all twelve years ago? What kind of a probation officer would agree to this situation? As a mother, I would fight tooth and nail to prevent my son from being sent off to a deadbeat dad. Maybe the mother is bad, too. She isn’t portrayed as a bad, uncaring mother who wants to get rid of the son she can’t control, so it doesn’t make sense to me.
Jim, in my opinion, should be far more upset and angry with his dad than he is as well. That could have made a great character arc for the story instead of throwing in the terrorist attack. Maybe the mother loses a custody battle and is forced to send her son to the dad. The son doesn’t want to go to the dad he hates. Over time the two resolve their issues and maybe the son somehow helps the dad improve his character. These events may take place in a second or third novel. You’ll have to read on to find out.
With the above in mind, I’d like to add this book ends abruptly and nothing is resolved or concluded. I’m beginning to wonder if new self-publishing authors know how to conclude a book with a satisfying ending. I will not read a second and third book by an author who has not concluded something, anything in the first book. I don’t want to waste my time reading four books only to find out it has a terrible conclusion. Prove to me that you know what you’re doing by concluding the first book and still leave enough unanswered for a second book.
Do I recommend this book? Yes as long as you know what you’re getting. The character development is good and the setting is interesting. The author definitely has potential, but for me, my expectations were not met soon enough.
December 27, 2015
4.5 stars.
I was very impressed by this YA adventure with universal appeal.
Sending a 14 year old with drink related problems to stay with his absentee father who had done time in prison in itself would raise problems. Add in the fact his father lives on a boat as part of a colony involved in farming fish in their natural habitat gives another layer of interest. Top this up with the fact that during his younger sister's visit the mainland comes under a biological attack leaving the colony isolated and vulnerable creates an exciting and unique coming of age story.
Jim was a very believable characters with issues young readers could relate to. A very well drawn and complex character who is far from perfect but is forced to find strengths he didn't know existed.
A well written book that drew me in instantly. I especially liked the way the relationship between Jim and his father was portrayed.
One minor negative. Although the descriptions of Jim's problems with drink at home and his experiences on the colony were interesting and well written I did start to get impatient to find out why Jim was adrift in a boat with his sister in the opening chapter.
Overall a very enjoyable and exciting read with a believable main character.
Recommend.
I was very impressed by this YA adventure with universal appeal.
Sending a 14 year old with drink related problems to stay with his absentee father who had done time in prison in itself would raise problems. Add in the fact his father lives on a boat as part of a colony involved in farming fish in their natural habitat gives another layer of interest. Top this up with the fact that during his younger sister's visit the mainland comes under a biological attack leaving the colony isolated and vulnerable creates an exciting and unique coming of age story.
Jim was a very believable characters with issues young readers could relate to. A very well drawn and complex character who is far from perfect but is forced to find strengths he didn't know existed.
A well written book that drew me in instantly. I especially liked the way the relationship between Jim and his father was portrayed.
One minor negative. Although the descriptions of Jim's problems with drink at home and his experiences on the colony were interesting and well written I did start to get impatient to find out why Jim was adrift in a boat with his sister in the opening chapter.
Overall a very enjoyable and exciting read with a believable main character.
Recommend.
November 22, 2012
Dan Haight’s novel Flotilla is a story that follows the teenage Jim as he goes through life on the Pacific Fisheries Colony D, attempting to reconnect with his estranged father Rick and survive the underworld businesses like drugs and gambling at the same time. What happens when the world ends?
To see my full review go here: http://trappedinjuxtaposition.wordpre...
To see my full review go here: http://trappedinjuxtaposition.wordpre...
September 19, 2025
This is a really great teen read.
We follow 14-year-old Jim, who is sent to live with his dad, after he gets in trouble at home and has a problem with drinking. His dad lives out on the sea, in a colony, miles from the California coast.
They farm fish and have dealt in some shady dealings on the colony to earn their keep.
The book goes over 2 years, following Jim for the 2 summers he's out with his dad. But then something happens on the mainland ( I think it was a nuclear war), and Jim's younger sister is also sent out to the colony to protect her. But things go wrong, and both Jim and his sister have to leave.
This was a really thrilling read, and even though it's aimed at teenagers, there are a lot of dodgy things going on, so beware of this. It's very gritty. I quite enjoyed this one and gave it 3.5 stars. Would love to read the next in the series.
We follow 14-year-old Jim, who is sent to live with his dad, after he gets in trouble at home and has a problem with drinking. His dad lives out on the sea, in a colony, miles from the California coast.
They farm fish and have dealt in some shady dealings on the colony to earn their keep.
The book goes over 2 years, following Jim for the 2 summers he's out with his dad. But then something happens on the mainland ( I think it was a nuclear war), and Jim's younger sister is also sent out to the colony to protect her. But things go wrong, and both Jim and his sister have to leave.
This was a really thrilling read, and even though it's aimed at teenagers, there are a lot of dodgy things going on, so beware of this. It's very gritty. I quite enjoyed this one and gave it 3.5 stars. Would love to read the next in the series.
November 11, 2019
Got to act as beta reader. Wonderful world-building & characterization! Obviously it's been several years, and I'll still pause a moment reflecting on how something reminded me of a scene from the book.
May 12, 2014
Flotilla is awesome, buy it, it gets 5 stars! That is my review!!
Ok, no I am only joking, not about the 5 stars or the fact its awesome but I of course I am going to give you more than one sentence.
I came across this book a while back on Twitter, it ticked most of my boxes, outbreaks, disasters, nice American setting, dystopian feel but the one thing I wasn't sure of was the story being told from the point of view of Jim a 14 year old boy.
As most of the books I generally read are from a female point of view I wasn't sure how I would get on. I needn't had worried, Jim may be young be he tells a phenomenal tale.
Flotilla kicks off with Jim being sent to live with his dad, Jim has been in rehab for alcohol addiction and he is not really in the best of places so his mother decides he should go and spend time with his dad. His dad is not just in another town or city or even country, he is living and working on Colony D a Pacific Fisheries floating colony which is a 12 hours boat trip of the coast of Los Angeles.
The colony is a huge flotilla of ships of all shapes and sizes roped together to form a floating town which has everything from your simple cafe to a gun range, all walks of life are here too and at the centre of the colony is the Phoenix a huge ship where the PacFish company is based, the colony is a strange new world to Jim but he soon learns to adjust to his new home the Horner C, his dad has him working all hours of the day for him and his friends and of course along the way he makes stupid mistakes but he also makes good friends.
His Dad is quite the character, he is always trying for the next big thing and gets involved in a lot of dodgy deals, he certainly was not the most paternal of men.
At the end of the summer Jim is sent back to the mainland to his mum, step dad and little sister Madison but he feels strange being back on dry land and hits the bottle again, tired of his drinking his mum sends him to AA, I personally felt at this point Jim is not taking it seriously but his is only 14 going on 15, he has a lot to learn.
As the book progresses we find Jim back on Colony D and he has the welcome distraction of a girl in his life, his dad seems to be on the up running the colony's casino and his sister is visiting but life is not all sunshine and roses for long.
His dad is mixed up in something big but before anything can happen with that something much bigger gets in the way, Los Angeles is under attack, a deadly virus has been unleashed and as Jim and his family watch the news reports comes in, America is under attack.
His dad is drafted to help people on the mainland but he warns Jim before he goes to make sure his sister is looked after, and that if Jim does not hear from him within 3 days to take the boat that they call home and head north. All hell starts to kick off as the colony is left to fend for itself, Jim is under constant threat from people who were mixed up with his dad and then a new threat looms on the horizon - pirates.
Flotilla is one of these books that starts of as a great story then it kicks it up a notch and gets even better, I read a review of this book where someone had complained about the attacks coming late in the story, I disagree I liked the fact that you are almost lured in to a false sense of security, the story starts of dealing with Jim and his dodgy dad but then BAM! its turned on its head.
Dan Haight has done some fantastic world building with the colony, trying to picture it in my head was easy thanks to his vivid descriptions, in my head it looked like a floating Blade Runner set without all the neon lights.
Thankfully this is part of a series and I have the next book Iron Mountain lined up to go in the coming weeks, you can also visit the http://flotillaonline.com/ site were you can download samples of Iron Mountain, read excerpts of Flotilla and generally have a good nosey. Also you can follow FlotillaOnline on Twitter for updates.
An awesome read, and I am looking forward to seeing how the story progresses.
Flotilla gets 5 out of 5
Ok, no I am only joking, not about the 5 stars or the fact its awesome but I of course I am going to give you more than one sentence.
I came across this book a while back on Twitter, it ticked most of my boxes, outbreaks, disasters, nice American setting, dystopian feel but the one thing I wasn't sure of was the story being told from the point of view of Jim a 14 year old boy.
As most of the books I generally read are from a female point of view I wasn't sure how I would get on. I needn't had worried, Jim may be young be he tells a phenomenal tale.
Flotilla kicks off with Jim being sent to live with his dad, Jim has been in rehab for alcohol addiction and he is not really in the best of places so his mother decides he should go and spend time with his dad. His dad is not just in another town or city or even country, he is living and working on Colony D a Pacific Fisheries floating colony which is a 12 hours boat trip of the coast of Los Angeles.
The colony is a huge flotilla of ships of all shapes and sizes roped together to form a floating town which has everything from your simple cafe to a gun range, all walks of life are here too and at the centre of the colony is the Phoenix a huge ship where the PacFish company is based, the colony is a strange new world to Jim but he soon learns to adjust to his new home the Horner C, his dad has him working all hours of the day for him and his friends and of course along the way he makes stupid mistakes but he also makes good friends.
His Dad is quite the character, he is always trying for the next big thing and gets involved in a lot of dodgy deals, he certainly was not the most paternal of men.
At the end of the summer Jim is sent back to the mainland to his mum, step dad and little sister Madison but he feels strange being back on dry land and hits the bottle again, tired of his drinking his mum sends him to AA, I personally felt at this point Jim is not taking it seriously but his is only 14 going on 15, he has a lot to learn.
As the book progresses we find Jim back on Colony D and he has the welcome distraction of a girl in his life, his dad seems to be on the up running the colony's casino and his sister is visiting but life is not all sunshine and roses for long.
His dad is mixed up in something big but before anything can happen with that something much bigger gets in the way, Los Angeles is under attack, a deadly virus has been unleashed and as Jim and his family watch the news reports comes in, America is under attack.
His dad is drafted to help people on the mainland but he warns Jim before he goes to make sure his sister is looked after, and that if Jim does not hear from him within 3 days to take the boat that they call home and head north. All hell starts to kick off as the colony is left to fend for itself, Jim is under constant threat from people who were mixed up with his dad and then a new threat looms on the horizon - pirates.
Flotilla is one of these books that starts of as a great story then it kicks it up a notch and gets even better, I read a review of this book where someone had complained about the attacks coming late in the story, I disagree I liked the fact that you are almost lured in to a false sense of security, the story starts of dealing with Jim and his dodgy dad but then BAM! its turned on its head.
Dan Haight has done some fantastic world building with the colony, trying to picture it in my head was easy thanks to his vivid descriptions, in my head it looked like a floating Blade Runner set without all the neon lights.
Thankfully this is part of a series and I have the next book Iron Mountain lined up to go in the coming weeks, you can also visit the http://flotillaonline.com/ site were you can download samples of Iron Mountain, read excerpts of Flotilla and generally have a good nosey. Also you can follow FlotillaOnline on Twitter for updates.
An awesome read, and I am looking forward to seeing how the story progresses.
Flotilla gets 5 out of 5
June 5, 2016
Review 4.5 rounded up to 5*
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
This is an intriguing young adult coming of age, post-apocalyptic novel. I really enjoyed it.
Jim Westfield is a wonderful character. I really liked him and admired him as he dealt with situations that most adults would struggle with. I love his character growth. He has an alcohol addiction and in a bid to avoid going into rehab, he chooses to live with his father on a man-made island of boats, farming fish in the Pacific for the summer.
I started this story and struggled to get into it at first. The story is told through the eyes of Jim, who has some serious issues going on around him. He is only fourteen when he decides to live with his father, who lives on a fish farm in the ocean, after a serious drinking session sees him facing time in a rehabilitation centre for alcohol poisoning. Not having had the same issues as Jim, I struggled to relate to him though I could empathize with him. What I love about his story is the way he starts to see what a waste his life has been up until that point. His father, Rick, doesn't coddle him and expects him to work (it is a business after all). I think that it may be a bit harsh for a fourteen year old to be expected to do the work of a man. However, this appears to be exactly what Jim needed. He flourishes on the Horner C and makes some friends along the way.
I loved meeting Miguel. He is the owner of "The Range", a rifle range within the colony, which the various characters use as a club and meeting place. He is a no-nonsense character who takes Jim under his wing and treats him like a son. I also loved Riley, Jim's rather gassy friend. Their antics made me laugh. Then there a menagerie of other characters that live within the colony that gives the island an eclectic feel. Some of them are down right weird though the majority are only looking to make a living but, just like any town, they bring their own personalities to the community.
Once I got into the story, I didn't put it down until I'd finished it. Watching someone like Jim mature before my eyes had me feeling as proud as if he was one of my family. There are a few surprising twists that I didn't see coming and a few scenes that had me giggling (most of those containing Riley). The danger, both on shore from the terrorists and the colony from pirates, kept me sitting on the edge of my seat. I reached the end of the book feeling a little emotionally wrung out from it all. I found myself on a roller coaster ride of emotion and, even though I am still feeling a little angry and disappointed at Jim's father, I am looking forward to reading the next book as soon as I can.
Daniel Haight has written a wonderful coming of age tale. There are elements of hard science fiction and dystopian parts, which will appeal to readers of all ages. I love his fast paced writing style that brought the characters and situations to life. The flow felt a little choppy in the beginning but as the story went on, it got better. I would definitely consider reading more of his books in the future.
I highly recommend this book to young readers aged 15 upwards and to adults who love reading YA coming of age or dystopian novels. - Lynn Worton
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
This is an intriguing young adult coming of age, post-apocalyptic novel. I really enjoyed it.
Jim Westfield is a wonderful character. I really liked him and admired him as he dealt with situations that most adults would struggle with. I love his character growth. He has an alcohol addiction and in a bid to avoid going into rehab, he chooses to live with his father on a man-made island of boats, farming fish in the Pacific for the summer.
I started this story and struggled to get into it at first. The story is told through the eyes of Jim, who has some serious issues going on around him. He is only fourteen when he decides to live with his father, who lives on a fish farm in the ocean, after a serious drinking session sees him facing time in a rehabilitation centre for alcohol poisoning. Not having had the same issues as Jim, I struggled to relate to him though I could empathize with him. What I love about his story is the way he starts to see what a waste his life has been up until that point. His father, Rick, doesn't coddle him and expects him to work (it is a business after all). I think that it may be a bit harsh for a fourteen year old to be expected to do the work of a man. However, this appears to be exactly what Jim needed. He flourishes on the Horner C and makes some friends along the way.
I loved meeting Miguel. He is the owner of "The Range", a rifle range within the colony, which the various characters use as a club and meeting place. He is a no-nonsense character who takes Jim under his wing and treats him like a son. I also loved Riley, Jim's rather gassy friend. Their antics made me laugh. Then there a menagerie of other characters that live within the colony that gives the island an eclectic feel. Some of them are down right weird though the majority are only looking to make a living but, just like any town, they bring their own personalities to the community.
Once I got into the story, I didn't put it down until I'd finished it. Watching someone like Jim mature before my eyes had me feeling as proud as if he was one of my family. There are a few surprising twists that I didn't see coming and a few scenes that had me giggling (most of those containing Riley). The danger, both on shore from the terrorists and the colony from pirates, kept me sitting on the edge of my seat. I reached the end of the book feeling a little emotionally wrung out from it all. I found myself on a roller coaster ride of emotion and, even though I am still feeling a little angry and disappointed at Jim's father, I am looking forward to reading the next book as soon as I can.
Daniel Haight has written a wonderful coming of age tale. There are elements of hard science fiction and dystopian parts, which will appeal to readers of all ages. I love his fast paced writing style that brought the characters and situations to life. The flow felt a little choppy in the beginning but as the story went on, it got better. I would definitely consider reading more of his books in the future.
I highly recommend this book to young readers aged 15 upwards and to adults who love reading YA coming of age or dystopian novels. - Lynn Worton
August 19, 2013
GENRE: Dystopia
LENGTH: 208 pages
AUDIENCE: Young Adult
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
THE RUNDOWN
While many dystopian stories may stick to settings we’re all familiar with (towns, carnivals, woods) Dan Haight’s dystopia, Flotilla carves a new path. Set on a floating city in the ocean, this story has a setting all of its own. The main character, sixteen-year-old rehab survivor Jim, is being sent by his mother to live with his father. Jim’s partying ways have become dangerous and his mother believes hard work on his father’s boat is the curve to what ails him. Though he's a screw up, Jim is instantly likable and sympathetic. Even though he’s up a creek of his own making due to alcohol abuse, he never complains (at least not out loud) about the massive workload dumped on him as soon as he arrives. His father, a gruff man, sets out to make Jim a man. It turns out disastrous world events will be the catalyst to that change.
The narrative voice in this book is what drew me in. Jim’s voice is both humorous and heartfelt, a combination not easily crafted. The language and story-telling abilities of Haight are top-notch, no amateurish prose here. And I found the ecosystem of the floating city to be well-thought out and interesting. It made me want to research if cities like these really existed, that’s how realistic his portrayal is.
So why isn’t this book selling better? My guess is one thing: pace. This is an excellent coming-of-age story, masterfully told. Yet the pace is not up to par with other young adult titles. The rule of thumb for most books is to include the inciting incident (the moment where everything changes irrevocably forever) before the fiftieth page. Flotilla doesn’t heat up until at least two-thirds into the novel. For a teenage audience, this is just too long. Haight might do better to go back and move his world destruction up and save the world-building for another book.
THE RECOMMENDATION
For those who like strong voice and likable characters, Flotilla is a winner. For those looking for a page-turner, you might be advised to turn elsewhere. Still a strong book overall.
THE RATING
4 out of 5 stars
LENGTH: 208 pages
AUDIENCE: Young Adult
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
THE RUNDOWN
While many dystopian stories may stick to settings we’re all familiar with (towns, carnivals, woods) Dan Haight’s dystopia, Flotilla carves a new path. Set on a floating city in the ocean, this story has a setting all of its own. The main character, sixteen-year-old rehab survivor Jim, is being sent by his mother to live with his father. Jim’s partying ways have become dangerous and his mother believes hard work on his father’s boat is the curve to what ails him. Though he's a screw up, Jim is instantly likable and sympathetic. Even though he’s up a creek of his own making due to alcohol abuse, he never complains (at least not out loud) about the massive workload dumped on him as soon as he arrives. His father, a gruff man, sets out to make Jim a man. It turns out disastrous world events will be the catalyst to that change.
The narrative voice in this book is what drew me in. Jim’s voice is both humorous and heartfelt, a combination not easily crafted. The language and story-telling abilities of Haight are top-notch, no amateurish prose here. And I found the ecosystem of the floating city to be well-thought out and interesting. It made me want to research if cities like these really existed, that’s how realistic his portrayal is.
So why isn’t this book selling better? My guess is one thing: pace. This is an excellent coming-of-age story, masterfully told. Yet the pace is not up to par with other young adult titles. The rule of thumb for most books is to include the inciting incident (the moment where everything changes irrevocably forever) before the fiftieth page. Flotilla doesn’t heat up until at least two-thirds into the novel. For a teenage audience, this is just too long. Haight might do better to go back and move his world destruction up and save the world-building for another book.
THE RECOMMENDATION
For those who like strong voice and likable characters, Flotilla is a winner. For those looking for a page-turner, you might be advised to turn elsewhere. Still a strong book overall.
THE RATING
4 out of 5 stars
June 2, 2016
Another Young Adult novel. I'm not a fan of the category. Back when I was in high school, during the Nixon administration, the YA label meant you were in for a propaganda piece that was designed by parental authorities to make you see the error of your ways and cut your hair, stay away from drugs, study hard, and become a productive member of society. So, of course I would run like hell and find something like Dangerous Visions, Zap Comix, or Tropic of Cancer to read.
I didn't know what to expect from Daniel Haight's Flotilla. My prejudices had me hesitating. Then the author told me to prepare to have my mind blown.
I like having my mind blown. It's what I look for in good entertainment. This guy thinks he can blow my mind with his novel? Let's see . . .
Well, I'm happy to say that Flotilla is a certifiable mind-blower.
The teenage alcoholic hero, fresh out of rehab, goes working for, and with, his dad on Colony D, a mariculture complex of linked ships cruising the Pacific, both cultivating and harvesting fish. It's a fantastic world of its own, spawning rowdy subcultures. It's one of the most original and believable – you can practically smell it – visions of futuristic society I've seen in a long time, and I'm a bit of a junkie for these kind of things.
And it's all about people who work for a living. Not just the sort of jobs nice kids from good families have to dress up in nice clothes for; these folks get dirty, soaking wet, and risk their lives. Working class science fiction! I love it! Haight describes himself as a “working class geek” – we need more like him.
And if I can offer some advice to you youngsters out there, this is a good book to read right NOW. It shows how to survive in an ever-changing world, and deal with personal problems, and family. And when things get apocalyptic – it keeps happening, get used to it – you've got reflexes in place that will keep you from freezing up, maybe help you create a brave new world that's better than the one that's collapsing around you.
You'll need those reflexes. No matter who wins the election.
I didn't know what to expect from Daniel Haight's Flotilla. My prejudices had me hesitating. Then the author told me to prepare to have my mind blown.
I like having my mind blown. It's what I look for in good entertainment. This guy thinks he can blow my mind with his novel? Let's see . . .
Well, I'm happy to say that Flotilla is a certifiable mind-blower.
The teenage alcoholic hero, fresh out of rehab, goes working for, and with, his dad on Colony D, a mariculture complex of linked ships cruising the Pacific, both cultivating and harvesting fish. It's a fantastic world of its own, spawning rowdy subcultures. It's one of the most original and believable – you can practically smell it – visions of futuristic society I've seen in a long time, and I'm a bit of a junkie for these kind of things.
And it's all about people who work for a living. Not just the sort of jobs nice kids from good families have to dress up in nice clothes for; these folks get dirty, soaking wet, and risk their lives. Working class science fiction! I love it! Haight describes himself as a “working class geek” – we need more like him.
And if I can offer some advice to you youngsters out there, this is a good book to read right NOW. It shows how to survive in an ever-changing world, and deal with personal problems, and family. And when things get apocalyptic – it keeps happening, get used to it – you've got reflexes in place that will keep you from freezing up, maybe help you create a brave new world that's better than the one that's collapsing around you.
You'll need those reflexes. No matter who wins the election.
May 30, 2016
Jim is fourteen years old, and an alcoholic. Or at the very least, a party-going heavy drinker. He comes out of hospital after his latest round of drinking, and is 'sentenced' to spending a summer with his Dad, Rick Westfield, on Colony D., a man-made island in the Pacific that houses those farming fish for an on-shore company. Ostensibly, Jim's father is a fish farmer.
I felt quite sorry for Jim through most of the story. From everything he says (Jim narrates the story), he really is trying to get his life back onto an even keel. He learns (not with much help from his dad, Rick, mind) that life is better when one stays away from alcohol, and he just wants to be a normal person. The only problem is, Rick is anything but normal, and keeps throwing Jim into deep ends that he has to wade out of - not helpful deep ends either, much. Jim eventually figures that Rick is running "scams" (deals) with other people in Colony D - though he never directly admits to doing so - and Jim keeps getting caught in the middle of them.
There were some really touching moments when Jim speaks of his little sister Maddy, and one can tell, despite the issues he has with alcohol and his parents, he really loves and cares for her. But is helpless at the hands of his parents, who barely attempt to comprehend him.
Though this book does end on a post-apocalyptic note, I wouldn't classify it as post-apocalyptic. The vast majority of the action takes place on Colony D (the flotilla of the title), and is a study in the culture of the colony. It follows Jim's adventures, or misadventures, as he gets to know the inhabitants of the colony (at the hand of his dad, who is rather off-hand about most things), all while trying to not drink. It was, for me, more reminiscent of a disaster story, when all hell breaks loose towards the end.
Overall a very interesting read, and I would be happy to read another book by Haight.
I felt quite sorry for Jim through most of the story. From everything he says (Jim narrates the story), he really is trying to get his life back onto an even keel. He learns (not with much help from his dad, Rick, mind) that life is better when one stays away from alcohol, and he just wants to be a normal person. The only problem is, Rick is anything but normal, and keeps throwing Jim into deep ends that he has to wade out of - not helpful deep ends either, much. Jim eventually figures that Rick is running "scams" (deals) with other people in Colony D - though he never directly admits to doing so - and Jim keeps getting caught in the middle of them.
There were some really touching moments when Jim speaks of his little sister Maddy, and one can tell, despite the issues he has with alcohol and his parents, he really loves and cares for her. But is helpless at the hands of his parents, who barely attempt to comprehend him.
Though this book does end on a post-apocalyptic note, I wouldn't classify it as post-apocalyptic. The vast majority of the action takes place on Colony D (the flotilla of the title), and is a study in the culture of the colony. It follows Jim's adventures, or misadventures, as he gets to know the inhabitants of the colony (at the hand of his dad, who is rather off-hand about most things), all while trying to not drink. It was, for me, more reminiscent of a disaster story, when all hell breaks loose towards the end.
Overall a very interesting read, and I would be happy to read another book by Haight.
December 30, 2012
There are many things to recommend this book: well developed characters and a first person narration by the main character, Jim. Jim is 14, going on 15 and like most teens has his moments of childish behavior and recalcitrant attitude when he feels someone is treating him like a child. In an attempt to ‘realign’ his priorities after a stay in rehab for alcohol, his mother seeks out his deadbeat and otherwise troubled father, Rick, in the hopes that Jim will find a new start on the offshore society called the Colony.
Interactions displayed in a series of flashbacks, intermingled with current conversations further develop the character and the reader understands both his attitude and his reasons for escaping into the haze of alcohol abuse. All the characters have a care with which they are crafted, and their importance to Jim, and in the story are skillfully displayed in conversation and interaction that never feels forced or unrealistic. I do think that readers who are looking for more science fiction or apocalyptic story line may find the early part of the book drags, as the pacing is more character driven than fast paced and dramatic moments of climactic build. That changes with a bang just after, and the plot moves at a near frenetic pace to the end. I enjoyed the book, and while I thought that too many loose ends were left unresolved, it does provide a perfect lead in for another book in the series.
A good read to share with your 15+ readers, the character of Jim will ring true and real to them and provide an opportunity for them to engage with a book that doesn’t condescend but speaks to their sense of adventure and empathy.
I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review for my Indies Rock series on I am, Indeed. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Interactions displayed in a series of flashbacks, intermingled with current conversations further develop the character and the reader understands both his attitude and his reasons for escaping into the haze of alcohol abuse. All the characters have a care with which they are crafted, and their importance to Jim, and in the story are skillfully displayed in conversation and interaction that never feels forced or unrealistic. I do think that readers who are looking for more science fiction or apocalyptic story line may find the early part of the book drags, as the pacing is more character driven than fast paced and dramatic moments of climactic build. That changes with a bang just after, and the plot moves at a near frenetic pace to the end. I enjoyed the book, and while I thought that too many loose ends were left unresolved, it does provide a perfect lead in for another book in the series.
A good read to share with your 15+ readers, the character of Jim will ring true and real to them and provide an opportunity for them to engage with a book that doesn’t condescend but speaks to their sense of adventure and empathy.
I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review for my Indies Rock series on I am, Indeed. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.
February 9, 2017
Daniel Haight delivers a unique coming of age story with Flotilla. This novel follows the story of a teenage boy, Jim, who is trying to turn his life around after falling on hard times. Haight introduces us to a new way of life when our protagonist is sent to live with his father on a floating city in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is here that the adventures begin for our young protagonist and his wayward father. We encounter a variety of characters who all play a unique role in helping Jim find out who he truly is and what he is capable of accomplishing.
Flotilla is branded as a science fiction story. It does not however, follow the typical science fiction storyline. Flotilla looks at a new way of living and the hardships that come with this new lifestyle. Jim and his father face off with their neighbors and the constant threat of pirates. As if theses threats weren't enough, Jim must then take on the hardest role of his life. He must survive. When California is attacked, Jim must flee the floating city with his young sister and survive a post apocalyptic landscape and the inherent dangers brought on by such a situation.
Flotilla is a well written novel that introduces the reader to an alternative post apocalyptic setting. Daniel Haight has created well rounded characters and an interesting and unique story. Flotilla is filled with humor, adventure, and the right amount of nail biting action. This is the perfect read for anyone looking for well written characters and a unique storyline. I look forward to continuing this series and seeing how Jim continues to grow and adapt.
http://novelideareviews.blogspot.com/...
Flotilla is branded as a science fiction story. It does not however, follow the typical science fiction storyline. Flotilla looks at a new way of living and the hardships that come with this new lifestyle. Jim and his father face off with their neighbors and the constant threat of pirates. As if theses threats weren't enough, Jim must then take on the hardest role of his life. He must survive. When California is attacked, Jim must flee the floating city with his young sister and survive a post apocalyptic landscape and the inherent dangers brought on by such a situation.
Flotilla is a well written novel that introduces the reader to an alternative post apocalyptic setting. Daniel Haight has created well rounded characters and an interesting and unique story. Flotilla is filled with humor, adventure, and the right amount of nail biting action. This is the perfect read for anyone looking for well written characters and a unique storyline. I look forward to continuing this series and seeing how Jim continues to grow and adapt.
http://novelideareviews.blogspot.com/...
June 6, 2016
Review originally posted on Between Reality
Today, everyone, history has been made. I remember mentioning my short attention span (at least I think I remember) a couple of times, and yes, it’s definitely still a piece of me. It cackles its way around while I’m trying to focus and oh look! If I enter this giveaway, I could win $10. But wait! Look! Here’s three more giveaways to enter, instead of completing your responsibilities! And that cycle has slurped up a good 5 hours (yeah…5 hours) of my day before. (And no, I haven’t won anything yet.) My friends roll their eyes when they send me a video and I groan, How long is it? Do I have to watch all of it? I suppose it’s pretty funny, considering how many hours I spend reading and working on my blog. But, nonetheless, you didn’t click on this book review to hear about my attention span, so here’s why I mentioned it.
Flotilla took me about (and I used that word loosely) 4 hours or more to read. *Gasp* *Scream* *Evident shock!* I know, right? All the times I’ve complained about a book dragging itself across my eyes as I begged for it to speed up, and I spent 4 hours or more reading one book? And get this: The pace is slow.
Okay. Okay. These aren’t bad things, in case it came across that way. It was just a shocking revelation for me that I stuck with Flotilla. So, why did I stick with Flotilla?
Read the rest of this review and more here: Flotilla ARC Review
Today, everyone, history has been made. I remember mentioning my short attention span (at least I think I remember) a couple of times, and yes, it’s definitely still a piece of me. It cackles its way around while I’m trying to focus and oh look! If I enter this giveaway, I could win $10. But wait! Look! Here’s three more giveaways to enter, instead of completing your responsibilities! And that cycle has slurped up a good 5 hours (yeah…5 hours) of my day before. (And no, I haven’t won anything yet.) My friends roll their eyes when they send me a video and I groan, How long is it? Do I have to watch all of it? I suppose it’s pretty funny, considering how many hours I spend reading and working on my blog. But, nonetheless, you didn’t click on this book review to hear about my attention span, so here’s why I mentioned it.
Flotilla took me about (and I used that word loosely) 4 hours or more to read. *Gasp* *Scream* *Evident shock!* I know, right? All the times I’ve complained about a book dragging itself across my eyes as I begged for it to speed up, and I spent 4 hours or more reading one book? And get this: The pace is slow.
Okay. Okay. These aren’t bad things, in case it came across that way. It was just a shocking revelation for me that I stuck with Flotilla. So, why did I stick with Flotilla?
Read the rest of this review and more here: Flotilla ARC Review
July 7, 2016
Flotilla by Daniel Haight is a science fiction fantasy and post-apocalyptic novel. The story immediately drew me within its adventure. Family and drug abuse are two popular themes inside this young adult read. Daniel's writing is incredible. His main character, Jim, is a troubled teen. Jim's mom gets him out of rehab to work with his dad. Then life everywhere becomes chaotic. The world is being destroyed and with both, his parents taken and gone...Jim and his sister must learn how to survive with what they have. Only...their supplies won't last too much longer. Out in the sea...nowhere to go. Being on land is just as dangerous for them.
Flotilla brings out fear on every level. Biowarfare break-out back home on the mainland. Deadly shootings happening everywhere...and bad guys are coming after Jim and his sister due to secrets his dad kept. Suspense, intrigue, advanced technology make this an unforgettable novel. The scenes are three-dimensional. Characters are believable and Jim is the main voice of the story. How he and his sister, as well as the rest of humanity, will survive is something readers have to dig to find out...Overall, this was the most exciting and thrilling science fiction novel I have read in a while. I highly recommend Daniel Haight's brilliant masterpiece to all.
Flotilla brings out fear on every level. Biowarfare break-out back home on the mainland. Deadly shootings happening everywhere...and bad guys are coming after Jim and his sister due to secrets his dad kept. Suspense, intrigue, advanced technology make this an unforgettable novel. The scenes are three-dimensional. Characters are believable and Jim is the main voice of the story. How he and his sister, as well as the rest of humanity, will survive is something readers have to dig to find out...Overall, this was the most exciting and thrilling science fiction novel I have read in a while. I highly recommend Daniel Haight's brilliant masterpiece to all.
June 13, 2016
This YA coming of age story set in a post-apocalyptic world found its way onto my Netgalley reading list. I am not a huge sci-fi fan, nor a regular reader of YA fiction, but I did enjoy reading about teenager Jim, who is sent to live with his Dad, in a fishing colony after getting into trouble with excessive drinking.
I loved the way Jim read so authentically and I easily felt interested in this character from the start, despite the fact he comes across as so bratty. I found the majority of the book slow moving, and when I actually got to the part where the action occurs, 75% into the book, it all ends quite quickly and left me hanging.
As a thriller it just didn't do it for me as I felt it was rushed and a platform for a series rather than a book with its own merits. I'm sure this is a book which would appeal to YA readers, but it just didn't light my fire as much as I hoped it would.
I loved the way Jim read so authentically and I easily felt interested in this character from the start, despite the fact he comes across as so bratty. I found the majority of the book slow moving, and when I actually got to the part where the action occurs, 75% into the book, it all ends quite quickly and left me hanging.
As a thriller it just didn't do it for me as I felt it was rushed and a platform for a series rather than a book with its own merits. I'm sure this is a book which would appeal to YA readers, but it just didn't light my fire as much as I hoped it would.
August 9, 2016
I really enjoyed the characters and the setup of the unusual floating base that they live on. The scrapes he gets into are quite hairy. Unfortunately, having set up the major disaster right at the beginning, life goes on and on, and there is no sign of it. I got half way through the book and decided it wasn't the book I had been led to expect and gave up. If you're happy to read lots about life before the disaster, it's a great book.
Aug 2016: I finally went back and finished the book, because I was engaged by the characters, particularly the main character, Jim. I read it on Kindle and got to 70% through before the disaster. It's all well described and gripping, but it ends once Jim and his sister escape in their boat - which isn't a spoiler, because that's where it starts!
Aug 2016: I finally went back and finished the book, because I was engaged by the characters, particularly the main character, Jim. I read it on Kindle and got to 70% through before the disaster. It's all well described and gripping, but it ends once Jim and his sister escape in their boat - which isn't a spoiler, because that's where it starts!
November 5, 2014
I am a big fan of doomer fiction, and this is one of the best. Certainly of the recent variety which is all becoming very predicable. SHTF-Mayham immediately results-hero is prepared and saves the day using lots of weapons. This is about a realistic teenager and with fairly realistic scenarios. I particularly liked how it did not fall apart at ones, and in at least one case people help strangers. I like more realism in my doomer fiction and this provided that, for that reason I liked more than the sequel Iron Mountain.
February 4, 2016
I received this novel from NetGalley.
When I started this book, I thought, wow, this is going to be something special, something different. and I couldn't have been more right... just not in the way I was expecting.
This novel was more about a fourteen year old boys' life than a sci-fi, virus exterminating the world. The virus was basic in itself as well, so that was very underwhelming.
I can appreciate how the novel is written as though by a fourteen year old, I can appreciate the style and how many people will enjoy it. It just wasn't for me.
When I started this book, I thought, wow, this is going to be something special, something different. and I couldn't have been more right... just not in the way I was expecting.
This novel was more about a fourteen year old boys' life than a sci-fi, virus exterminating the world. The virus was basic in itself as well, so that was very underwhelming.
I can appreciate how the novel is written as though by a fourteen year old, I can appreciate the style and how many people will enjoy it. It just wasn't for me.
May 16, 2016
Different. I loved it!
What a journey this book will take you on! A young boy is sent to help his father out on a colony of boats tied together in the ocean. He is supposedly being punished after being arrested for his drinking. The colony teaches him hard work and starts to drive him further onward into manhood. The journey for him is only beginning! From pirates to losing everyone he loves, this one will leave you wanting more!
What a journey this book will take you on! A young boy is sent to help his father out on a colony of boats tied together in the ocean. He is supposedly being punished after being arrested for his drinking. The colony teaches him hard work and starts to drive him further onward into manhood. The journey for him is only beginning! From pirates to losing everyone he loves, this one will leave you wanting more!
June 4, 2013
An interesting debut novel about a young man, Jim, coming of age in a slightly distopic near-future. Jim is introduced as the fairly typical troubled son of divorced parents, but what happens next is not typical at all. The highest praise I can offer is that I've recommended that others read it, and I'm excited for the sequel.
Plus, the cover photo is awesome!
Plus, the cover photo is awesome!
August 1, 2014
I wanted to like this book, it just dragged for me... Until the end. The concept is cool, but just took awhile for me.
The Kindle version (I don't know about the others) had a ton of really simple, obvious errors. Almost as if it wasn't edited. I'm not one for perfect grammar by any means! But it was really bad :(
I will probably read the 2nd book when I'm all out of books on my list.
The Kindle version (I don't know about the others) had a ton of really simple, obvious errors. Almost as if it wasn't edited. I'm not one for perfect grammar by any means! But it was really bad :(
I will probably read the 2nd book when I'm all out of books on my list.
March 13, 2014
Would have liked it more if the dystopian part happened a little sooner, but 3/4ths of the book was a rotten kid bouncing between the ocean city & real city & kinda bored me....
December 29, 2016
*Advance copy for review*
DNF
Flotilla is a slow read and the writing style did not appeal.
DNF
Flotilla is a slow read and the writing style did not appeal.
Want to Read
October 13, 2013Received review copy in exchange for honest review
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