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reneeknightauthor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
utahmomreads's review against another edition
3.0
I thought I would love The Lifeboat. A friend highly recommended it and I have in the past enjoyed the other books I've read about survival on the open ocean. I was immediately intrigued by the opening chapters. Three women are on trial after surviving on a lifeboat with 39 other people after the sinking of their ocean liner in the early days of World War I. The suspense and mystery are immediately introduced and the desire to find out what happens at the end compelled me to devour the book in a day.
Survival books are interesting studies of human nature--watching people reduced from polite and civilized to instinctual beings intent only on their survival or mere shells of themselves as they give in to the harshness of nature and die. Are people good or bad? Do they become their true selves now that they are released from the rules of society? Are their real personalities magnified or are they changed by their horrible surroundings? What The Lifeboat does well is highlight these questions and others about those who survive or don't survive in perilous situations. The book will leave you pondering about human nature for days afterward.
However, what the book fails to do is keep up with itself in the story. The plotting is slow at times--regularly going back to the narrator's past with her husband, now lost at sea and presumed dead. Other than the main character/narrator, the other 39 people on the lifeboat do not become fully fleshed characters. It is hard even to grasp the motivations of the co-conspirators on trial. Possibly this is because of the narcissistic nature of the narrator who cannot fully be trusted. Nuggets of information are given regarding the mystery surrounding the main character and the sinking of the luxurious ocean liner to entice the reader to keep going. But just like the philosophical questions that aren't really answered, neither is the mystery solved or the truth discovered.
Survival books are interesting studies of human nature--watching people reduced from polite and civilized to instinctual beings intent only on their survival or mere shells of themselves as they give in to the harshness of nature and die. Are people good or bad? Do they become their true selves now that they are released from the rules of society? Are their real personalities magnified or are they changed by their horrible surroundings? What The Lifeboat does well is highlight these questions and others about those who survive or don't survive in perilous situations. The book will leave you pondering about human nature for days afterward.
However, what the book fails to do is keep up with itself in the story. The plotting is slow at times--regularly going back to the narrator's past with her husband, now lost at sea and presumed dead. Other than the main character/narrator, the other 39 people on the lifeboat do not become fully fleshed characters. It is hard even to grasp the motivations of the co-conspirators on trial. Possibly this is because of the narcissistic nature of the narrator who cannot fully be trusted. Nuggets of information are given regarding the mystery surrounding the main character and the sinking of the luxurious ocean liner to entice the reader to keep going. But just like the philosophical questions that aren't really answered, neither is the mystery solved or the truth discovered.
briannaw's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jbabiarz's review against another edition
4.0
I was impressed by Charlotte Rogan's first novel. It was a great read, with at times, very beautiful writing. It's not often that I stop to admire a sentence or paragraph for how lovely it's written, and that happened a few times in this book.
lindsayaunderwood's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. Very quick read. Nothing overly inventive, but I enjoyed the dynamic of being on a lifeboat with 30 other people. The main character was a little boring. I was also a little annoyed with some unanswered questions.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Book on CD narrated by Rebecca Gibbel
3.5***
In the summer of 1914, newly married Grace Winter and her husband Henry, set sail from London back to America. But after an explosion aboard ship, Grace is hurried aboard a lifeboat that is over capacity. As days go by with no sign of rescue it becomes clear that not all (if any) will survive. It comes down to a battle for leadership between the only able seaman aboard and a strong-willed matron skilled at persuasion.
Grace is not a completely reliable narrator. The majority of the story is told in flashback, as Grace is on trial for murder. At the suggestion of her attorneys, she recalls her experiences in the lifeboat, but she also reflects on how she met and married Henry.
Her observations about her fellow passengers are limited to a handful, mostly those of her class, save for the seaman, Mr Hardie. As their situation grows more dire, the survivors in the lifeboat are faced with decisions they never imagined having to make. There are times when I felt Grace was a weak woman content to let the wind blow her where it will. And other times when I felt she was manipulative and scheming. But then again, we have only Grace’s word for what happened. One thing is certain, though, Grace is a survivor.
Rebecca Gibbel does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and distinguishes the characters sufficiently to avoid confusion about who is speaking.
3.5***
In the summer of 1914, newly married Grace Winter and her husband Henry, set sail from London back to America. But after an explosion aboard ship, Grace is hurried aboard a lifeboat that is over capacity. As days go by with no sign of rescue it becomes clear that not all (if any) will survive. It comes down to a battle for leadership between the only able seaman aboard and a strong-willed matron skilled at persuasion.
Grace is not a completely reliable narrator. The majority of the story is told in flashback, as Grace is on trial for murder. At the suggestion of her attorneys, she recalls her experiences in the lifeboat, but she also reflects on how she met and married Henry.
Her observations about her fellow passengers are limited to a handful, mostly those of her class, save for the seaman, Mr Hardie. As their situation grows more dire, the survivors in the lifeboat are faced with decisions they never imagined having to make. There are times when I felt Grace was a weak woman content to let the wind blow her where it will. And other times when I felt she was manipulative and scheming. But then again, we have only Grace’s word for what happened. One thing is certain, though, Grace is a survivor.
Rebecca Gibbel does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and distinguishes the characters sufficiently to avoid confusion about who is speaking.
moshalala's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
celticthistle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Glorious! Read this book a few years back, bit can still remember what happened. The sign of a great story.
iambookmad's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was a very strange book.