Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

Sorry I'm so late, but this post brings with it two firsts - the first time I have to be careful about spoilers (I knew it had to happen sometime), and the first time I am not giving an entirely positive review.

This book, frankly, disappointed me. First of all, I believe that all great fantasy fiction is either set in an entirely made up world, like the Lord of the Rings or Eragon, or entirely in the real world, like Harry Potter or Artemis Fowl. Sure, you can make up a few famous people, add a monument or a company or something, but one thing you can't do is do something in the real world that is not in the book. Like, for instance, J.K. Rowling saying something in an interview or on her website that is actually untrue in the book would be just wrong. Now, James Patterson, by giving the address of Fang's blog in the book. more or less ensures that every reader with access to the internet will check it out. And making the blog in the book an entirely different one is cheap.

Also, the book is overtly simplistic. How Fang does what he does with his blog (being very careful here) is way too easy and coincidental. And the ending is the most saccharine sweet ending you can imagine, more or less. He changes track too, the global warming thing just seems contrived: he couldn't visualise another disaster so he makes it that, or he wants to win an environmentalist award or something.

I hate authors who prolong their series because they think it's popular. I'm not saying you shouldn't read it, it's silly to leave any book in a series you like and I know I'm going to read the fourth book but James Patterson has at least one unhappy fan on his hands. So there.