12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The End of the World, November 6, 2005
This review is from: Doctor Who: Winner Takes All (Hardcover)
As long as I've been a "Doctor Who" fan -- coming up on 21 years -- I've actually been reading the original novels, under both the Virgin and BBC banners, for almost three-quarters of that time. I started reading the Target novelizations of the TV episodes when I was 11, and started reading the New Adventures at 18. Now, deep into my early thirties, I am being asked to start again, with what for the "Doctor Who" book world is an interesting hybrid experiment: Original novels based on the first season of Russell T. Davies' "Doctor Who" revival, written in the old Target novelization writing style.
If you loved the NAs, this book will seem like a major step back. If you thought the NAs were self-indulgent and corrosive, you will probably love "Winner Takes All".
Jac Rayner's first "Doctor Who" novel, "EarthWorld", and the only other book of her's that I've read, had its moments, most of them related to her characters and dialogue rather than her storytelling. "Winner Takes All" is the same way. Any dialogue written for the four TV characters (the Doctor, Rose, Jackie and Mickey) captures Russell T. Davies' truncated dialogue style, and the actors' respective voices, admirably. You won't find familiar characters behaving in weird ways, or getting lost in over-long internal monologues. If you read the books only for adherence to the TV show, and not for original insights, this book is definitely a success.
The original characters aren't quite as enjoyable, but Rayner manages to save each of them from being annoying. The alien Quevvils are pretty ridiculous, but then you can excuse the writer on that, because the TV aliens were pretty silly too (the Slitheen, the Gelth, et cetera). The book's human toadie, Darren Pye, isn't really on screen long enough to generate much contempt, but the way Rayner reflects loathing for him through Rose's thoughts works well. Finally, the kid who assists the Doctor in the book's second half is introduced with a lengthy Harry Potter-style dream sequence, and that's kind of cute.
"Winner Takes All" is a silly plot, and a harmless bit of fluff. You can tell it's not in the style of the New Adventures because it's missing "B" and "C" plots. This book is all about the Quevvils' video game and how it affects the residents of Rose's housing project. There are only three or four aliens in total, and even when the book takes us to another planet, all we see of that planet are a couple of rooms. However, it captures the style of Season 1 of the Russell T. Davies' "Doctor Who" pretty well, and since Christopher Eccleston only gave us the one season as the 9th Doctor, this book will stand well in padding out his tenure.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Winner Takes All" a great book!!, July 31, 2007
This review is from: Doctor Who: Winner Takes All (Hardcover)
So far I've been pleased with most of the new Doctor Who books but not particularly amazed or anything, except by this book and "Stealer of Dreams."
This book was awesome, what every fan should be looking for. It has real emotions, cool fight scenes, wicked technology and the fighting against wrong. I especially liked the part with the Doctor being mad at having to use Rose, something we don't get to see in the series very often but something we can all relate too. This is a very good book, I do not understand the mixed or even bad reviews at all. If you Like The Doctor and Rose this is a absolute must read.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
As Enjoyable as the Series, September 15, 2005
This review is from: Doctor Who: Winner Takes All (Hardcover)
Of all the first three 9th Doctor novels this is by far the best. Not as slow and tedius as Clockwise Man or typical weirdness of 7th & 8th Doc novellas Monster Inside was. Winner Takes All is fast paced, down to Earth, and yet captures the same sort of otherwordly magic of the series.
That's not to say this book is perfect. Some of the Doctor's reactions seem a little left field, and the realistic life traumas of Rose's family leave you wondering how she can continue her high-flying adventuring while they toil in the muck.
But the interplay of modern Earth-life and alien-life is very well done.
If you've been enjoying the series, ignore the critics. These books are written for fans of the new TV series... not for fans of the cult novels.
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