3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved the Zany Fun...Best Book in the Series, September 22, 2008
This review is from: Skid (Occupational Hazards, Book 3) (Paperback)
This is the best in the series. No contest. The characters are a quirky and touching bunch of complex folks who encounter life, death, and drama while flying across the Atlantic Ocean. Humor zings, clever writing and solid plotting make this read delightful and entertaining. The spiritual aspects are strong and solid but not preachy.
The only struggle I can foresee is the camp that doesn't like ambiguous endings. Gutteridge doesn't provide clear cut endings for several characters. But, I imagine we might see one or more in future novels.
This series needed to grow on me. I didn't quite get the premise at the beginning. Now that I've read three, I'm looking forward to the rest and am thrilled that the Hazard family is a big one.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
another good read, January 23, 2011
Let me tell you a bit about what I think about book reviews. First of all, I don't even read the back cover of a book because I feel like it gives too much away. So, in my reviews I will tell you some of the good premises of a book (or not so good, depending), but I will never give too much away. Read the book for yourself if it's that good :)
The book I am reviewing today is another book by Rene Gutteridge, Skid. It is also in the Occupational Hazards series. This book took longer for me to get into, but once I was about 50 pages I didn't want to put it down. The ending was especially good.
Gutteridge has a nack for bringing humor into nearly every situation. She's a good writer. Some of the things in her books are farfetched, but it's a book for crying out loud. It's for entertainment purposes. I definitely like how she draws you in though.
I was a bit disappointed in the beginning of the book that there were SO many characters that Gutteridge seemed to be developing. I really wanted to just hear the main characters story, but in the end it all came together. I just wish that it wouldn't have taken so long to get there.
I still give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. It was a good read.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amusing, charming and full of great characters, March 13, 2009
This review is from: Skid (Occupational Hazards, Book 3) (Paperback)
The Hazard family is back in SKID, the third book in the Occupational Hazard Series by Rene Gutteridge. Like the first two books in the series, the ensemble cast is centered around a member of the Hazard family.
After making an appearance in SNITCH, Hank Hazard is back in Atlanta applying for a job. He gets the job with Atlantica Airlines, as a secret shopper. It'll be Hank's job to secretly monitor the performance of the struggling airline's employees. Hank is one of many characters that will be on the long flight to Amsterdam.
As usual, Gutteridge fills the pages with many zany and offbeat characters. Danny McSweeney, is the copilot whose fiance recently left him because he didn't make enough money. He's the straight man. Gigi is the aging flight attendent who, after three divorces, is incredibly lonely. Jake is the young man without a family and barely making ends meet in a struggling garage band. He's traveling to Amsterdam to deliver some diamonds to his grandma that he's never seem. The prisoner that stole the diamonds from his grandma is on the same flight, being extradidted back home. James, the cocky first officer, can't help but make offending comments. Lucy is the young girl trying to escape from a boyfriend who dumped her, only to find out he's on the same flight. Her motto is "What would Oprah do?" Finally, there's Anna Sue, who some how has a medical reason for bringing a pig along on the flight.
The characters are quirky, and they should be in a comedy. But, by the end of the novel, I found that most of the quirks had quietly transformed into real human flaws. The novel takes place entirely on an airplane. I think the fixed setting makes this book the best in the series. Since everything takes place on the plane, author Gutteridge must focus on developing the characters instead of throwing in new scenes or plot twists. While the single setting allows the characters to thrive, it also is the weakness of the book. I kept wondering how many things could go wrong on a single flight and was ready for the plot threads to conclude.
I enjoyed SKID a lot. Gutteridge infuses the plot with humor, of course, but it has a little romance, mystery, suspense, and a good message. I recommend all three books in the series, but they don't need to be read in order to enjoy them.
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