Customer Reviews

Swept Away

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I picked this up at my local used book store and decided to give it a whirl, and I was pleasantly surprised. The story is told through the eyes of a quite witty and believable character, 16-year old Jeannette Taylor. She, her best friend Neil Armstrong (not the astronaut), and his girlfriend Samma Glynnis plan a hike in the mountains. Then Jeannette's jock boyfriend Dwayne Cors invites himself, and they are joined by her and Neil's long lost friend Bill Hicks. Together, despite the change in hikers, they all trek through the woods and mountains until a flashflood splits the group up. Jeannette is left with Bill, and then they discover Dwayne. And that's when it really starts to get good....

A good book, and worth the read. It is told in a perspective worth checking out. You will be able to relate to Jeannette real well, though, sometimes she underreacts a little too much to what Bill does. I would have expected more out of her. But oh well. It's still a good book. But if you are planning to read this, at least get the second one, too, and the third if you can. Because they are all connected, or at least this and the first sequel are. Good luck finding this book. It's worth the read, though.

In "Swept Away", Jeanette Taylor and her two high-school friends, Neil Armstrong and Samma Glynnis, have made plans for a six-day hike in the mountains. When Jeanette and Neil's long-lost childhood friend (Bill Hicks) calls out of the blue, Jeanette automatically invites him along, despite her sudden uneasiness while talking with him. He just doesn't seem like his old self; he lies about his past and blatantly admits to dissecting the school's mascot. Although Jeanette seems like a level-headed girl, she should have made some excuse to uninvite the weirdo. But I suppose if she had, there wouldn't have been any real suspense later on.

So, besides the new addition, their week adventure seems to go as planned--until that night, when they're startled by someone lurking in the bushes outside their campsite. It turns out to be Dwayne Cors, the dumb jock who's in love with Jeanette and considers it his duty to protect her from Neil and Bill.

The next day, the group is faced with yet another obstacle; however, this one is much more serious. When they reroute their trip at the last minute, it leads them directly in the path of a flash flood which separates everyone and possibly kills Neil and Samma. (The two are never found.) Jeanette reunites with Bill, although she would rather be on her own. She can't help but suspect her old friend is a sociopath who killed his last girlfriend--and wants her to be the next victim. ...

"Swept Away" begins a little slow, but once Jeanette, Bill, Neil, and Samma start their hike around page 50, the book picks up the pace. Jeanette is a great leading character, with Neil as my second favorite. I was a little disappointed when he vanished in the flood, but, hopefully, he'll reappear in "Swept Away: The Mountain" or "Swept Away: The Pit", the two succeeding books in this series.

Two character complaints: Bill is a little too psychotic; it's almost unbelievable. I know he's supposed to be evil and all, but he switches between madness and coolness too often. Then there's Jeanette, who doesn't react as quickly as I thought she needed to. There were several times when she had the opportunity to flee or attack but did neither.

Overall, despite the grim atmosphere, the book is pretty funny, particularly at the beginning. I would recommend "Swept Away" ao anyone who likes Christopher Pike or R. L. Stine books or is a Dafydd ab Hugh fan.

Swept Away is a captivating book that everyone should read.Jeanette and her buddies go on a hiking trip, when two of her guy friends invite themselves. One of her friends is a psychopathic person who has an obsession over Jeanette...can you guess who? I reccomend this book to teenagers. Read about how the two guys (Dwayne and Bill)fight over Jeanette throughout the whole trip. There is a second part and a third part to this book and I'm going crazy because I can't find any copies! Please, whoever knows where to buy a copy of this trilogy, email me! Thanks a bunch. Out of the heart of a fellow teenager,this book is the best!

Swept Away is a captivating book that everyone should read.Jeanette and her buddies go on a hiking trip, when two of her guy friends invite themselves. One of her friends is a psychopathic person who has an obsession over Jeanette...can you guess who? I reccomend this book to teenagers. Read about how the two guys (Dwayne and Bill)fight over Jeanette throughout the whole trip. There is a second part and a third part to this book and I'm going crazy because I can't find any copies! Please, whoever knows where to buy a copy of this trilogy, email me! Thanks a bunch. Honestly, this book is the best!