While Motion's prose is flawless, the disconcerted and often rambling nature of his narrative makes this book tedious to finish. Nonetheless, "The New World" succeeds in igniting a nostalgia for the original "Treasure Island" in the hearts and minds of its readers and if a book's success can be measured by the emotions it invokes- then "The New World" is that type of novel which truly opens the door to another realm.

Other than his narrative, Motion succeeds in entrancing his readers and building upon Stevenson's original work. Well worth a read if you hunger after simpler times where friend and foe fought side by side on the high-seas and crossed paths with the denizens of the New World in the American hinterlands. ( )

After washing ashore after what he was certain was his death, Jim Hawkins finds he has somehow survived--a fate almost everyone else onboard the Nightingale did not share. But his companion Natty has made it to shore with him, and they'll need to find their way. When they're intercepted by a tribe of natives and imprisoned, they know their choices are limited. When they find a moment to escape they expect they will never get again, they take the chance. But they soon learn it's not as easy as just getting out of the village, and the new American South is nothing like the home--a home they hope they will both get a chance to see again someday.

This is a sequel, but I don't think you need to have read the first book to follow the story. The adventure here is pretty self-contained, and any references to previous events are shared with enough context to understand what's going on.

If you're a fan of an epic adventure, you'll enjoy this. Jim and Natty are on the move from very early on in the book, and their pursuers are hot on their trail. There are twists and turns to keep you guessing as a reader, and it's never quite clear how it's all going to resolve until it gets there. I picked this up on a bit of a whim, to be honest, but I'm glad I did. It's a departure from everything else I've been reading lately, and a refreshing one at that.

[I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.] ( )

This was an Early Reviewer giveaway that unfortunately due to family circumstances I was unable to read until now. I truly regret not doing so sooner since this is a story that was worth the read. I found this story by Andrew Motion easy to read and indeed a page turner in which I had a hard time putting it down. I found myself reading far into the wee hours of the night until I was so exhausted I couldn’t keep my eyes open. To follow the adventure of Jim and Natty through shipwreck, capture by frightening natives, escape and then running for their lives in order to make it finally back to where they began was exhilarating. I really felt as if I were along for the ride. This story is one I would defiantly recommend to anyone who loves adventure and wants a story that reads as if it were a true story. Although it is a fictional novel it did just that. ( )

This book was very well written. The descriptive nature of Motion's style really brought the world alive. I didn't really connect with the characters though. There's a lot to process in the plot and I think that detracts from the average characterizations. I didnt hate the book. It just wasn't one I killed myself to get finished. ( )

This was another Early Reviewer giveaway that I looked forward to from its promotional reviews. Andrew Motion's descriptions were beautifully crafted but I found the rest of the plot and the characters stumbled along and did not interest me. I did finish the book but am the type of reader that likes to read them in order-of-appearance and would have liked to have read the others before this. I would say try it and you might like it but for me - not interested. Thank you, Early Reviewer for the opportunity to peruse new-to-me genre's and titles. ( )