TITLE: Marina Melee
AUTHOR: Lynne M. Hinkey
PUBLISHER: Casperian Books
GENRE: Humorous Fiction
PAGES: 249
THE RUNDOWN
Marina Melee is cute, in a debaucherous kind of way. Cute, like a first date who can’t hold a conversation, but comes home with you so it’s worth it in the end. It is the story of a womanizing, white-bread drunkard who has spent his entire life mooching off of his rich daddy’s oil company… and decides to invest in a marina on the fictional Caribbean island of Sao Jorge.
Needless to say, our shameful (and yet somehow loveable) hero, George, isn’t cut out for the job. Throw in his spiteful mother, a pregnant teenager, multiple lawsuits and a hurricane, and George quickly learns that there is more to paradise than rum, boobs and sailboats. However, as George tries not to go deeper into debt, he finds himself working harder and having more fun than he ever did back home… and ends up falling in love with the island and the people, not just the women.
The book’s predictably feel-good plot and redeemable not-quite-cookie-cutter-characters made for a fun and enjoyable read. The clash of American culture and island life was very real, but I sometimes found myself put off by traces of ex-pat elitism. This was, of course, due to the nature of the main character, who seems to think it’s a tragedy that he isn’t able to get in a full round of golf.
I read the book in one day. Granted, it helped that for a large portion of that day I was on a plane. But still, it read like ‘book candy’ and, although it’s not a page-turner by any means, it seduced me just like that first date and I couldn’t help but take it home with me.
THE RECOMMENDATION
If you’re looking for an escape, pick up Marina Melee. This would be a great book to take on a vacation to the Caribbean, but you might finish it on your first day, so bring along some supplemental reading. And remember: it’s a comical view of island life from the eyes of an ex-pat, so you might consider balancing it with something more local, or even historical.
LINKS
Buy Marina Melee on Amazon
Visit Lynne's Facebook page
Visit Lynne's blog
If you enjoyed this review, you can subscribe to the Underground or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
AUTHOR: Lynne M. Hinkey
PUBLISHER: Casperian Books
GENRE: Humorous Fiction
PAGES: 249
THE RUNDOWN
Marina Melee is cute, in a debaucherous kind of way. Cute, like a first date who can’t hold a conversation, but comes home with you so it’s worth it in the end. It is the story of a womanizing, white-bread drunkard who has spent his entire life mooching off of his rich daddy’s oil company… and decides to invest in a marina on the fictional Caribbean island of Sao Jorge.
Needless to say, our shameful (and yet somehow loveable) hero, George, isn’t cut out for the job. Throw in his spiteful mother, a pregnant teenager, multiple lawsuits and a hurricane, and George quickly learns that there is more to paradise than rum, boobs and sailboats. However, as George tries not to go deeper into debt, he finds himself working harder and having more fun than he ever did back home… and ends up falling in love with the island and the people, not just the women.
The book’s predictably feel-good plot and redeemable not-quite-cookie-cutter-characters made for a fun and enjoyable read. The clash of American culture and island life was very real, but I sometimes found myself put off by traces of ex-pat elitism. This was, of course, due to the nature of the main character, who seems to think it’s a tragedy that he isn’t able to get in a full round of golf.
I read the book in one day. Granted, it helped that for a large portion of that day I was on a plane. But still, it read like ‘book candy’ and, although it’s not a page-turner by any means, it seduced me just like that first date and I couldn’t help but take it home with me.
THE RECOMMENDATION
If you’re looking for an escape, pick up Marina Melee. This would be a great book to take on a vacation to the Caribbean, but you might finish it on your first day, so bring along some supplemental reading. And remember: it’s a comical view of island life from the eyes of an ex-pat, so you might consider balancing it with something more local, or even historical.
LINKS
Buy Marina Melee on Amazon
Visit Lynne's Facebook page
Visit Lynne's blog
If you enjoyed this review, you can subscribe to the Underground or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
