The Landing is a well-written book that grabbed my attention in every part except for the beginning. The very start of the book was rather slow because the author tried to go into too much detail about Ben and his family. However, John Ibbotson, the author, did include some very essential and powerful details such as the setting and scenery. A very descriptive part was when Ben was adding finishing touches to the outside of the cottage. The author took care to make it be known that Ben was spending a lot of time working tediously during the hottest months, outside every day in the hot, sticky July heat. He also described the setting around Ben when the boat he was in was capsizing. John Ibbotson portrayed the raging waves, the tilting, slippery deck, and many other amazing features. In addition, the setting was not a prominent feature when not necessary. At first the book was rather boring and not attention grabbing, but as the story progressed, the plot became much more interesting as well as thought provoking. The moods I understood while reading the novel were unhappiness and frustration in the beginning, and happiness and hope later on. This built the book up and made life seem easier for Ben. The author, John Ibbotson, made the characters of The Landing very lifelike. Ben felt much emotion, whether it be happiness or sadness throughout the book, making him seem very convincing. I like Ben; thus making me enjoy the book more as he developed. In addition, I understood that Henry was not a pleasant character to be around, and so I almost winced when Ben approached him with something awkward. This is all to say that the author achieved his purpose when he set out to write a book kids will enjoy. However, kids must have a certain degree of patience when reading, because I had trouble getting through the first fifty pages or so. Despite this, I did enjoy The Landing. I did not want to put the novel down after the story started to grow more exciting. The plot grew to have many unexpected twists and turns that further compelled me to read more. I found the writing to be effective in showing mood, feelings, and ideas that I could understand. One additional weakness besides the beginning is the ending. The author made the book seem as though it would go into an ending with a mixture of sadness and happiness, and to be honest, it did just that. But the ending also ended quite abruptly with characters promising to do things, but not coming even remotely close to carrying them out. But this did not really effect my overall feelings for the book. The Landing is a well-written book that I found interesting, moving and just a little dull. The climax will make you think about life and relationships in a totally different way. However, the part directly after that is very weak and needs some help. This book takes place during the Great Depression, and gives you a whole new view of how things were back then. I learned how hard it was, and I came to the conclusion that one dollar then is twenty today. I would definitely recommend The Landing to others because, despite my criticism, I really did enjoy The Landing and couldn't put it down.