Scan barcode
hckilgour's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
While not a happy book overall, I think the story has a great deal of knowledge to teach the intended audience. There’s plenty of adults who can’t grasp the true reality of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis.
The story did a good job of showing the initial confusion of being hit and abandoning ship. And just how unrelenting the sharks were. And how easy it was to hallucinate and go crazy.
I was not expecting the ending with Benny and it was very sad.
The story did a good job of showing the initial confusion of being hit and abandoning ship. And just how unrelenting the sharks were. And how easy it was to hallucinate and go crazy.
I was not expecting the ending with Benny and it was very sad.
froggylibrarian1's review against another edition
4.0
LOVED this!!!! Patrick and his younger brother Teddy were separated from their parent in the Philippines shorter before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. They have been in Guam, in orphanages, and have hidden in the jungles to survive. Now with the help of a friendly sailor Benny they have smuggled aboard the USS Indianapolis in the hopes of being reunited with their parents.
Problem is...the USS Indianapolis gets torpedoed and they all find themselves on a pallet on the middle of the ocean trying to survive... oh yeah, and there are sharks.
This story is based on the actual events of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis and was fantastic. Lots of action, fast paced, less than 200 pages. This was very good.
Problem is...the USS Indianapolis gets torpedoed and they all find themselves on a pallet on the middle of the ocean trying to survive... oh yeah, and there are sharks.
This story is based on the actual events of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis and was fantastic. Lots of action, fast paced, less than 200 pages. This was very good.
meganhiggins's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
What happened to Benny??
misscazz1224's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
luann's review
5.0
Wow. This was completely riveting from page one. I recently read a couple of Titanic books and reading this made me think those survivors had it easy! Sometimes a cover picture exaggerates the exciting, possibly life-threatening action in the book. Believe me, this cover doesn't do that.
This would be a great classroom read-aloud, especially during a unit on World War II. This also makes me want to have a "shark week" in my library and feature both fiction and nonfiction books with sharks.
I also really enjoyed the author's acknowledgements and an author interview at the end. He answered a lot of my questions and made me want to read more about the survivors of the USS Indianapolis soon.
This would be a great classroom read-aloud, especially during a unit on World War II. This also makes me want to have a "shark week" in my library and feature both fiction and nonfiction books with sharks.
I also really enjoyed the author's acknowledgements and an author interview at the end. He answered a lot of my questions and made me want to read more about the survivors of the USS Indianapolis soon.
More...