Review: Surrounded by Sharks by Michael Northrop

I was lucky enough to get an e-galley of this title from Scholastic through Netgalley.  I am a fan of this author, at least I enjoyed another one of his books, Trapped.   I've also been fascinated with sharks, really who hasn't, for a long time.  I remember watching Shark Week when it first started.  Now as cool as I think sharks are, I don't really want to go swimming with them. Especially not in this type of a situation. 

The main character is Davey.  He is a quiet, bookish type of boy, about 14 I think.  His family is on vacation, near Key West, but on a much smaller island nearby.  He wakes up before the rest of his family, pretty early, and decides to take his book and go out on the beach and read where he won't have to deal with the snoring of his brother and father.  He can't really just go back to sleep, you see he had to sleep on the cot for the night, while his brother got the other bed.  Tomorrow night he should get his turn on the bed.  But for now he just wants to go out and read in peace.  He goes down to the beach, there's no one on duty at the front desk, and not really anyone outside at the little huts on the beach yet.  The first place he chooses soon gets a little busier than he'd like just as everyone starts lining up at the dock to get a ride back so they can catch their planes home, or else just to go to the busier Key West for the day.  He sees a few people, including a girl about his age named Drew.  Drew also is kind of a main character as we get some of the chapters from her viewpoint.  Drew is from England, and is there with her mom and dad as well.  She's not real thrilled to be on this tiny island.  Kind of wants to get to Key West where her friend told her the "party is at." 

Davey wanders off to a more secluded beach to read.  There is a sign there that says no swimming.  After a while though, the water looks so nice, that Davey thinks he will just wander in a bit, just wade.  So he hides his book, shoes, and glasses, so that no one would steal them or see them if they came along.  As he wades a bit further, and further, he notices that he's gotten a long way from the beach without realizing it.  When he decides to go back to the beach, he tries walking and swimming back, but only getting pulled further away.  Seems the current has him.  Soon he is so far away he can't even see land anymore.  And without his glasses, he's not really able to see much of anything.  At one point he sees what he thinks is land, and swims toward it.  It turns out to be a plastic water bottle, like you'd see in an office that you put on the stand with a spigot to get drinks from.  He's frustrated at first, but then realizes he can at least use it to help float.  And there he stays, hoping that someone soon will find him.  Of course there are things in the water that notice him there.  Little fish, who nibble on him.  And then larger animals, sharks.  Now he is just waiting to be rescued. 

It will take his family almost the whole day, with the help of the hotel's staff, as well as police, and coast guard to get an idea where he is.  Even Drew, who saw him during their morning walk, will come in as a big help.

I like that this story took place over just one day really.  I think it is a very interesting book, and maybe a good read for someone who is a reluctant reader.  Definitely a quick read, and one that I had trouble putting down because I needed to know what would happen with the sharks, and when would his family finally figure out where he had disappeared to. 

Trapped by Michael Northrop

I got this book a while back at my school's Scholastic Book Fair, and pulled it out back in January to read.  I've been keeping it in the master bathroom for during bubble baths, because either the book I was reading was too big or I was reading on my Nook, and I don't want to have that near a tub full of water!
The story is about a group of teens who get snowed in at school.  School gets let out a bit early because of the coming blizzard, but a few of the boys decide to stay to work on their project in Shop Class.  One guy is there because of detention.  And there are also a couple other students left there, waiting to be picked up.  For a short time there is a teacher there with them, but that first night he goes out looking for help, and he never comes back.  Scotty is a sophomore, a basketball player.  He and his friend Pete and Jason stay because they figure Jason's dad will be able to still come pick them up even with the snow.  Les is kind of the guy who is trouble, he was in detention.  And is really pretty scary.  Krista and Julie are the girls that are there.  Scotty thinks Krista is really hot, and Pete is interested in Julie.  As they stay there, the snow doesn't stop, and soon they realize the teacher isn't coming back, and no one is coming to get them at least tonight.  So they spend the night there.  But then the power goes out, which means even with a back up generator, soon that goes out.  And the snow keeps coming down.  They're fortunate that of course the cafeteria has food for them.  Eventually of course the pipes freeze, not to mention with no lights and no heat, the bathrooms get to be freezing inside.  The longer they are there, the colder it gets, and soon they decide to build a fire in one of the classrooms, and they have to figure out how to have a bathroom.  They have no other clothes.  Although, I wonder why they don't try to get the keys to the lockers from the office or somewhere so that they can look for clothes in other people's lockers.  They do go to the nurse's office and find blankets.  Soon the snow gets so high that the windows on the first floor are covered.  And so they move to the 2nd floor of the school.  Soon they hear the roof start making noises, and things just don't seem to be getting any better.  Their cell phones don't work, but that's not that unusual, they don't really get that great of reception there usually.  They find a radio in the office that they use to listen to find out what is going on.  And it doesn't sound that great out there.  Then one day, when they've begun to feel really desperate, they see a helicopter in the distance.  At this point they begin trying to think of how to get out and get someone to know they are there.
The story ends pretty quickly.  And we don't get to find out what happens to everyone.  But it is a good story.  Not thinking people in the way of Nemo want to read this right now, but may be feeling some of the same things!