A Storm too Soon by Michael J. Tougias

yalitreader

May 30

Summary: When a disastrous storm capsizes the sailboat of a small crew of three, it's up to a brave rescue crew to save them before they drown. However, the storm proves to be more dangerous than anticipated and the crew has to make tough decisions during the rescue mission.

Review: I really appreciated the way the author would explain things in this book. I don't know much about boats (specifically, I know nothing), but it was all explained so simply that I was able to comprehend without any legitimate background knowledge. I really appreciated that accessibility to the content.

I think a lot of this comprehension was aided by the author's strong imagery-filled writing. I was really able to visualize the storm that the sailors had to endure, and this obviously allowed for a much better reading experience. There are times in books like this where I read the words but no mental images form, but that was not the case here thankfully.

I also found the book to be incredibly suspenseful. Even though I obviously knew they all survived, I was so curious about HOW they managed to do it. That was where the author really managed to build in some good suspense that kept me engaged through most of the book.

The back and forth from the sailors to the rescue team was also really interesting. It helped to keep my intrigue in seeing how things were going for all parties involved and having to wait a chapter to find out motivated me to keep reading. I can definitely see this book fitting into the hands and minds of young readers for this very reason.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Recommended reader: Anyone who likes:

Nonfiction
Survival stories
Natural disasters
Shipwrecks
Rescue missions
Teamwork
Inspirational stories
The Living by Matt de la Peña

Discussion Questions:

What character traits did the survivors need in order to survive? How would their situation have been different if they didn't have these characteristics? What about the rescue team? What traits did they need to have in order to be successful?
What were some of the things that went wrong with the sailing that ultimately led to the capsizing? Which of these could have been avoided, and which couldn't? What about with the rescue effort — what went wrong and could've been avoided?
Who were the different members of the rescue team, and what were their responsibilities? Who had the biggest responsibility? Who had the hardest task? Explain.

Specifics of the book: