February 15, 2011
Readers will really feel blasts of wind, water and flying debris in this disaster tale—at least until the narrative cuts off in mid-howl. As (fictional) Hurricane Emily moves toward Florida and his father, an itinerant contractor specializing in weather-disaster prep and repairs, heads for its expected landfall, Chase takes up temporary residence at a "farm" that turns out to be a circus' winter quarters. Hardly has he reported to the local school, though, than the storm makes a sudden turn and surge that strands him, along with classmates Nicole and Rashawn, in a wrecked bus on a crumbling levee. Writing in clipped prose and dialogue, Smith quickly plunges the three refugees into a desperate struggle to survive floods, darkness, howling gales and even an encounter with a wily alligator on the way to what they hope will be safety. Though the author's practice of repeatedly cutting away to other characters' points of view distracts from rather than tightens the suspense, and he abruptly chops off the narrative on a cliffhanger as the storm's eye passes, Chase and his friends get repeated opportunities to show that they're made of sturdy stuff. Since they are left sharing a barn with an elephant who is about to give birth as a vicious escaped leopard roams outside, readers are really going to want to find out what happens next. (Adventure. 11-13)
(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
April 1, 2011
Gr 6-9-Chase, 13, has been taught to be a survivor. He carries a go bag that contains supplies to keep him warm, dry, and fed for three days. He knows to look for high ground in storms and which rooms are safest. He carries a satellite phone in case the landlines are down and the cell phone signals fail. His father is in the disaster business and taught him all of this and more. He travels the country with Tomas, his assistant, and Chase. After a disaster strikes, they provide construction services in Florida to help residents rebuild. The men drop Chase off at Tomas's brother's house before heading for Saint Petersburg, in preparation for Hurricane Emily. Chase is at school, 40 miles away from where his father predicts the storm will hit land, when it changes course unexpectedly, and he needs to use all of the survival techniques he knows to get himself and two friends to safety after their bus rolls into a lake full of alligators. This is an exciting, quick read, with chapters alternating between Chase and his father, who is trying to find him. Weather reports and a lot of survival tips and facts are included. Readers will feel engaged with Chase and his friends in their struggles to survive. However, it seems a set-up for the second book rather than a complete novel.-Erik Carlson, White Plains Public Library, NY
Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 15, 2011
Grades 5-8 Due to his fathers work, which is making repairs in the wake of natural disasters, Chase is used to traveling around the country. In Florida, father and son wind up at the winter quarters of a circus just as a monster hurricane bears down. When the storm strikes, Chases school bus is swept off the road, the driver is killed, and Chase and two classmates endure alligators and roiling waters before they make it back to the circus camp. There they discover that the companys animals (including dangerous species, such as lions and leopards) have escaped. Smith leaves many loose ends in what is clearly the first offering in an adventure series. Readers are also left with tantalizing hints that Chases fathers business goes beyond mere repairs into something that is perhaps more sinister. Certain to grab readers and leave them waiting to snatch up the next installment, this is a fast-paced page-turner that will pair nicely with Jim Aronskys The Pirates of Crocodile Swamp (2009), which also features adventures in Floridas wetter regions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2011
Chase Masters and his father roam the country tracking hurricanes, tornadoes, and other severe weather; they're also trying to fill the void left by the death of Chase's mother and sister. They end up in Florida, separated and fighting for their own lives during a hurricane. The story's nonstop action and break-neck pacing keep pages turning; a cliffhanger ending promises another installment.
(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)