| Title | : | Dangerous Waters: An Adventure on the Titanic |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1596436735 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781596436732 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 240 |
| Publication | : | First published March 13, 2012 |
A stowaway, a stolen book, a murderous villain: an adventure on the most famous shipwreck in history.
Dangerous Waters: An Adventure on the Titanic Reviews
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I really wanted to like this book. I loved the cover art, but unfortunately, the book doesn’t live up to being dangerous. The plot is a bit all over the place but there’s no hint of danger or impending doom - hello, you’re on the Titanic.
Firstly, how are we to be expected to believe that a 12-year-old boy could pass as a trimmer/steward?! The author constantly reminds us of how young Patrick is/how young his face is/how he can’t shave yet etc.
The storyline is so uninspiring and drags so much. I made it through 88 pages, without having a clue where it was going and if a story doesn’t grab me within the first 50 pages, then it’s honestly not worth my time reading as I feel that I’m wasting my time.
Maybe this is supposed to appeal to young boys? I don’t know, but I’m not a young boy (you’re welcome to check) but I kinda figured young boys/girls would like a bit of inspiring adventure with their story. Amazon says that this is intended for ages 9+, but if I was that age, I’d rather be outside making my own adventures.
And Patrick is the most characterless ... character I’ve ever read. He just mopes about, faints at trying to be a trimmer, does nothing to hide his true age, even admitting it. I felt like reaching into the book and giving him a good shake. You’re on the Titanic, my good man!
I really wouldn’t recommend this and considering that the hardback is cheaper than the paperback currently (less than £2 for the hardback and just over £6 for the paperback), I wouldn’t even let that suck you in. It’s not even worth the money. Sorry to the author, but perhaps you could write something more enticing for your young readers? Otherwise, you’ll be dumped for the next video game.
I’ll maybe keep a hold of this for the next time I can’t sleep.
Is it just me who sees (a young) Will Poulter in the cover image? -
actual: 3.5
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The whole city had come out to watch Titanic and the strong, heavy smell of coal filled the air. After a few breaths, gritty black dust coated his tongue. The taste of progress, as Mr. Joyce called it.
Synopsis:
April, 1912: The RMS Titanic sets sail for her maiden voyage with more than 2000 people aboard. Among the passengers on the "Queen of the Sea": a wealthy book collector with a rare and valuable volume, a cunning thief desperate for money, and a young steward looking for a chance to be a part of something great.
After his father died, Patrick Waters left school and went to work in a Belfast pub. His widowed mother is determined to make him a practical working man like his older brother, not a dreamer like his late father. At age twelve, Patrick hopes to associate himself with greatness. His brother is about to embark on his ninth trip across the Atlantic, this time shoveling coal into the boilers of Titanic. When an unexpected opportunity on the ship arises, he wastes no time getting himself aboard. To his surprise, instead of shoveling coal, he is assigned to wait on Harry Elkins Widener, a book-lover whose latest acquisition might be worth much more than either of them can imagine. There is someone on board who thinks he does know, though, and he will stop at nothing to get the book for himself. There is danger at every turn as the ship itself heads for disaster.
Review:
With the centennial of the shipwreck approaching in April of 2012, new Titanic books are hitting the shelves. It is one of those topics (like
Amelia Earhart's disappearance or
dinosaurs) that kids ask about again and again, endlessly fascinated. In this fictional take for middle grade readers, Mone skillfully blends real-life historical figures with his own characters. An Author's Note at the end explains that Harry Widener really was a book collector who perished on board the ship, while young Patrick and the other main characters are the inventions of the author.
From the taste of coal dust to the color of a partially-cleaned spittoon, the narrative is packed with rich sensory details, bringing the sights and sounds and smells of the scenes to life. Mone uses playful language in his descriptions; in the first chapter, he says of the thief Berryman that "the local baker refused to loan him so much as a roll." Quick-paced action keeps the pages turning as events come to their inevitable conclusion.
In addition to the drama of the collision, Mone intrigues readers with a mystery that is just a little bit reminiscent of
Dan Brown. The perspective shifts between sweet Patrick, who can't help but follow his own sharp eyes and ears, and the thieves after something they think will bring them untold riches, if only they can decipher a coded message within. The reader, of course, knows more than any single character, and hints are offered about the secret message before its meaning is finally revealed.
On shelves March 13, 2012 (just in time for the anniversary).
Final Word:
An original mystery offers a fresh take on a popular historical event for middle grade readers.
Source:
e-ARC via
NetGalley provided by the publisher by request -
First of all I loved all the different point of views. The characters were very lovable. I really loved James; he seemed like a perfect big brother. Though there were a lot of names to remember in the first two chapters that it can get a little confusing.
The book is quite descriptive but it still left me thinking up my own idea of the setting. The Titanic is beautifully described.
The book didn't have the amount of suspense as I hoped. It was good, but it definitely didn't blow me away. I wish Greg could had played more with the secret. Go crazy! But everything was just so tone down. I want to feel the rush of fighting the bad guys, I want to feel the air burning in my lungs when the characters are running. I wanted more mind games, more betrayal, more mystery. A good example of a series that contained all that mentioned is the 39 Clues series. It is just a pleasure to read all the books.
When I was half way through the book, I kept on wondering what lay in the other half because I felt the first half was just introduction, nothing big happened. I though that Gregory stuffed the second half with the big secrets, but he didn't. Nothing really made me gasp with surprise. Plus I wanted Greg to talked about the poor passengers, and the trimmers. Greg, I think a good book will be a book on the trimmers :) And YA authors, maybe write one with romance in it. :P That I would love to read.
When I hit the 75% mark, the Titanic hit the iceberg. Only when the Titanic got hit did I felt an emotion. I panicked because of the dramatic irony in the book. I also almost tear up when I read about how hard working James was. I think I would love to have James as my boyfriend :p. Ok, back to the Titanic. So when the Titanic hit, it got a little bit more suspenseful but I was disappointed at the lack of imagination Greg had. The whole Titanic scene was almost the same as the movie Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio, but even the movie had more action with Rose trying to save the locked up Jack.
I do have to say, the ending just made me cry! I wanted to save Titanic from sinking. I wanted to get a boat to save all the passengers. I want to swim to pick all of the poor souls out of the water, but I can't :'(.
The epilogue was beautifully written. I wanted to cry even more. :'(
If I read this book a few years ago I might had loved it but nowadays I find that there are way more amazing books.
Overall, the book was just a little disappointing, 3.5 out of 5. -
It's hard to find an accurate and well-written fictional book about the Titanic. "Dangerous Waters", however, meets my expectations! It was engaging, satisfying, and even after I finished, still exhilarating. The thing that reeled me in was the main subject of the plot: books! My favorite pastime is reading, so if there is a Titanic story out there that really focuses on the wonder of books (and the terrible loss of books that went down with the Titanic), then it's probably an automatic favorite of mine.
The story mostly centers around Patrick, a young Irish boy who is quite in awe of the Titanic. I felt, as the story began, an authentic sensation of anticipation of the Titanic. It is the way in which the local people speak about the big vessel that drills excitement in... the world's biggest ship ever is about to set sail this week. Other authors have tried to create this same feeling, but this is the first time I've fully appreciated the efforts made to show the sensation of what the people of Belfast were thinking.
In the plot of "Dangerous Waters", the story sometimes switches from Patrick to one of the other characters, like Berryman, who is trying to steal and acquire a certain rare copy of Sir Francis Bacon's book that is supposed to carry a secret, hidden in code. I rather enjoyed getting the entire story by "watching" the different characters, instead of it always focusing on just one main character. Harry Widener is another of the characters in this book---he was a real passenger on the Titanic, and I think his presence in the book authenticated the entire story. What strikes me as odd, is the fact that usually I do not like famous people from the Titanic taking a key role in a fictional story---I don't generally approve of this because it never feels genuine---but it worked! I actually loved how Harry Widener fit right in.
There are subjects like drinking included in the story---but this tends to go with the subject matter of Titanic and that time era. Patrick himself had a job in a pub. There is also much talk about spit, tobacco, spittoons, etc., which did get a bit graphic at times, but slightly hilarious.
If there's one thing I don't understand about the entire book, it is this minor detail: Why did Emily, a girl from the story, get featured on the front cover? Perhaps it was a marketing idea from the publisher, to make the book appealing to both boys and girls, but the main character is Patrick, whereas Emily has a very minor part.
I really applaud Gregory Mone's writing ability! Great book! -
I liked the book. I only rated it four stars because at the start it was a little confusing. I saw the picture of the titanic on the front so i know it would have somthing to do with a voyage on the titanic and how it sunk. But it took a while for me to realize that someone was going on the titanic since the start of the book was some weird guy in a library threatening someone in the middle of the night. Then the book magically went to he titanic. Besides that i liked the book.
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Holdie and I read this aloud and it was a great take on historical fiction for intermediate readers and adults too!
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Patrick is a 12 - year - old Irish boy whose brother is working as a trimmer (coal shoveler) on the new Titanic, and Patrick wants to go with him so he palms the pass of a drunkard who was supposed to be a trimmer on the Titanic. On board are two thieves who want to steal a rare book owned by a wealthy passenger who takes Patrick under his wing and reminds him of the value of knowing books. ( One detail in the book tells about the fire in the coal bins that smolders for the entire trip. I just saw a Smithsonian program about this fire being partly responsible for the sinking of the ship because the fire weakened the hull near the fire which was where the iceberg hit.)
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I haven’t read a middle grade about the Titanic in a very long time. I still managed to learn more about this great ship even though I’ve read so much about it. I never knew about the gentleman Harry Widener and I am so intrigued by his story. I want to visit the library they built in his memory and look at all his rare books. The sinking of the Titanic was such a devastating tragedy and I’m glad there are laws in place now to prevent something like this from ever happening again.
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A mystery, a love of knowledge and literature, bad guys, good guys, codes and the titanic. Patrick, age 12, initially slipped onto the ship to help his brother as a trimmer down in the engines. However, he finds himself assisting a book collector and decoding a priceless message in an old book. But he must protect it from the ruthless thieves all before the great ship goes down.
I enjoyed this book, plenty of action and adventure, and appreciation for knowledge. -
This was another great fiction story based on the Titanic. I would highly recommend it for any young people interested in the story or who like suspense. It had a great storyline and characters, and the basis of the book is actually not that farfetched, if you read the author's explanation in the back. It was sad, of course, because it's a shipwreck, but the "answer" to the mystery in the story is rather powerful, as well as what the young character does in the end.
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This book was great. It really makes you stop and think. I really enjoyed all the characters, and the story was told very nicely
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This story had a slow start but the action certainly picked up as the Titanic was hit.
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Great book. Based on real people with a fun adventure thrown in. Wonderful story!
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The story begins with a mysterious man trying to "borrow" a book from a booksellers shop, only to find that the book is on its way aboard the Titanic with its current wealthy owner Harry Widener. The book in question is Sir Francis Bacon's Essaies and the thief is Berryman. Berryman was hired by Mr. Rockwell another wealthy individual who wants the book for a treasure hunt of sorts and believes it holds the very secrets to alchemy. The story then shifts to an alehouse were the main character Patrick is hard at work. Patrick's brother James is soon to be off as a trimmer shoveling coal on the Titanic. Patrick longs to make his mother proud like his brother. So, when opportunity arises in the way of a Titanic work slip, Patrick views this as a chance for greatness and takes the man's place. Patrick stows away but is unable to complete the duties of a trimmer and is transferred from the boiler room up to emptying spitoons. Patrick's new duties place him in direct contact with the passengers and inadvertently he insults Harry thus landing him a position as his new steward. Harry doesn't want him to fetch coffee or gather his coat, instead he wants to tutor him by having them discuss books together. At the same time Berryman and Rockwell have boarded the Titanic are still trying to get their hands on the book without much success. Mr. Rockwell fearing his thief is incapable attempts to hire Patrick by giving him an offer that is hard to refuse. When Patrick gets caught in the act of stealing the book what will Harry do and will anyone determine the secrets of Sir Francis Bacon before the Titanic meets its doom?
This is another one of those books where I'm glad that I read the authors note at the back of the book first. This is where we find the inspiration for Mone's tale and get a glimpse at photographs of the Titanic and a letter written by Harry Widener himself. It really helps set the mood and tone. There is one other character who I've failed to mention above, Emily, but she plays a very short small role. Strengths of the book are we see Patrick evolving to a person with convictions and see the strong bond between siblings. My favorite character however was Harry. He's bright, learned and passionate about books. He tries to impart his knowledge and love of books to Patrick. Berryman was my least favorite, he yearned to be thought of as a noble and uses this to try and explain that he is just borrowing a book. Rockwell stated it well when he said "his morals were delightfully malleable." -
Twelve-year-old Patrick wants to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, who's a trimmer on the Titanic. Patrick manages to sneak on the ship and land a job as a spittoon-holder, a task more suited for his slight frame than shoveling coal. On board, Patrick stumbles across a plot by a man looking to steal a rare book from Harry, a book collector who's taken an interest in Patrick's education. Patrick has to figure out what secrets the book could hold and what he should do now that he's been asked to pick a side... and he doesn't have long to do it, because the Titanic will sink in mere days.
This was a fun read. I liked the friendship that developed between Patrick and Harry as Harry begins to tutor Patrick about literature. They had some nice discussions about what a man should be and how books influence lives. I also liked the way the author portrayed the relationship between Patrick and his brother, who were obviously built for very different lots in life but still managed to be close and care about each other. The minor characters weren't nearly as developed or even explained; for example, as a girl whose skill set helps Patrick at one point sort of pops up as if the two of them will become friends, but she really didn't add much - if anything - to the book and was simply rounding out the cast list. On the other hand, I did appreciate the fact that the author created fresh characters for the supporting cast instead of simply name-dropping the most famous people aboard the ship.
The narration jumped around a little, giving a rotating viewpoint about what was happening with the rare book and why it needed to be stolen. The plot wasn't especially deep or dramatic, but it had a nice pace and kept me entertained. The author noted at the end that the story was based on a true story, about a book collector who'd boarded the Titanic with a rare book, which made me enjoy the story even more because he did such a good job bringing everything to life and filling in the blanks with a nice fictional plot. This wasn't action-packed by any means, but it was a really nice tale with interesting characters, a terrific setting, and an intriguing plot. -
Gregory Mone can write--I was pleasantly surprised from page 1. Atmosphere and plot, though amply developed, don't get in the way of the action of this well-thought-out, historically based tale of Harry Widener, his rare book collection traveling home on the Titanic, and the two (purely fictional) men plotting to steal a particularly special one for the secret formula it might contain. But the main character is Patrick Waters, a young man who wants to do more in life than wash dishes at his local Belfast pub. Sheer chance provides a window--and Patrick is off to work as a trimmer on the Titanic like his elder brother James. The job proves too much for him, (and Mone does an excellent job of describing the horrific task the coal trimmers had keeping the big ship in power) so he is given the job of steward. The plot thickens as he meets Harry Widener, and discovers a plot against him. The book does bog down a little near the middle, with a little scholarly episode involving a deep discussion of Francis Bacon, his life and philosophies--which older readers won't mind but may bore younger ones. Well researched, the book provides an accurate look at life aboard Titanic, her final hours, and the resulting rescue, through the eyes of young Patrick. Mone also intends to introduce readers to the real Harry Widener, whose bereaved mother donated a "small fortune" to Harvard to start a library there--named after her 27-year-old son, who went down with the Titanic. A fine novel and a memorable contribution to the many new books being published this year on the topic. Upper elementary, junior high.
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As a general rule I'm not one to read a book, or watch a movie, about an event that is so widely popular. So, I surprised even myself when I picked up this book and began reading. What I found was a highly engaging, hard to put down mystery surrounding a rare book, its owner, and two men who want to get their hands on it to extract from it a supposed cryptic alchemy formula for turning things into gold. Through the story we also get to meet Irish brothers James & Patrick Waters who have left their home in Belfast to take employment on the ill-fated ship Titanic.
Mone's characters are well developed, realistic, and genuine. One of the characters I enjoyed the most was Harry Widener. Although raised in high society, he doesn't put on airs and see himself as being their betters. In fact, I really liked the way he arranges for Patrick to be his personal steward, not to have him serve, but rather to serve Patrick. The relationship which develops as a result is quite enjoyable to follow.
Most of the books I read are written for middle school students to enjoy and this one is no exception. What I hope though, is that older readers, including adults, will pick up this book and allow themselves to be swept away in the adventure. Yes, you do know the ending. Well part of it anyway. the part where the ship sinks. But there is so much more to know. Finally, even the author's note is not to be missed as Mone gives you insight into what parts are fact and which are fiction. -
Short review: Middle Level- Great book for hesitant readers, or those who 'HATE HISTORICAL FICTION!!!!!ELEVEN!!11!!'
Full review, featured on blog:
I bought this book to add to my school's library from Scholastic. Unfortunately, historical fiction is rarely read in my school and I wanted to find books to draw students into the genre. This book appeared to be all that I could hope for- and it was!
The stories surrounding the Titanic tend to me popular anyways, but adding the actiony mystery to the mix was a nice touch. Part of the build-up of this book IS the fact that we know the Titanic will sink. While we get caught up in the 'what is going to happen to the characters?!' the story-line does stand on it's own.
Students will enjoy the action, the fighting and disguises, and might even become engaged in historical fiction! (Might I add- it does NOT feature a love story!) The historical aspects of this novel are spot on- and gave myself even a greater appreciation for those who worked in the boiler rooms.
This book took me maybe 2 hours to read, however that was while also being interrupted by classes. I could not wait to finish the book, and when I did I had to look up the author to see what other books I could add to our collection.
If you enjoy Middle Grade books, work with kids, or want to buy HF for a reluctant reader, this would be a great place to start. -
With all the recent attention to the 100th anniversary of Titanic's tragedy, this book is a great introduction to the subject for middle grade readers. It's well written, with a glimpse of both the workers on the ship, and the elegant first class. I particularly enjoyed getting to know more about the Trimmers.
The main story is a little bit of a mystery that involves a valuable book, secrets, villains, and an unlikely 12-year-old hero. Young Patrick Waters finds himself following his brother onto Titanic through happenstance and gets a place working with first class passengers. He meets Harry Widener (a real-life Titanic passenger), a wealthy, intelligent book collector and they begin a friendship of sorts.
I appreciated Gregory Mone's appreciation for his subject and the research put into all of the details. There are photographs and further information about both Titanic, Sir Francis Bacon, and Widener at the book's conclusion.
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads. -
I enjoyed this book. I love all things Titanic so there was that. But this was a clever and historically accurate story.
It was too short for me. I could have read more about Patrick's family and life in Belfast, heard more about the antagonists' journey to find the book, and Emily was barely in the thing. The ending felt a little abrupt for me too. But I have to remember this was written for kids, and most kids like to chew up books in little bites.
That being said, I was surprised how intelligent this book was, for kids. The book that everyone is trying to get is a philosophical book written like poetry. When they discuss the writings it's very academic. And even outside of talking about the book, the language Mone uses is definitely not middle school grade. I thought it was wonderful. I always learned new words when I discovered them reading and had to go look them up.
Very good book. Good look into turn-of-the-century culture, the facts of Titanic, and how the classes of the time collided. -
.More reviews like this one on my blog
Snapdragon Alcove
Not much of an action adventure story. The main theme of the story is about books and how meaningful they are for the quest for knowolged. The fact that the setting is on board the Titanic give it an action pack feel know that *spoiler alert* the Titanic sinks in the end.
What I find neat about the story is that the all the characters besides the girl are real people that board the Titanic. The book that everyone wants is the Essaies by Sir Francis Bacon who is a real person that wrote the Essaies. Here another reason to love Bacon, he came up with the scientific method. Gregory Mone base the story on Harry Widener send his book collection across the Atlantic and decided to keep a copy of the Essaies with him. Upon boarding the lifeboat Harry forgot his copy and went back to get it but, never return. Somehow a copy of the Essaies ended up in the Widener library at Harvard. Mone ask what if there a second copy? -
This book took you on a different story on the Titanic. I actually enjoyed it. Though the first couple of chapters were pretty slow, the descriptions are amazing. Reading the descriptions you'll be able to imagine just exactly what is going on, what the characters look like, etc. It describes the Titanic perfectly. Though there could have been a bit more adventure in this book for my taste, a younger audience would actually find this very adventurous and would love it. It's a great read for kids in middle school.
When they got to the part when the Titanic hit the iceberg I did find myself tearing up, the fact that you're reading and getting connected to the characters was when I got that urge where I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to see what was going to happen and the ending of the book. This is definitely a story I think preteens should read.
http://www.justusgirlsblog.com/2012/0... -
This could possibly be my 1st read-aloud for next year's 5th grade class. The main character is a boy who is smart and gets entangled in a mystery aboard the Titanic. Loosely based on the real life of one of the characters, this could lead to an interesting study on the Titanic.
"The great ocean liner Titanic is preparing to cross the Atlantic. Onboard is a sinister thief bent on stealing a rare book that may be the key to unlocking infinite treasure; a wealthy academic traveling home to America with his rare book collection; and Patrick Waters, a twelve-year-old Irish boy who is certain that his job as a steward on the unsinkable ship will be the adventure of a lifetime. In Dangerous Waters, disguises, capers, and danger abound as the ship makes its way toward that fateful iceberg, where Patrick will have to summon all his wits in order to survive."
