Stowaway

July 1, 2018

Gr 7 Up-Owen and his parents have recently moved to an island along the Pacific Coast of Canada and there isn't much for a 16-year-old boy to do. Left alone for a week, Owen decides to sneak aboard a boat for some adventure after learning that Arturo, the first mate, is a boy about his age. He quickly finds out that there are some secrets hidden on the boat-like a cabin full of boys from Central America. Pirates then attack and steal the money that the boys' families paid to the captain for smuggling them into Canada; memories of Owen's traumatic past come to light. Owen, Arturo, and the rest are then taken to work as slaves to pay off the "fees" to the captain. Loyalties shift as each boy does what is best for himself, but they must all learn to stick together to get out of the mess they are in. The fast-paced and suspenseful plot will keep readers rooting for Owen, Arturo, and the others. While Withers is known for writing books geared towards reluctant readers, she uses more sophisticated language in this slim novel. VERDICT For general purchase where adventure and survival novels are popular.-Terri Lent, Patrick Henry High School, Ashland, VA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.