Adrift

The next read for summer was Adrift by Paul Griffin.  This is a realistic fiction / thriller that is 228 pages.  If you love adventurous novels, this might be the right pick for you!  (If you loved Hatchet by Gary Paulsen or The Raft by S.S. Boden, you may really like this one!)

No big spoiler here (because of the title), but the novel is about a boat caught stranded in the sea.  Matthew and his best friend, John, are working one summer afternoon when Matthew meets Driana.  He talks with Driana and her cousin, Stefania, and Stefania's boyfriend, Joao.  Matthew is immediately interested in Driana and when she invites him to a big party at her house the next evening, he can't say no.  Matthew and John go to Driana's house, where they meet several of her other friends.  When Stefania can't be found and the group goes looking for her, they find out she has gone out on the neighbor's windsurfer.  Matthew, John, Driana, and Joao immediately get in the neighbor's boat and set out to look for her.  They find her, but only shortly before the boat runs out of gas.  The five are left to drift along at the mercy of the Atlantic Ocean, relying on each other to make it home.  And to really get you hooked, I will tell you not all 5 will make it back... 

Boys, this one may be up your alley more than the girls, since the narrator is a guy.  There are also some parts that are graphic as the group deals with the real threats of the sea.  However, I also enjoyed the novel - with the exception of the ending.  This is not a "happily ever after" story, which is usually how I like for things to end up.  It is very fast-past and once it gets you hooked, you will want to keep reading to find out what happens next!

Happy reading!  Let me hear from you if you give it a try!