Terror at Bottle Creek by Watt Key

Terror at Bottle Creek is another book from the order I placed for my language arts department to refresh their classroom libraries this year. This book was named one of our Sunshine State Readers for 2017, which means that a panel of children's librarians selected this novel as one of the best of the year for middle grades readers. I decided to read it myself based on the recommendation of the media specialist at my school. She loved it, and she is one of the world's best humans, so I gave it a shot.

The plot concerns thirteen-year-old Cort, who lives on the Alabama coast. He assists his dad as a river guide, taking tourists out into the swamps surrounding their houseboat to hunt gators and wild pigs. As the novel begins, his town is hunkering down in preparation for a big hurricane. Cort has been through hurricanes before, but this time feels a little different to him. His mother has recently left him and his father and moved into her own home nearby. His father is crushed by her absence, and spends most of his free time over at her new residence, trying to convince her to return back home. As a result, their hurricane preparations are rushed and incomplete. This leaves Cort feeling very unsettled.

As the storm makes landfall, Cort's father decides to go and check on Cort's mother. He leaves his son at a neighbor's house, promising to return before the storm hits their area. When he doesn't return in a timely manner, Cort is left to deal with the storm on his own. A series of mishaps leads to him ending up stranded outside at Bottle Creek, along with his neighborhood friend Liza and her little sister Francie. As the hurricane batters the Alabama river, the trio must deal with treacherous floodwaters, dangerous animals, and falling debris in order to survive and try to make their way back home.

This was a very quick read, and a fairly entertaining one too. It started off a bit slow, but once the hurricane made landfall, the action didn't let up until the conclusion of the novel. This is a straight up survival story, with most of the narration spent describing action scenes. It's the kind of book that kids who say they don't like to read will probably love, because it is so suspenseful and plot-driven. It reminded me a little bit of Hatchet while I was reading, but it was much faster-paced. The action only covers a few days, and things move very quickly.

While this novel was great for young readers, it's not so great for adults. I did enjoy it, but it was shallow, simplistic, and clearly meant for a young audience. I can hardly fault the novel for that, because it is perfect for the age group it is advertised for-- it's just not one of those books with a lot of crossover appeal.There are lessons in its pages about bravery, family, and the randomness of mother nature, but the main focus is clearly on Cort's survival. Any more intellectual questions that it raises are secondary. In spite of this, I'm actually very glad I still read it, because I know I will be recommending this one again and again to students who struggle with reading for pleasure. Terror at Bottle Creek is a solid choice for middle grades readers, and anyone with kids who claim they "don't like to read" would do well to pick it up.


Total Books Read in 2017: 78