Overboard (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Emily might have been the only fourteen-year-old in the world who could change the sheets of a hospital bed with the patient still in it..." (more)
Key Phrases: crawl stroke, rescue boats, life vest, Bahasa Indonesia, Muhammad Rasul Allah, Banda Aceh (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this first novel based on a 1996 ferry accident off the coast of Sumatra, Emily, a 14-year-old American living in Indonesia with her doctor parents, boards an overcrowded, tilting ferry (without her parents' knowledge) after her uncle invites her to visit him on a nearby island. As the ship lists to "an unnatural angle," the captain distributes life vests. Emily hands hers to a younger boy who is trying to hang on to the railing. This heroic act seems uncharacteristic of the protagonist who, up to this point, has been unhelpful and rude to her parents and their charges. The girl then becomes trapped in the life-vest locker, which immediately fills with water. "The next thing she remembered was being near the surface, choking, searching for air, and then vomiting. How could she be sick in the water without holding on to anything? It was a joke; she was heaving and drowning at the same time." Such muddled, cumbersome prose weighs down the chronicle of Emily's nightlong struggle to survive in the sea, heavily reliant upon coincidences. During the course of the evening, she hooks up with the boy to whom she gave her life vest, a Muslim child who explains some of the tenets of his faith as they bob along in the water. Ages 12-15.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8 With blond hair, green eyes, and pale skin, Emily, 14, feels like an outsider on the island of Sumatra. Her parents have traveled to Indonesia as medical personnel with a deep desire to help, but she desperately wants to return to Boston. She rejoices when she hears from her exploring uncle who is on a nearby island and, without gaining her parents' permission, she boards the ferry to visit him. A happy reunion is not to be, however, as the overloaded and aging boat sinks. Long hours elapse slowly as Emily attempts to escape the horror of drowning passengers and swim to land. She finds an Indonesian boy, Isman, floating in a life jacket, and they draw strength from one another. Their relationship provides the focus for this adventure story. Isman's quiet yet strong Islamic faith bolsters Emily's flagging courage as well as frustrates her when he struggles over the decision to eat something during a day of Ramadan. Each moment brings the two new problems-cold, hunger, sharks, a whirlpool, fear-and actively holds readers' interest. An author's note describes the inspiration for this unique book-a real ferry accident off the coast of Sumatra in 1996 when only 40 of the 400 passengers survived. -Crystal Faris, Nassau Library System, Uniondale, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Cricket Books; 1st edition (April 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812626524
• ISBN-13: 978-0812626520
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,410,833 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pageturner that teaches great values!, August 13, 2002

By	J. Enders (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My daughter and I each read this book in one sitting. It is simply too good to put down. The plot, the imagery and the character development are extraordinary. What's more, this novel transmits wonderful values of tolerance and true heroics. When's the last time you read a book about a teenage girl that was at once realistic (her moodiness, dissatisfaction with life) and idealistic? I love that my daughter might easily identify with such a character and perceive altruism as a fact of life. Also, in this time of anti-immigrant sentiment, this book lovingly reminds us of the value of people quite different from ourselves. You'd never know right off that the book has these effects because it disguises all of this in ONE GREAT READ! It will be the birthday gift for all our friends this year!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overboard, June 13, 2006

By	Drama/English teacher "RD" (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Overboard (Mass Market Paperback)

OVERBOARD is the kind of book that is relatively short, but goes on a little too long. It relates the story of a teenage girl who must figure out how to survive after an Indonesian ferry she's been traveling capsizes.

The plotting in the first half is terrific -- with excellent middle school vocabulary; accurate characterization of the protagonist, and well-timed pacing of story. The second half seems to go on and on though with this girl swimming and swimming and swimming (more than she would if she were in an Ironman competition). The rising action and ensuing complications towards her finding safety eventually seem over-plotted and highly coincidental. In trying to write a nail-biter, I'm afraid the author took us too far; the mounting tension slowly becomes increasing frustration.

The exposition at the top of the novel works, but by the end I believe the reader would have been hoping for more character development for Emily (the protagonist).

On the positive side, Ms. Fama writes very well; her turn-of-phrase allows the reader the develop some real momentum. I enjoyed the book, however, I don't believe I'll come back for a second read.

I do recommend this book with no reservations.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite gripping, October 20, 2003

By	C. L. Michaud "Tia Michaud" (Oak Park, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I preread this book for my 9 yr old daughter, who never read it because she prefers unicorns...
I was completely hooked from almost the very beginning. The author shows us a different part of the world, a different way of life (even though Emily is floating in the water most of the time), and a new way to look at life.
I really enjoyed this book. It is not, however, a happy book, even though the ending is "a happy ending." Perhaps this would be a good book to use as a springboard for conversation with your "young adult" reader.