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Antsy Bonano #3
Ship Out of Luck
The uproarius companion to "The Schwa was Here" and "Antsy Does Time"
In honor of Old Man Crawley’s eightieth birthday, the Bonano family has been invited to celebrate with a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean aboard the world’s largest, grandest ship. But whether on land or at sea, Antsy can’t manage to stay out of trouble: He quickly finds himself the accomplice of stowaway and thief Tilde, whose self-made mission it is to smuggle onto the ship and across the U.S. border illegal immigrants from her native Mexico. When Antsy steps in to take the fall for Tilde, he becomes the focus of a major international incident and the poster child for questionable decisions.
Equal parts clever and riotous, Ship Out of Luck brings back the beloved cast of characters from Neal Shusterman’s acclaimed The Schwa Was Here and Antsy Does Time.
In honor of Old Man Crawley’s eightieth birthday, the Bonano family has been invited to celebrate with a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean aboard the world’s largest, grandest ship. But whether on land or at sea, Antsy can’t manage to stay out of trouble: He quickly finds himself the accomplice of stowaway and thief Tilde, whose self-made mission it is to smuggle onto the ship and across the U.S. border illegal immigrants from her native Mexico. When Antsy steps in to take the fall for Tilde, he becomes the focus of a major international incident and the poster child for questionable decisions.
Equal parts clever and riotous, Ship Out of Luck brings back the beloved cast of characters from Neal Shusterman’s acclaimed The Schwa Was Here and Antsy Does Time.
293 pages, Hardcover
First published September 12, 2013
26 people are currently reading
1173 people want to read
About the author
Neal Shusterman
90 books29.9k followersAward-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
August 21, 2022
Most Neal Shusterman series feel different from the Antsy Bonano books. That's partly because Antsy Bonano is a humor trilogy, but the Star Shards Chronicles, Unwind Dystology, and Skinjacker and Accelerati trilogies also build more conspicuously, each successive novel heightening the tension and plot complexity until we're at the limit of what we can endure. The Schwa Was Here, Antsy Does Time, and Ship Out of Luck are companion novels, so it doesn't matter much which you read first. There are references to past events, but the books mostly stand independent of one another. Get ready to join Antsy, his family, Old Man Crawley, and Lexie on the Plethora of the Deep (is that a Challenger Deep allusion?), a world-class cruise ship touring the Caribbean, in celebration of Crawley's eightieth birthday. Nothing beats a mammoth cruise liner as the setting for a story, and intrigue promises to be high as Antsy discovers ways to get in trouble in international waters. He and the rest of Old Man Crawley's unlikely birthday entourage are going to get more than they bargained for on this vacation.
Antsy talks his parents into letting his friend Howie come on the trip, though the nontransferable nature of boarding passes leads Antsy to partake in a bit of illegal identity fudging. That would be that if a feisty Mexican girl named Tilde hadn't overheard Antsy and Howie discussing it in their cabin. She threatens to turn Antsy in if he doesn't serve as her lookout so she can sneak into passengers' rooms and steal a few bucks here and there. Antsy doesn't know what the money's for and prefers to remain in the dark, but Tilde won't let him off that easy. Somehow she's at the center of an international human-smuggling operation, creating false IDs for poor Mexicans and sneaking them into the United States via the Plethora of the Deep. This is serious violation of the law, way beyond Antsy's usual neighborhood mischief, but Tilde's leverage over him ensures he can't opt out of assisting her. When the shenanigans blow up in Antsy's face, as they always do, he's left with a set of no-win choices that could devastate a lot of people if they're not handled perfectly. Is this the end for our favorite teenage Brooklynite, or can he use his unique smarts to eke out a solution for his maritime crisis?
"Bottom line: I don't believe anyone who says they got the answers to society's ills because society's ills mutate faster than the flu".
—Ship Out of Luck, P. 1
The best quality of Ship Out of Luck is Antsy's wit and wisdom, as evident in this book as the first two. A cruise ship catering to the wealthy is bound to be filled with appealing distractions, and Antsy's observations on the matter are funny and intelligent. "That's what makes up a big part of our lives, y'know? The distractions. Lots of times, we're like moths fluttering around a porch light. Bugs'll swarm around that bulb, all distracted, forgetting in their minuscule insect brains that there's something else they should be doing, like biting people or making more bugs...Human distractions are bigger, better lightbulbs...but in the end, they're all just porch lights. So we go from one bright bulb to another until we hit the bug zapper, and it's all over. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. What fun would life be without our chosen porch lights? But every once in a while, we get these moments where we look away from the lights, and it scares us, on account of there's nothing but darkness until our eyes adjust. And that's when we get to see the stars!" Humans have the awareness to turn away from porch lights and do something meaningful, and there are times we should exercise that willpower. Artificial light sources can only illuminate small areas, but stars are so much brighter.
"But fate is a freak when it comes to messing with your future in ways you don't see coming."
—Ship Out of Luck, P. 289
Coming down hard on Antsy for his smuggling escapades is natural for the people he's immediately accountable to, but no one skates through life blameless. Antsy knows the deal. "Let's face it, we all got issues. Most of the time we can deal with our own overstuffed luggage, but every once in a while a few marbles bust out of the bag, go rolling down the aisle, and we got no choice but to chase after them. Chasing after our lost marbles is like an out-of-body experience. For a while it's like we become somebody else—someone we don't recognize. It scares us and gives us new and bigger headaches...They got shrinks to analyze why we do weird crap. Sometimes they tell us it's all because of our parents, which makes us happy, because we all want to blame our parents for everything, right?...No one ever seems to take responsibility themselves—because if we don't blame it on our parents, or the devil, or the government, or the freaking position of Venus in relation to Mars, then we're still left with that big ugly 'why?' Most of the time we know for sure what we did, when we did it, and where it happened. Which means we're not playing Boggle anymore; now it's Clue. But does anyone ask why Colonel Mustard killed Professor Plum with the lead pipe in the ballroom? No. When we look at our own lead pipes and ask ourselves why, the answer never really comes, so we find someone or something to blame, because 'I don't know' is not an acceptable answer." Flawed, broken people do wrong things, and it's difficult to accept that it's our nature. Passing blame along eases the pressure on ourselves, but doesn't solve the problem. Antsy has potential, though, as we all do in our own ways, and even Old Man Crawley recognizes the good in him. "You have common grace," he once admitted. "Accidental insight. And God help us all if you ever realize you're not as stupid as you think you are." Seeing the potential in ourselves is the biggest obstacle to success that most of us face. We're in the same boat as Antsy, and that's not such a terrible place to be, in the end.
I like the Antsy Bonano (or is that Enzo Benini?) series, but in my opinion it's book one, The Schwa Was Here, that carries it. That book is so wise and emotionally compelling, it's comparable to some of Neal Shusterman's better YA novels. Antsy Does Time and Ship Out of Luck are strong on comedy—the latter arguably the funniest of the three—but they don't touch the soul like The Schwa Was Here. I guess there's no substitute for Calvin Schwa as the functionally invisible star of the story. On a side note, I wonder why the first two books are written in present tense, and this one's in past tense. Neal Shusterman's most famous works are geared toward teens, but he's almost as good writing for kids a couple years younger, and I read everything he does with confidence that it will astound me. I'd probably give Ship Out of Luck two and a half stars, and if you liked Antsy Does Time, this one's a sure bet for you. An enjoyable novel can be as pleasant as a Caribbean cruise.
Antsy talks his parents into letting his friend Howie come on the trip, though the nontransferable nature of boarding passes leads Antsy to partake in a bit of illegal identity fudging. That would be that if a feisty Mexican girl named Tilde hadn't overheard Antsy and Howie discussing it in their cabin. She threatens to turn Antsy in if he doesn't serve as her lookout so she can sneak into passengers' rooms and steal a few bucks here and there. Antsy doesn't know what the money's for and prefers to remain in the dark, but Tilde won't let him off that easy. Somehow she's at the center of an international human-smuggling operation, creating false IDs for poor Mexicans and sneaking them into the United States via the Plethora of the Deep. This is serious violation of the law, way beyond Antsy's usual neighborhood mischief, but Tilde's leverage over him ensures he can't opt out of assisting her. When the shenanigans blow up in Antsy's face, as they always do, he's left with a set of no-win choices that could devastate a lot of people if they're not handled perfectly. Is this the end for our favorite teenage Brooklynite, or can he use his unique smarts to eke out a solution for his maritime crisis?
"Bottom line: I don't believe anyone who says they got the answers to society's ills because society's ills mutate faster than the flu".
—Ship Out of Luck, P. 1
The best quality of Ship Out of Luck is Antsy's wit and wisdom, as evident in this book as the first two. A cruise ship catering to the wealthy is bound to be filled with appealing distractions, and Antsy's observations on the matter are funny and intelligent. "That's what makes up a big part of our lives, y'know? The distractions. Lots of times, we're like moths fluttering around a porch light. Bugs'll swarm around that bulb, all distracted, forgetting in their minuscule insect brains that there's something else they should be doing, like biting people or making more bugs...Human distractions are bigger, better lightbulbs...but in the end, they're all just porch lights. So we go from one bright bulb to another until we hit the bug zapper, and it's all over. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. What fun would life be without our chosen porch lights? But every once in a while, we get these moments where we look away from the lights, and it scares us, on account of there's nothing but darkness until our eyes adjust. And that's when we get to see the stars!" Humans have the awareness to turn away from porch lights and do something meaningful, and there are times we should exercise that willpower. Artificial light sources can only illuminate small areas, but stars are so much brighter.
"But fate is a freak when it comes to messing with your future in ways you don't see coming."
—Ship Out of Luck, P. 289
Coming down hard on Antsy for his smuggling escapades is natural for the people he's immediately accountable to, but no one skates through life blameless. Antsy knows the deal. "Let's face it, we all got issues. Most of the time we can deal with our own overstuffed luggage, but every once in a while a few marbles bust out of the bag, go rolling down the aisle, and we got no choice but to chase after them. Chasing after our lost marbles is like an out-of-body experience. For a while it's like we become somebody else—someone we don't recognize. It scares us and gives us new and bigger headaches...They got shrinks to analyze why we do weird crap. Sometimes they tell us it's all because of our parents, which makes us happy, because we all want to blame our parents for everything, right?...No one ever seems to take responsibility themselves—because if we don't blame it on our parents, or the devil, or the government, or the freaking position of Venus in relation to Mars, then we're still left with that big ugly 'why?' Most of the time we know for sure what we did, when we did it, and where it happened. Which means we're not playing Boggle anymore; now it's Clue. But does anyone ask why Colonel Mustard killed Professor Plum with the lead pipe in the ballroom? No. When we look at our own lead pipes and ask ourselves why, the answer never really comes, so we find someone or something to blame, because 'I don't know' is not an acceptable answer." Flawed, broken people do wrong things, and it's difficult to accept that it's our nature. Passing blame along eases the pressure on ourselves, but doesn't solve the problem. Antsy has potential, though, as we all do in our own ways, and even Old Man Crawley recognizes the good in him. "You have common grace," he once admitted. "Accidental insight. And God help us all if you ever realize you're not as stupid as you think you are." Seeing the potential in ourselves is the biggest obstacle to success that most of us face. We're in the same boat as Antsy, and that's not such a terrible place to be, in the end.
I like the Antsy Bonano (or is that Enzo Benini?) series, but in my opinion it's book one, The Schwa Was Here, that carries it. That book is so wise and emotionally compelling, it's comparable to some of Neal Shusterman's better YA novels. Antsy Does Time and Ship Out of Luck are strong on comedy—the latter arguably the funniest of the three—but they don't touch the soul like The Schwa Was Here. I guess there's no substitute for Calvin Schwa as the functionally invisible star of the story. On a side note, I wonder why the first two books are written in present tense, and this one's in past tense. Neal Shusterman's most famous works are geared toward teens, but he's almost as good writing for kids a couple years younger, and I read everything he does with confidence that it will astound me. I'd probably give Ship Out of Luck two and a half stars, and if you liked Antsy Does Time, this one's a sure bet for you. An enjoyable novel can be as pleasant as a Caribbean cruise.
July 2, 2016
Yes, crazy funny. But also smart, and as likely to appeal to smart kids who like to look up all the allusions (Atlas Shrugged, coyotes, gancha (which doesn't even tempt our noble hero, of course, don't worry), etc....) I do love the Antsy books. I should read others by Shusterman, but somehow they don't appeal.
January 26, 2015
In honor of Old Man Crawley's 80th birthday, Antsy's family is invited to go cruising with him and Lexie on the world's biggest cruise ship: "The Plethora of the Deep" of the Caribbean Viking line. It's not long till a life of leisure gives way to a life of crime as Antsy meets Tilde, a stowaway with a really big secret, and decides to help her. It's Antsy and Tilde, Lexie and Gustav, and old man Crawley vs. all of them in the latest update to the Antsy Bonano series.
June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content PG; Violence G; Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content PG; Adult Themes PG (Howie thinks he might be gay); overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: Neal Shusterman comments in the acknowledgements that this is his favorite of the Antsy books. Can't say that I agree…I liked both the other ones better than this one. Mostly because those two had more of a sound of a teenage kid's voice, where this was more like a middle-aged man trying to sound like a wise guy from Brooklyn. Although maybe that's just me. Still. Antsy turned sixteen and it just ain't the same. :P
Annotation with spoilers: In honor of Old Man Crawley's 80th birthday, Antsy's family is invited to go cruising with him and Lexie on the world's biggest cruise ship: "The Plethora of the Deep" of the Caribbean Viking line. Because brother Frankie can't go, and because his friend Howie is going to be stuck at home alone all summer without him, Antsy manages to forge a birth certificate to get Howie on the ship as Frankie. This is Antsy's big secret--but it isn't his only secret, for long.
While waiting in line to get on the ship, Antsy notices someone falling off an upper deck. Calling attention to it somehow allows Howie to slip onto the ship in the midst of the general uproar…and Antsy mentions the fake documents as they walk into their cabin to drop off their stuff. A few minutes later, having forgotten his camera, Antsy walks back in--only to find a girl with her hand in his wallet. When he threatens to call security, she threatens to rat him out on forging Howie's documents: so he keeps quiet, and she keeps the five bucks she steals from his wallet.
Howie pretty much wants to mingle with the guys in the teen program onboard, but as soon as Antsy strikes out on his own, he finds that this mystery girl/thief, Tilde, tends to show up wherever he is. He finds her sitting on top of a lifeboat the next day, cuts through someone else's stateroom to find her, and ends up going with her as she uses obviously ill-gotten master keycards to get into prohibited zones.
Antsy is soon so busy trying to figure out what's going on with Tilde that he's ignoring both Howie and Lexie. There's not much Howie can do about it, but Old Man Crawley is paying, so Antsy at least has to listen to Lexie. Listen he does, but pay attention, he does not. He takes one ride with her on the ocean-going roller coaster, then leaves her with a German guy named Gustav for the second round. This time, Antsy goes off to join Tilde inside the lifeboat, and finds that she's got it stocked with canned food. Now he's really intrigued. She offers to let him kiss her; he figures she's trying to buy him with it, and declines. She takes his refusal for an admission that he's gay--which makes her decide to be intrigued with him after all.
The next day, when Lexie asks him to accompany her to a dance, Antsy has already agreed to meet Tilde, so her turns down Lexie and goes with his first plan. This leaves Lexie to go to the dance with Howie, but Antsy gets to go deep into the hold of the ship, where a 1000-year-old Viking ship holds the bones of Jorgen Ericsson, founder of the Caribbean Viking line. Tilde has brought Antsy (she calls him "Enzo") here because he passed the test of not making any moves on her. She tells him how her mother died, and that she needs his help in Jamaica tomorrow. Being Antsy, he's ready to move on it.
When Antsy gets back to the suite his family shares next door to the Crawleys, he hears that Lexie's parents are standing her up and not appearing for Crawley's birthday. Lexie is crushed--but again, Antsy isn't paying close enough attention to keep her from doing things she's going to regret.
The next day, Antsy pleads sunburn and stays home from a snorkeling tour with the family, instead accompanying Tilde to the seedy side of the island where she trades a bag of cash that she's stolen from passengers (no more than $5 per person) for another bag, this one containing fake passports. Now Antsy starts to feel a little worried, but he likes walking on the wild side with Tilde.
That evening, when Lexie asks him to accompany her, she makes it clear that she just wants him to walk into the teen lounge with her. They meet up with his friends, and he boasts to them (in German) that he'll have his way with her by the end of the cruise. Antsy is unhappy with that boast, and even more so when she says that maybe that's what SHE wants too, as she goes off with Gustav. Antsy goes up to see Old Man Crawley and has something of a philosophical discussion with him…right before he pukes on the old man's bathroom floor.
When Antsy runs into Tilde again, who confesses that she's going to use the fake passports to smuggle illegals into the US. For some reason, this does not freak Antsy out…probably just because he's Antsy. She explains that the guy he saw falling when they boarded was the last guy she smuggled onboard. She's bummed because she thinks he's dead, but Antsy's able to reassure her. He is unhappy, however, when he figures out that she's been onboard for four or five months now, and that every cruise, she finds some guy to help her. Antsy realizes he's just the next guy in line, and when she won't call him by his real name (she calls him "Enzo" because she thinks "Antsy" is dumb) he tells her he doesn't want to see her anymore.
The next day, they dock on Grand Cayman, and Antsy, seeing Tilde approaching, asks Howie to hold his hand so she'll think he really is gay, and maybe leave him alone. She keeps on walking (that time) and Antsy and Howie take Old Man Crawley on his yearly birthday adventure (but without Lexie, who's on an ATV excursion with Gustav)--this year, they go parasailing. Crawley won't admit it, but he does notice that no one except Antsy has remembered his birthday. Afterwards, Antsy sees Tilde onshore and offers to try to get his family to let her come live with them, to end her life as a stowaway. She greets his offer with puzzlement, then detains him in town long enough that they're late getting back on the boat. Antsy is petrified that it will have sailed without him…but upon their reappearance, the captain is waiting for them, tapping his foot. Far from being a stowaway, it turns out Tilde is his daughter. Her mother died, and she's brought herself to her father's notice; for the past 4-5 months, they've been onboard together, getting to know each other…sort of. That night, Antsy is invited to dinner at the captain's table. After making a scene to get the two of them out of the formal dining room, Antsy finally gets to hear her story. Her father and mother had an affair, and the father sailed off into the blue (although he did send money). The mother died, and Tilde lived on the streets for a while, until he sailed back into town, captain of a brand-new ship. Tilde presented herself and refused to be left behind…but what SHE couldn't leave behind was the memory of the people she knew on the streets of Cozumel. These are the people she's planning to smuggle aboard.
Antsy runs into Lance, the teen-tour guide who's leader of Howie's group, and who tells him he needs to talk to his friend. Antsy doesn't listen. He sees Lexie with Gustav and notices telltale signs of soon-to-be-regretted behaviors, but he ignores them. Crawley stops Antsy to tell him that he's disappointed with the way everyone's acting on this vacation--that except for Antsy, no one has even had the common courtesy to invite the guy who's paying to anything. And Antsy is too busy trying to figure out what's going on with Tilde to really worry about what's up with his friends.
Tilde is waiting for him onshore in Cozumel. He tells her he MUST be back by 11:00, because his family is going on a trip to Tulum, and the tickets have already been purchased. She takes him down to the local beauty parlor, where he meets and even coaches the group of people she's going to smuggle onboard--and of course, Antsy is late getting back for the family's tour. His dad is especially angry because he's just gotten word that Old Man Crawley, their landlord, had decided to close the family's restaurant. The Bonanos then departs on a crazy self-made tour that gets them to Tulum despite all obstacles. His dad is angry and despairing; Antsy talks turkey to him and points out that his selfish behavior to OMC might be what's prompted the decision to close the restaurant. This gives Mr. Bonano something to think about (besides how to punish Antsy for screwing up again and costing them all this extra money).
Amazingly, all the illegals have made it onto the ship, courtesy of fake documents, and Tilde's being able to hack into the computer system--but it's not smooth sailing from there. The Fourth of July is when the perfect storm hits. First, Antsy can't find Lexie, and lets slip about Gustav to her grandpa…and the next thing you know, he's reading her braille notes to find the way to Gustav's cabin. Gustav has just left; he and Lexie had had a huge fight, during which it became obvious (1) that he wasn't really a German, and (2) that Lexie had thrown herself at him and been refused. When Antsy brings Lexie back, he gets into a fight with OMC, who says that all of this is his fault. Antsy blows up and says he can't babysit the whole world; OMC says "to whom much is given, much is expected"; Antsy says "What did you ever give me but a hard time?", to which OMC replies that in his will, he's decided to leave Antsy a controlling interest in all his restaurants. Antsy is floored.
Next, racing to stay ahead of a storm, the ship ends up running aground on a sandbar…which triggers an automatic lifeboat drill. There's only a few moments to get the illegals off the lifeboat and down into the vault where the Jorgen Ericsson Viking ship is hidden…but not quickly enough to get them hidden away without being seen. Someone, of course, has his camera phone out and the photos of people sneaking out of the lifeboat hit the internet right away. Howie sees them and shows them to Antsy just before the "ship" hits the fan. (And right about here, Howie lets it be known that he thinks he might be gay. Guess Antsy should have taken Lance's advice and talked to him that day.)
Antsy is taken into onboard custody and hauled down to see the captain. He takes immediate responsibility for everything that happens, which kind of lets Tilde off the hook, but also helps out the cruise ship company as well. His confession video goes viral, and in the end, the illegals are taken off in St. Thomas, where they're given green cards and jobs on the sly, and Antsy's family is offered a month-long vacation at a quiet resort until all the brouhaha blows over. And who should end up being the proprietors of the resort? No one less than Calvin Schwa and his mother! So clearly, everyone who comes here can be invisible for as long as they choose. Happy endings all around!
June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content PG; Violence G; Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content PG; Adult Themes PG (Howie thinks he might be gay); overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: Neal Shusterman comments in the acknowledgements that this is his favorite of the Antsy books. Can't say that I agree…I liked both the other ones better than this one. Mostly because those two had more of a sound of a teenage kid's voice, where this was more like a middle-aged man trying to sound like a wise guy from Brooklyn. Although maybe that's just me. Still. Antsy turned sixteen and it just ain't the same. :P
Annotation with spoilers: In honor of Old Man Crawley's 80th birthday, Antsy's family is invited to go cruising with him and Lexie on the world's biggest cruise ship: "The Plethora of the Deep" of the Caribbean Viking line. Because brother Frankie can't go, and because his friend Howie is going to be stuck at home alone all summer without him, Antsy manages to forge a birth certificate to get Howie on the ship as Frankie. This is Antsy's big secret--but it isn't his only secret, for long.
While waiting in line to get on the ship, Antsy notices someone falling off an upper deck. Calling attention to it somehow allows Howie to slip onto the ship in the midst of the general uproar…and Antsy mentions the fake documents as they walk into their cabin to drop off their stuff. A few minutes later, having forgotten his camera, Antsy walks back in--only to find a girl with her hand in his wallet. When he threatens to call security, she threatens to rat him out on forging Howie's documents: so he keeps quiet, and she keeps the five bucks she steals from his wallet.
Howie pretty much wants to mingle with the guys in the teen program onboard, but as soon as Antsy strikes out on his own, he finds that this mystery girl/thief, Tilde, tends to show up wherever he is. He finds her sitting on top of a lifeboat the next day, cuts through someone else's stateroom to find her, and ends up going with her as she uses obviously ill-gotten master keycards to get into prohibited zones.
Antsy is soon so busy trying to figure out what's going on with Tilde that he's ignoring both Howie and Lexie. There's not much Howie can do about it, but Old Man Crawley is paying, so Antsy at least has to listen to Lexie. Listen he does, but pay attention, he does not. He takes one ride with her on the ocean-going roller coaster, then leaves her with a German guy named Gustav for the second round. This time, Antsy goes off to join Tilde inside the lifeboat, and finds that she's got it stocked with canned food. Now he's really intrigued. She offers to let him kiss her; he figures she's trying to buy him with it, and declines. She takes his refusal for an admission that he's gay--which makes her decide to be intrigued with him after all.
The next day, when Lexie asks him to accompany her to a dance, Antsy has already agreed to meet Tilde, so her turns down Lexie and goes with his first plan. This leaves Lexie to go to the dance with Howie, but Antsy gets to go deep into the hold of the ship, where a 1000-year-old Viking ship holds the bones of Jorgen Ericsson, founder of the Caribbean Viking line. Tilde has brought Antsy (she calls him "Enzo") here because he passed the test of not making any moves on her. She tells him how her mother died, and that she needs his help in Jamaica tomorrow. Being Antsy, he's ready to move on it.
When Antsy gets back to the suite his family shares next door to the Crawleys, he hears that Lexie's parents are standing her up and not appearing for Crawley's birthday. Lexie is crushed--but again, Antsy isn't paying close enough attention to keep her from doing things she's going to regret.
The next day, Antsy pleads sunburn and stays home from a snorkeling tour with the family, instead accompanying Tilde to the seedy side of the island where she trades a bag of cash that she's stolen from passengers (no more than $5 per person) for another bag, this one containing fake passports. Now Antsy starts to feel a little worried, but he likes walking on the wild side with Tilde.
That evening, when Lexie asks him to accompany her, she makes it clear that she just wants him to walk into the teen lounge with her. They meet up with his friends, and he boasts to them (in German) that he'll have his way with her by the end of the cruise. Antsy is unhappy with that boast, and even more so when she says that maybe that's what SHE wants too, as she goes off with Gustav. Antsy goes up to see Old Man Crawley and has something of a philosophical discussion with him…right before he pukes on the old man's bathroom floor.
When Antsy runs into Tilde again, who confesses that she's going to use the fake passports to smuggle illegals into the US. For some reason, this does not freak Antsy out…probably just because he's Antsy. She explains that the guy he saw falling when they boarded was the last guy she smuggled onboard. She's bummed because she thinks he's dead, but Antsy's able to reassure her. He is unhappy, however, when he figures out that she's been onboard for four or five months now, and that every cruise, she finds some guy to help her. Antsy realizes he's just the next guy in line, and when she won't call him by his real name (she calls him "Enzo" because she thinks "Antsy" is dumb) he tells her he doesn't want to see her anymore.
The next day, they dock on Grand Cayman, and Antsy, seeing Tilde approaching, asks Howie to hold his hand so she'll think he really is gay, and maybe leave him alone. She keeps on walking (that time) and Antsy and Howie take Old Man Crawley on his yearly birthday adventure (but without Lexie, who's on an ATV excursion with Gustav)--this year, they go parasailing. Crawley won't admit it, but he does notice that no one except Antsy has remembered his birthday. Afterwards, Antsy sees Tilde onshore and offers to try to get his family to let her come live with them, to end her life as a stowaway. She greets his offer with puzzlement, then detains him in town long enough that they're late getting back on the boat. Antsy is petrified that it will have sailed without him…but upon their reappearance, the captain is waiting for them, tapping his foot. Far from being a stowaway, it turns out Tilde is his daughter. Her mother died, and she's brought herself to her father's notice; for the past 4-5 months, they've been onboard together, getting to know each other…sort of. That night, Antsy is invited to dinner at the captain's table. After making a scene to get the two of them out of the formal dining room, Antsy finally gets to hear her story. Her father and mother had an affair, and the father sailed off into the blue (although he did send money). The mother died, and Tilde lived on the streets for a while, until he sailed back into town, captain of a brand-new ship. Tilde presented herself and refused to be left behind…but what SHE couldn't leave behind was the memory of the people she knew on the streets of Cozumel. These are the people she's planning to smuggle aboard.
Antsy runs into Lance, the teen-tour guide who's leader of Howie's group, and who tells him he needs to talk to his friend. Antsy doesn't listen. He sees Lexie with Gustav and notices telltale signs of soon-to-be-regretted behaviors, but he ignores them. Crawley stops Antsy to tell him that he's disappointed with the way everyone's acting on this vacation--that except for Antsy, no one has even had the common courtesy to invite the guy who's paying to anything. And Antsy is too busy trying to figure out what's going on with Tilde to really worry about what's up with his friends.
Tilde is waiting for him onshore in Cozumel. He tells her he MUST be back by 11:00, because his family is going on a trip to Tulum, and the tickets have already been purchased. She takes him down to the local beauty parlor, where he meets and even coaches the group of people she's going to smuggle onboard--and of course, Antsy is late getting back for the family's tour. His dad is especially angry because he's just gotten word that Old Man Crawley, their landlord, had decided to close the family's restaurant. The Bonanos then departs on a crazy self-made tour that gets them to Tulum despite all obstacles. His dad is angry and despairing; Antsy talks turkey to him and points out that his selfish behavior to OMC might be what's prompted the decision to close the restaurant. This gives Mr. Bonano something to think about (besides how to punish Antsy for screwing up again and costing them all this extra money).
Amazingly, all the illegals have made it onto the ship, courtesy of fake documents, and Tilde's being able to hack into the computer system--but it's not smooth sailing from there. The Fourth of July is when the perfect storm hits. First, Antsy can't find Lexie, and lets slip about Gustav to her grandpa…and the next thing you know, he's reading her braille notes to find the way to Gustav's cabin. Gustav has just left; he and Lexie had had a huge fight, during which it became obvious (1) that he wasn't really a German, and (2) that Lexie had thrown herself at him and been refused. When Antsy brings Lexie back, he gets into a fight with OMC, who says that all of this is his fault. Antsy blows up and says he can't babysit the whole world; OMC says "to whom much is given, much is expected"; Antsy says "What did you ever give me but a hard time?", to which OMC replies that in his will, he's decided to leave Antsy a controlling interest in all his restaurants. Antsy is floored.
Next, racing to stay ahead of a storm, the ship ends up running aground on a sandbar…which triggers an automatic lifeboat drill. There's only a few moments to get the illegals off the lifeboat and down into the vault where the Jorgen Ericsson Viking ship is hidden…but not quickly enough to get them hidden away without being seen. Someone, of course, has his camera phone out and the photos of people sneaking out of the lifeboat hit the internet right away. Howie sees them and shows them to Antsy just before the "ship" hits the fan. (And right about here, Howie lets it be known that he thinks he might be gay. Guess Antsy should have taken Lance's advice and talked to him that day.)
Antsy is taken into onboard custody and hauled down to see the captain. He takes immediate responsibility for everything that happens, which kind of lets Tilde off the hook, but also helps out the cruise ship company as well. His confession video goes viral, and in the end, the illegals are taken off in St. Thomas, where they're given green cards and jobs on the sly, and Antsy's family is offered a month-long vacation at a quiet resort until all the brouhaha blows over. And who should end up being the proprietors of the resort? No one less than Calvin Schwa and his mother! So clearly, everyone who comes here can be invisible for as long as they choose. Happy endings all around!
January 13, 2024
First thing you should know is this is the third book in a series, but I didn't know that at first. If you're like me and you pick it up without knowing that it's not a standalone, the good news is this book works very well as a standalone. There are references to other stories, but they don't really impact the present book. It does end with everyone staring at a character going, "You!" and you're left going, "Him! Who's him?" but it's not hugely important. I think it would likely be funnier if you knew who he was, but that's about it.
Three things I liked about this book: There are so many amazing things about this book that it's hard to narrow it down! First, Antsy's voice (it's first-person) is one of the most authentic and genuine teenage male voices I have ever read. It is a perfect blend of self-deprecating, snarky, caring, ignorant, selfish, and just a touch of sexual interest. It's brilliant. It makes for an engaging read. Second, all of the characters are incredibly realistic in their loving yet flawed way. For example, one of the characters has been raised to be somewhat spoiled and selfish, and while she is self-aware and tries to fight against it, she still falls into that selfish mindset in a very realistic and understandable way. Also, she has a disability, but we aren't told what it is until page 47. The rest of the time we have hints, but the descriptions are focused on her confidence and resilience in dealing with life while working with the limitations she has rather than against them. Third, the entire wrap-up and moral of the story is just so perfect. So beautifully perfect. There is one small detail I could nitpick, but on the whole, it's just perfect.
Three things I did not like about this book: First, it took me a really long time to actually get into the story despite how clever and hilarious the writing was. I don't know why, I just struggled to get caught up in the plot. Second, there is just so much going on in this story and so many random eccentricities that I found it hard to keep track of everything. Near the end, we return to a full-on Viking ship, and I was like, "Viking ship? When was there a Viking ship? But we're going back to the Viking ship?" That's kind of a big detail to forget! Third, and this was the biggest thing for me, I really, really, really hated Tilde and everything about her. She got under my skin and dug in, which was unfortunate considering she is basically the main plot. I highly disliked the main plot, and I really did not like her. I found her to be a rather despicable human being, and while she seemed to have this idea that she was some sort of, I don't know, virtuous hero, I thought she was a selfish idiot caught up in her tunnel-visioned fanaticism with no actual regard for other people despite her statement that she was doing this to help people. To the book's credit, it did not display what she was doing as either a good thing or a bad thing, more of just a thing, and it did imply that how she was going about it might not have been the best choice whether it was good or bad. Her mission aside, I was glad to be rid of her.
The bits that are good are so amazing! I admit that my biggest complaint is pretty personal, and not everyone is going to feel the way I did. Even if they did, I would still highly recommend anyone over about 14 or so give this a try, especially if they are an adult who "just doesn't understand teenagers these days."
Three things I liked about this book: There are so many amazing things about this book that it's hard to narrow it down! First, Antsy's voice (it's first-person) is one of the most authentic and genuine teenage male voices I have ever read. It is a perfect blend of self-deprecating, snarky, caring, ignorant, selfish, and just a touch of sexual interest. It's brilliant. It makes for an engaging read. Second, all of the characters are incredibly realistic in their loving yet flawed way. For example, one of the characters has been raised to be somewhat spoiled and selfish, and while she is self-aware and tries to fight against it, she still falls into that selfish mindset in a very realistic and understandable way. Also, she has a disability, but we aren't told what it is until page 47. The rest of the time we have hints, but the descriptions are focused on her confidence and resilience in dealing with life while working with the limitations she has rather than against them. Third, the entire wrap-up and moral of the story is just so perfect. So beautifully perfect. There is one small detail I could nitpick, but on the whole, it's just perfect.
Three things I did not like about this book: First, it took me a really long time to actually get into the story despite how clever and hilarious the writing was. I don't know why, I just struggled to get caught up in the plot. Second, there is just so much going on in this story and so many random eccentricities that I found it hard to keep track of everything. Near the end, we return to a full-on Viking ship, and I was like, "Viking ship? When was there a Viking ship? But we're going back to the Viking ship?" That's kind of a big detail to forget! Third, and this was the biggest thing for me, I really, really, really hated Tilde and everything about her. She got under my skin and dug in, which was unfortunate considering she is basically the main plot. I highly disliked the main plot, and I really did not like her. I found her to be a rather despicable human being, and while she seemed to have this idea that she was some sort of, I don't know, virtuous hero, I thought she was a selfish idiot caught up in her tunnel-visioned fanaticism with no actual regard for other people despite her statement that she was doing this to help people. To the book's credit, it did not display what she was doing as either a good thing or a bad thing, more of just a thing, and it did imply that how she was going about it might not have been the best choice whether it was good or bad. Her mission aside, I was glad to be rid of her.
The bits that are good are so amazing! I admit that my biggest complaint is pretty personal, and not everyone is going to feel the way I did. Even if they did, I would still highly recommend anyone over about 14 or so give this a try, especially if they are an adult who "just doesn't understand teenagers these days."
October 21, 2020
First of all thanks to my local library for borrowing this book from Davis County Library for me. This Antsy Bonano series is best of the best! How many times I need to say I love Neal Shusterman’s writing. Antsy is my all time favorite character ❤️ I love his humor and smart ass talk. So this time Antsy and his family get invited to cruise for celebrate Crawley’s 80. birthday. Of course Antsy can’t have a boring vacation like everybody else. He will find himself in big trouble like smuggle illegal immigrants into the ship 🚢 I promise you will find a sweet kick at the very end. I wish this was not the last book of Antsy 💔
March 5, 2019
"'I think I get it,' I said. 'But I also get why it happens. It's like we have to put people into boxes, because our brains aren't big enough to make every person a person. So we put them all into boxes and them we get o decide whose box we're going to open. We gotta be careful, though, because if we open everybody's box, we'll go crazy. So yeah, you'll be "the blind girl" and I'll be "the obnoxious Italian guy" to like ninety-nine percent of the people we meet. But to the one percent that opens our boxes, they get to hit the jackpot. Although they'll probably return me for store credit." (93)
Neal Shusterman is so good at writing seriously and cleverly. His characters feel so real and relatable. They are not perfect, but they are mostly trying to get better. They make me laugh and they make me cry, just like any good, real friend of mine. This book was just as good as the other books in the Antsy Bonano series (although, neither of the sequels quite beat the first one). Shusterman raises real issues, and he talks about real world problems in a way that his readers can understand. He presents the question, and he has them answer it. I also really loved the ending, because I'm super sentimental and I can never forget one of my favorite characters of all time.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes clever writing and wants a light-hearted laugh. Antsy will do that to you. I would recommend this to anyone who likes to really connect with characters, because it is inevitable. I would recommend this to anyone who likes adventure and twists and complicated situations. I would use this to teach students that they will face real world issues, and I might have an activity where they chose an issue they would like to research and have them defend it before the class while being as respectful as Antsy.
WARNINGS
Sex - No.
Drugs - No.
Rock & Roll - Like I said, Shusterman likes to bring up real-world issues, so it makes you think. And voodoo. There's some voodoo.
Language - Yes, but not as much as I'd expect from a 15-year-old boy.
Violence - Nothing beyond any kind of slapstick humor.
Neal Shusterman is so good at writing seriously and cleverly. His characters feel so real and relatable. They are not perfect, but they are mostly trying to get better. They make me laugh and they make me cry, just like any good, real friend of mine. This book was just as good as the other books in the Antsy Bonano series (although, neither of the sequels quite beat the first one). Shusterman raises real issues, and he talks about real world problems in a way that his readers can understand. He presents the question, and he has them answer it. I also really loved the ending, because I'm super sentimental and I can never forget one of my favorite characters of all time.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes clever writing and wants a light-hearted laugh. Antsy will do that to you. I would recommend this to anyone who likes to really connect with characters, because it is inevitable. I would recommend this to anyone who likes adventure and twists and complicated situations. I would use this to teach students that they will face real world issues, and I might have an activity where they chose an issue they would like to research and have them defend it before the class while being as respectful as Antsy.
WARNINGS
Sex - No.
Drugs - No.
Rock & Roll - Like I said, Shusterman likes to bring up real-world issues, so it makes you think. And voodoo. There's some voodoo.
Language - Yes, but not as much as I'd expect from a 15-year-old boy.
Violence - Nothing beyond any kind of slapstick humor.
February 25, 2021
This is a lot of fun, dear Antsy...^^
https://tsaniablade.blogspot.com/2021...
https://tsaniablade.blogspot.com/2021...
February 23, 2023
Sophia had to read a book for this quarter, so she grabbed this one and we read it together! Great book!!!
July 5, 2013
You know those reviews that call a book hilarious and it isn't? Well this latest book in the Antsy Bonano stories (narrator of The Schwa Was Here& Antsy Does Time)IS absolutely hilarious and wonderfully well-written! This time around Antsy manages to cause an international incident with his family on a cruise ship. The title is foreshadowing at its best. Super characters, wacky plot, and Shusterman's gift for presenting another point of view for us to consider, as skewed and yet wise as that may be.
September 19, 2013
Interesting plot line and characters. Although the characters were interesting, too much of their behavior was inconsistent. This was especially true of the main character Antsy. He sounded like a middle aged man trying to write like a teenager. I had a hard time keeping up with the swing between his immaturity to his surprisingly vast knowledge of trivia and 'mature' view on life.
April 25, 2015
This book was rated fairly highly so I was expecting a better book...but was severely disappointed. The book was slow, covered way too much nonsense, was intended to be more deeply rooted, tried to cover to many bases with being "politically correct" and was just stupidly weak. I was bored the entire book and was anxious to end my misery. Not a fan.
August 18, 2017
I made it to page 80 but am bored out of my mind. I loved The Schwa was here, but this one felt like it was written by an adult trying to be a teen. The references Antsy makes aren't likely to be understood by a teen. The pacing is off, and as a huge Schusterman fan, I'm disappointed.
December 13, 2023
Not bad for an Antsy Bonano book, but I personally preferred the first two in the series. Good ending overall.
January 8, 2025
I think that this book has a very interesting plot, as the events which happened in this book were very unique. The book's plot had a lot of twists and turns, as sometimes the plot changes to something that I would never expect. I think that the idea of the book/how Neal shusterman managed to make the book very unique and non expected for the viewers. I also like how he introduced everything, as he did it in different ways each time making it interesting every time. Lastly, I also like the humor of the book, as I have never read a book like this which has this type of humor before, which felt very interesting to me.
I also think that the characterization is good, as it had a lot of important characters in it, but I think some of the characters were kinda bland/not consistent. Some of the characters rarely got any attention, and their character was not really consistent. But, I like how some of the characters had a good connection towards the reader, which helps the plot be able to be so different from other books. So, I think that the characterization is good, but characters which should've been important didn't really have the attention needed.
In conclusion, I think that the book is very good because of the unique twists which happened inside of the book. So, I would recommend this book for people who would want to see unexpected events/a unique book.
I also think that the characterization is good, as it had a lot of important characters in it, but I think some of the characters were kinda bland/not consistent. Some of the characters rarely got any attention, and their character was not really consistent. But, I like how some of the characters had a good connection towards the reader, which helps the plot be able to be so different from other books. So, I think that the characterization is good, but characters which should've been important didn't really have the attention needed.
In conclusion, I think that the book is very good because of the unique twists which happened inside of the book. So, I would recommend this book for people who would want to see unexpected events/a unique book.
December 5, 2019
I've read this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is not much that I could complain about. The pace of the novel and the writing style were great and easy to follow. The pace was not to fast and not too slow, I wasn't bored waiting for the next bit of action, yet the book described the setting very well. As for the writing style it was not complicated and it was very humorous, it made me think of Diary of A Wimpy Kid but much more mature. My favorite character was Anthony, the protagonist. He is very funny and pretty laid back, and he seems to be confident and have good common sense. If I had to pick a least favorite character it would be Lexie, not because I dislike her, but because I think something better could have been done with her. My favorite event would have to be when Anthony and Tilde go into the Viking Ship compartment. It was very weird to have that ship there but it painted a very cool picture in my head. I think that some of the connections in this story are the immigrants, which is a problem today, and the fact that this book makes me think of Diary of A Wimpy Kid. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes humor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2018
I thought this book was amazing! I loved how Shusterland really developed these characters and my favorite character was Antsy. He was definitely a troublemaker with no filter but it made him entertaining. He did though have a big heart and you'll have to read to find out about it. I overall thought the plot was really good and I never seemed to get bored at any moments of the story. I can't think of a part of the book I didn't really like. I would for sure recommend this to anyone and if your looking for something entertaining and new this book is for you. So if your looking for a new book to read I think this should be one of your top choices.
January 21, 2020
I thought that this book was very good. My favorite character in this novel was Anthony Bonano. He was my favorite character because he got into trouble, but could usually lie his way out of things. My least favorite character in the book was Howie. He was just a kid that Anthony had to bring along because his older brother couldn't go on the cruise with them. The pace of this novel was really good. It was quick enough to want you to keep reading, but it wasn't so food that you could finish it in a day. The connections that I make to the novel are many in real life connections.
January 8, 2021
This book had its funny moments but I still didn't enjoy it nearly as much as its predecessors, the book was really dragging and slow. The characters acted very much unlike themselves. Surprisingly, Howie was the best character in this book! The resolution to the main issue did not convince me at all. My favorite part was the last chapter as we get to see a beloved familiar face, proving things go full circle.
April 20, 2022
This book is mainly targeted towards teenagers. It's a comedy/Realist fiction. There is a lot of suspense due to the high action and close calls in the book. Ansty Banono or known as Enzo throughout the story by this mysterious girl he meets on the Plethra of The Deep a cruise ship he is invited on by a close friend. He meets a girl that is into some illegal activities and gets caught up in them. Will he get in trouble with the law or will he be free?
July 23, 2017
More top notch storytelling in this third installment of the Antsy series. The Bonano's go on a cruise with Crawley and Lexie, but trouble is always just around the corner for Antsy. There was an excellent, topical plot element in this one. I feel like the end could have been stronger, but this was still a very enjoyable read.
January 30, 2018
Fun and funny YA that weaves awkward mid-teen shenanigans, poverty, and immigration together in a light yet high-stakes tale that's unfailing entertaining. Great for the younger end of the YA spectrum, with just enough dating angst to make it a bit mature for some MG readers, but none of the explicit content that ages YA up into adult territory.
May 31, 2018
The Ship Out of Luck by Antsy Bonano is about the Bonano family's cruise to the Caribbean. Antsy can't find a way to stay out of trouble both on the cruise ship and on land when they stop. Antsy finds himself a girl named Tilde and she really should've picked a different person. But then the crimes wont be funny like they are.
February 4, 2020
3.5 I really enjoyed the other Antsy books, and was happy there was another. Antsy is something special. He’s always getting into unbelievable situations because of his curiosity, empathy and kindness. Through his escapades, he learns about human nature and the world and about himself.
Antsy is observant, funny, and unsinkable.
Antsy is observant, funny, and unsinkable.
July 14, 2021
I was distressed that the dad and the son used swear words in disgust in their interactions. I do realize that high school kids swear often, and family members lose their temper with each other. But I highly disapprove of it in this book. Also - it seemed like a soapbox subject for the author. Just too over the top and contrived.
It does have a cutesy ending that I liked.
It does have a cutesy ending that I liked.
December 17, 2016
Great book, not so many fancy long words, I would definitely make sure that I read the first two books next so that I could fully understand what was going on with the whole general series story-line.
Read
December 3, 2020Willy's pick for the humor. he said be prepared to be surprised. i was. though more fun is that he dropped the first two off a week ago at the dental office for wendy's son, who is an avid reader and i get to bring this volume to my appointment next week. i think he's about antsy's age.
December 27, 2020
The other two in the trilogy are a little more fun this one is a little more stressful to read. I enjoyed the story overall. Again, this is YA, not middle grads so much with language and gender issues discussed.
September 28, 2021
If you liked the first Antsy Bonano book and tolerated the second, cut your losses here. In Ship Out of Luck, Neal Shusterman would seem to be a very bad writer who maybe used to have a very good editor but no longer has any editor at all. I'm honestly embarrassed for Neal after reading this.
March 18, 2025
I went into this series looking for an easy read but Neal really did a great job of making this series comical, thought provoking and somewhat emotional. I really appreciated how this all wrapped up.
March 10, 2017
The plot was interesting. Some of the main characters from previous books go on a cruise together, and as usual, Antsy gets himself unknowingly in a bind with potential serious consequences (not all of which are resolved at the book's conclusion).
I gave the book lower stars than the first two in the series. Antsy still has a bit of an irreverant tone, which adds authenticity to his character, but some readers would be offended by it. I was put off by the added maturity in tone as well, compared to previous books. I know his character is older, and more hormonal, but I didn't like all the direct references, or other implied references, which I hoped when over my 11-year-old's head. This is one book I wish I'd previewed first, but the others in the series were tame in comparison, and the first was read to my son by his 6th grader teacher in the classroom.
Mature topics directly and indirectly referred to in the novel include a character questioning his sexuality, children involved in deception and illegal activity, and plans for underage and premarital sex.
Also included is an opinionated presentation of illegal immigration, and depending on your views, you may or may not agree with the slant the author gives its characters.
I was disappointed that the novel didn't continue in the same line as its predecessors, although it was still written in Shusterman's witty style. I wouldn't recommend it to kids under 16, maybe 15.
I gave the book lower stars than the first two in the series. Antsy still has a bit of an irreverant tone, which adds authenticity to his character, but some readers would be offended by it. I was put off by the added maturity in tone as well, compared to previous books. I know his character is older, and more hormonal, but I didn't like all the direct references, or other implied references, which I hoped when over my 11-year-old's head. This is one book I wish I'd previewed first, but the others in the series were tame in comparison, and the first was read to my son by his 6th grader teacher in the classroom.
Mature topics directly and indirectly referred to in the novel include a character questioning his sexuality, children involved in deception and illegal activity, and plans for underage and premarital sex.
Also included is an opinionated presentation of illegal immigration, and depending on your views, you may or may not agree with the slant the author gives its characters.
I was disappointed that the novel didn't continue in the same line as its predecessors, although it was still written in Shusterman's witty style. I wouldn't recommend it to kids under 16, maybe 15.
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