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Surrounded By Sharks
A thrilling survival story from Michael Northrop, the acclaimed author of TRAPPED.
He couldn't sleep. That's how it all started. When Davey wakes, just as the sun is rising, he can't wait to slip out of the crammed hotel room he's sharing with his family. Leave it to his parents and kid brother to waste an entire day of vacation sleeping in! Davey heads straight for the beach, book and glasses in hand, not bothering to leave a note. As the sparkling ocean entices him, he decides to test the water, never mind that "No Swimming" sign. But as the waves pull him farther from shore, Davey finds himself surrounded by water -- and something else, too. Something circling below the surface, watching, waiting. It's just a matter of time.
He couldn't sleep. That's how it all started. When Davey wakes, just as the sun is rising, he can't wait to slip out of the crammed hotel room he's sharing with his family. Leave it to his parents and kid brother to waste an entire day of vacation sleeping in! Davey heads straight for the beach, book and glasses in hand, not bothering to leave a note. As the sparkling ocean entices him, he decides to test the water, never mind that "No Swimming" sign. But as the waves pull him farther from shore, Davey finds himself surrounded by water -- and something else, too. Something circling below the surface, watching, waiting. It's just a matter of time.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 27, 2014
58 people are currently reading
1074 people want to read
About the author
Michael Northrop
36 books230 followersMichael Northrop is the New York Times bestselling author of 13 books for kids and teens, including the middle-grade adventure series TombQuest and the hit graphic novel Dear Justice League. His first young adult novel, Gentlemen, earned him a Publishers Weekly Flying Start citation, and his second, Trapped, was an Indie Next List selection. His first middle-grade novel, Plunked, was named one of the best children's books of the year by the New York Public Library and was selected for NPR's Backseat Book Club. He is originally from Salisbury, Connecticut, a small town in the foothills of the Berkshire mountains, where he mastered the arts of BB gun shooting, tree climbing, and field goal kicking with only moderate injuries. After graduating from NYU, he worked at Sports Illustrated Kids magazine for 12 years, the last five of those as baseball editor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
August 11, 2020
HOW MUCH CAN ONE PERSON LOVE SHARK WEEK???
3.5 stars.
this book is pretty fun. it's about a 13-year-old booknerd named davey who is on vacation with his parents on a tiny island in the florida keys. he wakes up very early on their first morning, and disgusted by the loud snoring from his father and younger brother, and the stinky results of his brother's burrito the day before, he grabs his book and glasses, and heads out to explore the island without leaving a note or waking anyone.
he finds a palm tree to read under, but is soon dismayed when a family of English tourists encroach on his spot.
Davey stood up and brushed the sand from his butt. He was just going to have to move if there were going to be English people running all over the place. It was distracting.
he leaves and finds himself a small, secluded mini-beach - a perfectly peaceful place to read, and to observe the ocean, so different from the lakes back home in ohio.
Davey was surprised by how warm the water was. He was standing at the very edge of the breaking waves, up to his ankles. He'd kicked off his sneakers and walked right past the NO SW MM NG sign, which was fine because he wasn't sw mm ng. He still had his glasses on, still had the book in his hand. He was just testing out the water for later.
later comes pretty soon, and after getting distracted from reading by the novelty of the gently lapping waves, he stashes his glasses and other stuff under a bush, and decides to go back into the ocean, just waist-high, just enough to enjoy the warmth of the water, and the playful waves.
suddenly, he finds himself being pulled further and further away from land, without his glasses, becoming increasingly tired as he tries to fight the tide. he begins to swim towards a fuzzy shape he takes for an island, but when he finally reaches it, it turns out to be a water-cooler jug, which offers him a temporary respite from swimming, but is definitely not as good as an island. he clings to it, bobbing along half-blind in the grueling sun, with nothing to do but observe the fish in the water, taking shelter under the bottle. at first, these are just tiny and harmless fish, but after a while, the food chain is alerted, the bigger fish come out to play, and suddenly davey is dunh dunh dunnnhhhhhh - surrounded by sharks.
meanwhile, on land, davey's family is awake, and looking all over for him, enlisting the help of that english family, the staff of the hotel, a boat captain, the deputy, and eventually, the coast guard. the land-story is told from the POV of davey's brother brando and drew - the 14-year-old english girl, who saw davey earlier when he was reading under a palm tree.
good things:
* actual shark facts and also tips about what to do in a rip tide situation with a very smart parallel land-lubber example for kids who might not have ever been to the ocean, which makes the science of rip tides more understandable (which parallel davey only realizes when it is too late, but hopefully readers of this book will remember if they find themselves in a similar situation)
* good tension as miscommunication and misunderstandings keep davey in peril as his parents and the deputy track down false leads and davey just keep bobbing away out there, gripping his water bottle, thinking to himself "surely a rescue party has been organized by now!" the slow dawning as the other characters catch up to what the reader already knows.
* smart treatment of the frustration of being a kid around adults who just won't listen, as brando tries to explain why he thinks his parents are wasting time chasing down these false leads
overall, it's a fun summer thriller with genuine tension and a solid, action-y conclusion.
this book lists as YA, but to me, it reads more like MG-early teen. let's say grades 6-9. the only reason it didn't get a four star-rating from me is that i felt the characterization was a little shallow, and some of the writing was forced, mostly in the not-davey parts, when it reaches for humor. but that's not something that anyone in the target audience is likely to complain about, so i definitely think younger readers would rate this higher.
netgalley denied this book to me, but i'm totally not bitter.
come to my blog!
3.5 stars.
this book is pretty fun. it's about a 13-year-old booknerd named davey who is on vacation with his parents on a tiny island in the florida keys. he wakes up very early on their first morning, and disgusted by the loud snoring from his father and younger brother, and the stinky results of his brother's burrito the day before, he grabs his book and glasses, and heads out to explore the island without leaving a note or waking anyone.
he finds a palm tree to read under, but is soon dismayed when a family of English tourists encroach on his spot.
Davey stood up and brushed the sand from his butt. He was just going to have to move if there were going to be English people running all over the place. It was distracting.
he leaves and finds himself a small, secluded mini-beach - a perfectly peaceful place to read, and to observe the ocean, so different from the lakes back home in ohio.
Davey was surprised by how warm the water was. He was standing at the very edge of the breaking waves, up to his ankles. He'd kicked off his sneakers and walked right past the NO SW MM NG sign, which was fine because he wasn't sw mm ng. He still had his glasses on, still had the book in his hand. He was just testing out the water for later.
later comes pretty soon, and after getting distracted from reading by the novelty of the gently lapping waves, he stashes his glasses and other stuff under a bush, and decides to go back into the ocean, just waist-high, just enough to enjoy the warmth of the water, and the playful waves.
suddenly, he finds himself being pulled further and further away from land, without his glasses, becoming increasingly tired as he tries to fight the tide. he begins to swim towards a fuzzy shape he takes for an island, but when he finally reaches it, it turns out to be a water-cooler jug, which offers him a temporary respite from swimming, but is definitely not as good as an island. he clings to it, bobbing along half-blind in the grueling sun, with nothing to do but observe the fish in the water, taking shelter under the bottle. at first, these are just tiny and harmless fish, but after a while, the food chain is alerted, the bigger fish come out to play, and suddenly davey is dunh dunh dunnnhhhhhh - surrounded by sharks.
meanwhile, on land, davey's family is awake, and looking all over for him, enlisting the help of that english family, the staff of the hotel, a boat captain, the deputy, and eventually, the coast guard. the land-story is told from the POV of davey's brother brando and drew - the 14-year-old english girl, who saw davey earlier when he was reading under a palm tree.
good things:
* actual shark facts and also tips about what to do in a rip tide situation with a very smart parallel land-lubber example for kids who might not have ever been to the ocean, which makes the science of rip tides more understandable (which parallel davey only realizes when it is too late, but hopefully readers of this book will remember if they find themselves in a similar situation)
* good tension as miscommunication and misunderstandings keep davey in peril as his parents and the deputy track down false leads and davey just keep bobbing away out there, gripping his water bottle, thinking to himself "surely a rescue party has been organized by now!" the slow dawning as the other characters catch up to what the reader already knows.
* smart treatment of the frustration of being a kid around adults who just won't listen, as brando tries to explain why he thinks his parents are wasting time chasing down these false leads
overall, it's a fun summer thriller with genuine tension and a solid, action-y conclusion.
this book lists as YA, but to me, it reads more like MG-early teen. let's say grades 6-9. the only reason it didn't get a four star-rating from me is that i felt the characterization was a little shallow, and some of the writing was forced, mostly in the not-davey parts, when it reaches for humor. but that's not something that anyone in the target audience is likely to complain about, so i definitely think younger readers would rate this higher.
netgalley denied this book to me, but i'm totally not bitter.
come to my blog!Read
May 7, 2018Davey couldn't sleep. That was why he snuck out his room early in the morning. He just wanted to have time by himself on the beach. He finds a beach all for himself. But thats when things go wrong.
This is a very good book that will keep you interested and intrigued. The action is always there and the book is never dull. I think that this is a book more suited for lower reading levels though and for that reason I would give it a 4/5 stars.
This is a very good book that will keep you interested and intrigued. The action is always there and the book is never dull. I think that this is a book more suited for lower reading levels though and for that reason I would give it a 4/5 stars.
December 15, 2015
HAS SOME SPOILERS!!! I LIKED THE BOOK.CRAZY HOW A KID NAMED DAVEY ENDS UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN!!AND HIS'S NOT ALONE IN THE OCEAN.SHARKS ARE WITH HIM!! HIS MOTHER,FATHER,AND BROTHER BRANDO ARE LOOKING FOR HIM WHILE SHARKS ARE SWIMMING SIDE BY SIDE BY DAVEY.WILL DAVEY SURVIVE,OR WILL HE BE PULL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA?I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO PEOPLE WHO LIKE SHARKS OR REALISTIC FICTION.
February 9, 2017
The book "Surrounded By Sharks" is a suspenseful fiction written by Micheal Northrop with 208 pages. Davey Tsering and his family of his mom, Pamela, dad, Tam and his little brother Brando are staying at the Aszure Island Inn just off of Key West in Florida. They are staying at a resort that isn't the most grand and exciting. When Davey wakes up on his first day of vacation, everyone was asleep and he decided to check the island out, he didn't leave a note, Davey thought he'd be back before everyone woke up. When Davey was exploring the island he come upon a little beach just to the side of everything, it was very exclusive and isolated. The beach just had one thing a "NO SWIMMING" sign. Davey was a smart kid and loved to read, but he ended up ignoring the sign and decided just to wade in the water, with out going completely under. Before Davey knew the water was at his chest, he decided to go back to land. He took a few steps and realize when he was doing that the current was pushing him farther out into the ocean. Davey decided to swim for it, he swam harder than he ever had, he looked up from swimming and Davey was even farther out of the water. Within and few hours he was about a mile off the coast but managed to find a floating bottle so he could rest. At this time everyone was looking for Davey. Davey had been hanging on to the bottle for a while, and soon he realized there was a shark circling him. Two more sharks came and Davey didn't know what to do. He just had to wait and hope someone would show up and rescue him.
My overall impression of the book "Surrounded By Sharks" is that it is a book you can't stop reading and leaves you on a cliffhanger every chapter. You get nervous for characters and what will happen next. All in all the book is amazingly nerve racking and good at the same time. My rating for the book would have to be 9/10. I would recommend people to read this book if they like suspense, it's great for both boys and girls.
The main character, Davey had to encounter many frightening problems in the book. Davey had to drift in the ocean for many hours, with his back getting burned and his eyesight gone because he did not have his glasses. He had sharks surrounding him and circling Davey as bate and he could never out swim sharks or get help in the middle of the ocean. My favorite character was Brando, Davey's little brother, he was so brave the whole day when he didn't know where his brother was. When the time came to shine he took matters in his own hands and did something amazing. If I could change anything in the book I would have Davey's family wake up sooner and realize earlier where Davey really was.
My overall impression of the book "Surrounded By Sharks" is that it is a book you can't stop reading and leaves you on a cliffhanger every chapter. You get nervous for characters and what will happen next. All in all the book is amazingly nerve racking and good at the same time. My rating for the book would have to be 9/10. I would recommend people to read this book if they like suspense, it's great for both boys and girls.
The main character, Davey had to encounter many frightening problems in the book. Davey had to drift in the ocean for many hours, with his back getting burned and his eyesight gone because he did not have his glasses. He had sharks surrounding him and circling Davey as bate and he could never out swim sharks or get help in the middle of the ocean. My favorite character was Brando, Davey's little brother, he was so brave the whole day when he didn't know where his brother was. When the time came to shine he took matters in his own hands and did something amazing. If I could change anything in the book I would have Davey's family wake up sooner and realize earlier where Davey really was.
August 13, 2015
Davey, 13, and his family are vacationing on a little island right next to Key West, Florida. One morning Davey wakes to the sound of loud snoring and smelly farts...it's time for him to bail! He grabs his glasses and a book and sets off to find some place quiet to read and have some alone time. As the early morning fades and the island gets busier, Davey retreats to a small beach off the beaten path. Despite the "No Sw mm ng" sign, Davey decides to just feel the water, then he wades out a little farther just up to his knees, then up to his waist, before he knows it, he's neck deep in the ocean and the current starts to pull him out farther. He's out so deep, and the rip tide is so strong, that he's lost control.
He's left no note, no message, and no sign of where he's been or where he is now. His glasses and book are behind a bush hidden. Without his glasses, Davey can't tell how far out he is or where land is now. The afternoon sun rises and starts to beat down on him. He can't touch the bottom and he's treading water pretty strenuously. That's the least of his worries. Something is circling him from the depths, something with rows of sharp teeth. Not just one or two, but several. Now the sun is starting to set and time is running out. Will Davey find his way out of the danger zone? Will someone realize where he is and send out a rescue party? You'll have to read and find out!
This is a sit-on-the-edge of your seat page turner! This was a fantastic read, just like Northrop's Trapped and Plunked!
He's left no note, no message, and no sign of where he's been or where he is now. His glasses and book are behind a bush hidden. Without his glasses, Davey can't tell how far out he is or where land is now. The afternoon sun rises and starts to beat down on him. He can't touch the bottom and he's treading water pretty strenuously. That's the least of his worries. Something is circling him from the depths, something with rows of sharp teeth. Not just one or two, but several. Now the sun is starting to set and time is running out. Will Davey find his way out of the danger zone? Will someone realize where he is and send out a rescue party? You'll have to read and find out!
This is a sit-on-the-edge of your seat page turner! This was a fantastic read, just like Northrop's Trapped and Plunked!
May 15, 2015
argh Davey is all alone on a stupid island. Give it to his mom and dad to ruin a vacation. When Davey finds out that all he can do is read, he decides to go swimming, I mean who cares about the no swimming sign. Into the ocean more and more and more.... And little does he know that a dangerous creature lurks in the water, waiting for his breakfast... Surrounded by sharks is a story about bravery, friendship, family and hope
November 10, 2017
Surrounded By Sharks by Micheal Northrop is a fantastic book about a boy named Davey who travels to Florida with his family. While trying to get some alone time from his family, he leaves the hotel room to catch up on his favorite book. With the view of the great Gulf of Mexico he couldn't help, but jump in for a nice swim. He then gets caught in current and cannot navigate his way back to shore. Its up to his family to help him and up to him to stay safe from the great dangers of the ocean. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense and likes sharks. Hope you check out this book and enjoy it as much as I did!
November 6, 2018
The novel that I had read was called Surrounded by sharks by Michael Northrop. Surrounded by sharks is about a little boy and his family who go onto an island for vacation. This little boy is named Davey. Davey was never the adventurous type as he is a strong book lover and isn’t the most athletic person in the world, but on the morning of their arrival upon this island Davey just had to get to the beach. While the rest of his family was still sleeping Davey snuck out his their hotel room, which is something that he would never do. Davey brought with him his book and his glasses. Now that Davey was out of the hotel and on the beach he was happy and just wanted to read his book under the shade. He had been doing this for a while without interruption until a British family came strolling by speaking very loudly. This made Davey leave his spot under the tree and travel around the island looking for a nice spot to hide from all of the people arriving onto the island. There was a small passageway that Davey spotted while he was searching for a new spot to quietly read his book. He thought to himself that this would be a great place to read his book with peace and quiet.
Davey later decides to go swimming in a restricted no swimming area and gets carried off to the ocean by the impressively strong current. HIs Family finally wakes up and realizes that Davey is gone. They then spend the rest of the trip looking for their son who has gone missing. Davey’s parents ask everyone they can on the island if they have seen Davey or know where he is at. They get very little leads except for the British family who seems to help out quite a bit throughout the novel. Without giving too much of the story away, Davey found a bottle that he can lean on while he is in the ocean. He is trying to survive out in the ocean for as long as he can until help from his family arrives.
The final question I ask is “ Will Davey have what it takes to survive in the ocean on his own until his family can get there?”. This novel was decent. It gave some backstory at the beginning which is always important to a great novel. While this novel did not appeal to me, it still wasn’t bad and still a good novel to read at the end of the day. It isn’t that long of a novel. A new chapter begins every for pages, which makes it great for stopping whenever you need to. The cover of the novel is also appealing to the eye to look at and attract the reader to want to read it. Given all of that, I would give this novel a 4 star out of 5. I gave this novel a four star because it is a good novel just not the best one for me.
Davey later decides to go swimming in a restricted no swimming area and gets carried off to the ocean by the impressively strong current. HIs Family finally wakes up and realizes that Davey is gone. They then spend the rest of the trip looking for their son who has gone missing. Davey’s parents ask everyone they can on the island if they have seen Davey or know where he is at. They get very little leads except for the British family who seems to help out quite a bit throughout the novel. Without giving too much of the story away, Davey found a bottle that he can lean on while he is in the ocean. He is trying to survive out in the ocean for as long as he can until help from his family arrives.
The final question I ask is “ Will Davey have what it takes to survive in the ocean on his own until his family can get there?”. This novel was decent. It gave some backstory at the beginning which is always important to a great novel. While this novel did not appeal to me, it still wasn’t bad and still a good novel to read at the end of the day. It isn’t that long of a novel. A new chapter begins every for pages, which makes it great for stopping whenever you need to. The cover of the novel is also appealing to the eye to look at and attract the reader to want to read it. Given all of that, I would give this novel a 4 star out of 5. I gave this novel a four star because it is a good novel just not the best one for me.
February 8, 2017
Surrounded By Sharks
Genre: adventure
Author: Michael Northrop
Number of pages: 224
Rating: 8
Synopsis:
This story is about a thirteen year old boy named Davey. It all happened when he went on vacation with his family to Florida Keys. One morning Davey decided to leave his hotel room and explore the island while his family was still sleeping. He went to the beach and decided to go swimming in the water even though there was a sign that said “No Swimming.” He current slowly drifted Davey further and further away from the island and before he knew it, he was in the middle of the ocean surrounded by sharks.
When his family woke up later that morning, they noticed that Davey was not with them. They went out and looked all around the island and there was no Davey. They even had to call the police to help search the island. Meanwhile a Davey was still being pushed further into the Gulf of Mexico by the ocean current. Davey has to deal with exhaustion, the sun, and worst of all, sharks.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to people. It makes you want to keep reading to find out what will happen to Davey. It is an adventurous and exciting book that makes you scared at times. I also liked how the author switched narratives between the characters because it made the story more interesting by providing more points of view of what the characters were feeling. Overall I think Surrounded By Sharks is a great book for everyone.
The problem that the main character Davey faced was that he was lost in the middle of the ocean surrounded by sharks. It all started when he made the bad choice to swim in an area that had a sign that read “No Swimming.” But he didn't follow this rule and he went right in in the ocean. The strong ocean current pushed Davey in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Davey faced exhaustion, the sun, and sharks.
My favorite part of the book was when Davey was stuck in the ocean. It was really exciting because it made me keep reading to see what was going to happen to him. While Davey was in the middle of the ocean his family and police officers were out looking for Davey and this was made me feel tense. The author also used many descriptive adjectives to set the tense mood of the story. When the sharks were swimming around Davey it was scary for me because it felt like I was Davey and it made me picture what it would be like.
I can relate to Davey in this story because I would also be excited to be on vacation and not wait for your family to wake up. When he was surrounded by sharks he was very scared and I would be scared too. He also tried to swim against the current because he didn't know what to do and I wouldn't know what to do either. I would have acted just like Davey in his situation. I can also relate to Brando because sometimes I am afraid to tell someone something if it would get me in trouble.
Genre: adventure
Author: Michael Northrop
Number of pages: 224
Rating: 8
Synopsis:
This story is about a thirteen year old boy named Davey. It all happened when he went on vacation with his family to Florida Keys. One morning Davey decided to leave his hotel room and explore the island while his family was still sleeping. He went to the beach and decided to go swimming in the water even though there was a sign that said “No Swimming.” He current slowly drifted Davey further and further away from the island and before he knew it, he was in the middle of the ocean surrounded by sharks.
When his family woke up later that morning, they noticed that Davey was not with them. They went out and looked all around the island and there was no Davey. They even had to call the police to help search the island. Meanwhile a Davey was still being pushed further into the Gulf of Mexico by the ocean current. Davey has to deal with exhaustion, the sun, and worst of all, sharks.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to people. It makes you want to keep reading to find out what will happen to Davey. It is an adventurous and exciting book that makes you scared at times. I also liked how the author switched narratives between the characters because it made the story more interesting by providing more points of view of what the characters were feeling. Overall I think Surrounded By Sharks is a great book for everyone.
The problem that the main character Davey faced was that he was lost in the middle of the ocean surrounded by sharks. It all started when he made the bad choice to swim in an area that had a sign that read “No Swimming.” But he didn't follow this rule and he went right in in the ocean. The strong ocean current pushed Davey in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Davey faced exhaustion, the sun, and sharks.
My favorite part of the book was when Davey was stuck in the ocean. It was really exciting because it made me keep reading to see what was going to happen to him. While Davey was in the middle of the ocean his family and police officers were out looking for Davey and this was made me feel tense. The author also used many descriptive adjectives to set the tense mood of the story. When the sharks were swimming around Davey it was scary for me because it felt like I was Davey and it made me picture what it would be like.
I can relate to Davey in this story because I would also be excited to be on vacation and not wait for your family to wake up. When he was surrounded by sharks he was very scared and I would be scared too. He also tried to swim against the current because he didn't know what to do and I wouldn't know what to do either. I would have acted just like Davey in his situation. I can also relate to Brando because sometimes I am afraid to tell someone something if it would get me in trouble.
June 12, 2014
What would you do if you were surrounded by sharks in the middle of the ocean and nobody knew you were in danger? If you were Davey from Surrounded by Sharks then you would survive until somebody rescued you, that is, if somebody was going to rescue you.
Surrounded By Sharks by Michael Northrop is an emotional story of a young boy named Davey who leaves the safety of his sleeping quarters to have quiet time alone.
As I was reading this book, my parent side took over and I began worrying for this young boy caught in a dangerous situation. I could feel the desperation in Davey’s family as they searched for him, but also their calmness as they didn’t feel he was in such danger.
Will Davey survive? Or will he be bitten by a shark? Read Surrounded by Sharks to find out ;)
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review
Surrounded By Sharks by Michael Northrop is an emotional story of a young boy named Davey who leaves the safety of his sleeping quarters to have quiet time alone.
As I was reading this book, my parent side took over and I began worrying for this young boy caught in a dangerous situation. I could feel the desperation in Davey’s family as they searched for him, but also their calmness as they didn’t feel he was in such danger.
Will Davey survive? Or will he be bitten by a shark? Read Surrounded by Sharks to find out ;)
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review
June 26, 2014
Review by Gail (youth services)
Great adventure story! Davey is on vacation with his Mom and Dad and brother in the Florida Keys. Early the first morning he sneaks out of his hotel room while the others are still sleeping. Davey finds a secluded cove to read his book and decides to take a little swim. He gets caught up in a riptide and is swept out to sea. Will he survive the sharks that are circling for their evening meal?
Great adventure story! Davey is on vacation with his Mom and Dad and brother in the Florida Keys. Early the first morning he sneaks out of his hotel room while the others are still sleeping. Davey finds a secluded cove to read his book and decides to take a little swim. He gets caught up in a riptide and is swept out to sea. Will he survive the sharks that are circling for their evening meal?
January 4, 2015
Surrounded by Sharks features Davy being attracted to the ocean on a family vacation on an island off of Florida, as he ends up being washed out to sea, and finding that something else is in the water with him.
I gave this book three stars because I found it kind of boring. This was mostly because there were not many sharks throughout the book. I'm wondering who else calls four sharks surrounded. I would recommend this book to people who do not read for the thrill of it.
I gave this book three stars because I found it kind of boring. This was mostly because there were not many sharks throughout the book. I'm wondering who else calls four sharks surrounded. I would recommend this book to people who do not read for the thrill of it.
May 27, 2014
Though the ending wrapped too quickly for reality this is a first-rate adventure story for readers in grades 6-9. The pace of the story and the short chapters keep readers on the edge of their seats. This is a very realistic tale and hopefully will remind young readers caution signs are posted for good reason.
April 30, 2015
It wasn't a great book, but for what it's supposed to be, I'm going to have a large audience of middler schoolers eager for this. The plot is straightforward, even though the point of view alternates between Davey and Drew. The action ramps up pretty quickly. . . what's not to keep a reader turning pages as Davey gets swept out to sea as the sharks start to circle.
October 18, 2015
This wasn't what I expected. There was a lot going on with how many characters who had to do with the main story line. I thought it was going to be a quick read but too me a little longer.
I think kids will still like it.
I think kids will still like it.
January 5, 2017
This book was stressful. I mean, not in the usual way like 'who will live?' (It's a teen book guys), but in a building tension kind of way. It was probably not helped along by the fact that the ocean is terrifying on it's own. I actually enjoyed it, but still. Stressful.
September 23, 2016
This book is very suspenseful and every time the chapter ends and goes to another persons perspective it makes me want to skip that chapter and read ahead. Davey the main character makes a horrible desicion that could cost him his life. I can't wait to keep reading more.
August 25, 2015
2.5/5 Hard at first to get into. A little confusing, but it all comes together in the end. Good plot. Very suspenseful.
May 12, 2016
Survival story -- good choice for reluctant readers. I had a few honors students enjoy it last year, too. Quick read full of action and suspense!
March 20, 2024
As a young child with another sibling who is my older sister, we always get into fights. Me and my sister never want to share, never want to help each other out. She never wants to give me a ride to school or anywhere in general. We never want anything to do with each other and always stay out of each others’ ways. With this book, the two brothers had the same exact relationship as my sister and I did which is why it stood out to me the most.
In the story, there are two brothers Davey and Brando, Brando being younger than davey. They have a mom and dad named Pamela and Tam. One day, Davey finds himself stranded in the ocean after a boating accident had occurred. Davey has no idea where he is, and starts to feel guilt and regret for going onto a restricted area knowing that this incident could have been easily avoided. His family did not notice until an hour later when Davey did not come back, they kept calling for him but he never called back leaving them worried and petrified that Davey could be dead. This story is very engaging and suspenseful with events unfolding leaving readers excited for what will happen in the next chapter.
Personally, I think that this book is very boring at the start however, the more you start reading it the more it gets interesting. The book starts off by talking about and introducing the family and how they were on a trip to Florida. It starts off as an average family just casually enjoying their trip, having fun at the beach, talking in the hotel room, etc. Which really made me think that this book was boring and I should just return it and move on with a better one, but I decided to keep reading to see if interest builds up. When the conflict happened, that kept me hooked into the story. When Davey was washed away by the ocean far away from his family, I was interested as to how he would cope with being stranded. Throughout the story, Davey would fight his inner demons of guilt, regret, and paranoia. Davey felt the guilt of having his family stressing over him and that he could have been killed by then, making them feel like it’s their fault for not looking after him, which only intensifies Davey’s guilt to the next level. Davey has a large emotion of regret for going into an area that he knew was restricted, but he was just too curious to follow the rules, like the saying “curiosity kills the cat”. Davey feels a sense of paranoia because like the title says, he is surrounded by sharks under his feet not knowing if they’re gonna bite or not, and Davey knows sharks well enough to understand that they are unpredictable. If a shark is really hungry, it will eat him without caring. But he also has to think of the positive, sharks do not really eat humans but they eat other fish. These rollercoasters of emotions leave Davey with a huge wave of paranoia, stronger than the wave that hit him. Another thing that stood out to me was the main theme of this book. You see, Davey and Brando did not get along very well. They would argue over clothes, food, normal sibling things and hold grudges against each other. But, after Brando went with his family and police to rescue Davey. Brando held out his hand for him and made Davey grab him, which saved him. After they got back to the hospital, Davey and Brando were still holding their hands, signifying how much they really care about each other. Brando would not leave the hospital room and would help Davey with whatever he needs, not even letting news interviewers talk to him until Davey said it’s fine to do so. The ending really stood out to me because after Davey refused an interview with reports, Brando and Davey held hands with each other similar to when Davey got rescued, which resembles no matter how much you think you hate your siblings, you guys will deep down always love each other. However, because of the boring beginning which would make lots of readers lose interest, I will give this 4 stars.
The more you start to dig into this book when reading it, the more interesting it gets. I would say the main target audience for this book is younger children, mainly teens since teens are known for hating their siblings. This book serves as a wake up call to teens as to why it’s important to build a strong relationship with your siblings, and it was really a wake up call to me since I also have a sibling.
In the story, there are two brothers Davey and Brando, Brando being younger than davey. They have a mom and dad named Pamela and Tam. One day, Davey finds himself stranded in the ocean after a boating accident had occurred. Davey has no idea where he is, and starts to feel guilt and regret for going onto a restricted area knowing that this incident could have been easily avoided. His family did not notice until an hour later when Davey did not come back, they kept calling for him but he never called back leaving them worried and petrified that Davey could be dead. This story is very engaging and suspenseful with events unfolding leaving readers excited for what will happen in the next chapter.
Personally, I think that this book is very boring at the start however, the more you start reading it the more it gets interesting. The book starts off by talking about and introducing the family and how they were on a trip to Florida. It starts off as an average family just casually enjoying their trip, having fun at the beach, talking in the hotel room, etc. Which really made me think that this book was boring and I should just return it and move on with a better one, but I decided to keep reading to see if interest builds up. When the conflict happened, that kept me hooked into the story. When Davey was washed away by the ocean far away from his family, I was interested as to how he would cope with being stranded. Throughout the story, Davey would fight his inner demons of guilt, regret, and paranoia. Davey felt the guilt of having his family stressing over him and that he could have been killed by then, making them feel like it’s their fault for not looking after him, which only intensifies Davey’s guilt to the next level. Davey has a large emotion of regret for going into an area that he knew was restricted, but he was just too curious to follow the rules, like the saying “curiosity kills the cat”. Davey feels a sense of paranoia because like the title says, he is surrounded by sharks under his feet not knowing if they’re gonna bite or not, and Davey knows sharks well enough to understand that they are unpredictable. If a shark is really hungry, it will eat him without caring. But he also has to think of the positive, sharks do not really eat humans but they eat other fish. These rollercoasters of emotions leave Davey with a huge wave of paranoia, stronger than the wave that hit him. Another thing that stood out to me was the main theme of this book. You see, Davey and Brando did not get along very well. They would argue over clothes, food, normal sibling things and hold grudges against each other. But, after Brando went with his family and police to rescue Davey. Brando held out his hand for him and made Davey grab him, which saved him. After they got back to the hospital, Davey and Brando were still holding their hands, signifying how much they really care about each other. Brando would not leave the hospital room and would help Davey with whatever he needs, not even letting news interviewers talk to him until Davey said it’s fine to do so. The ending really stood out to me because after Davey refused an interview with reports, Brando and Davey held hands with each other similar to when Davey got rescued, which resembles no matter how much you think you hate your siblings, you guys will deep down always love each other. However, because of the boring beginning which would make lots of readers lose interest, I will give this 4 stars.
The more you start to dig into this book when reading it, the more interesting it gets. I would say the main target audience for this book is younger children, mainly teens since teens are known for hating their siblings. This book serves as a wake up call to teens as to why it’s important to build a strong relationship with your siblings, and it was really a wake up call to me since I also have a sibling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2018
Surrounded by Sharks is a book about Davey Tsering, his mother, his father, and his brother, Brandon (who likes to be called Brando these days) who are visiting Key West on a vacation trip. As they are vacationing, Drew Dobkin and her family are visiting as well, much to Drew’s displeasure. In the morning, before everyone wakes up, Davey is bored and thinks that there is nothing to really do. He picks out a book from his favorite author, J.R.R. Tolkien, and heads to the beach to read. He reads for a while then notices a “No Sw mm ng” (No Swimming) sign on the beach, and sets his book down and ventures into the water carefully. Then he decides “If the sign is so badly taken care of, could it be that bad to just go a little further?” He delves in deeper, and causes a problem so important, it even involves Drew and her family. Want to find out what happens next? Read Surrounded by Sharks by Michael Northrop.
SPOILER ALERT
I personally liked this book because it has many ups and downs and exciting parts that made you want to keep reading, especially when Davey is caught by the riptide and is taken ashore or when he hits the bottle and thought he was back on the island. Another example would be how all island residents, Davey’s family, and Drew’s family all start a frantic search for Davey. I also thought it was interesting how Brando fought the urge to tell his parents and the police that he was awake when Davey left and how he knew something about it, when I thought he was the kind of character to say something that could help them find his brother, which led me to the conclusion that Brando was jealous of Davey and how his parents treated Davey better than they did him. In conclusion, if you want a page-turning and exciting book, I suggest you read Surrounded by Sharks by Michael Northrop.
SPOILER ALERT
I personally liked this book because it has many ups and downs and exciting parts that made you want to keep reading, especially when Davey is caught by the riptide and is taken ashore or when he hits the bottle and thought he was back on the island. Another example would be how all island residents, Davey’s family, and Drew’s family all start a frantic search for Davey. I also thought it was interesting how Brando fought the urge to tell his parents and the police that he was awake when Davey left and how he knew something about it, when I thought he was the kind of character to say something that could help them find his brother, which led me to the conclusion that Brando was jealous of Davey and how his parents treated Davey better than they did him. In conclusion, if you want a page-turning and exciting book, I suggest you read Surrounded by Sharks by Michael Northrop.
July 11, 2023
This is a solid survival story for young readers. It's got great suspense and build up. There's also some good information on sharks, ocean currents, and marine life, so it's somewhat educational as well.
The story operates on two plots: one in which the main character of Davey gets pulled out to sea by a current and must stay afloat, and the other plot of his family (and some other resort goers and hotel employees) discovering that he is missing and going to search for him.
Only negatives for me:
The story relies heavily on coincidence. There's pretty decent explanations for how people end up where they do when they do, but the main character's survival relies heavily on perfect timing. This is used for suspense and to raise the stakes, but it just felt a little cheap.
The book also makes a number of references to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, which is good for the characterization of the protagonist, but readers who aren't as familiar with the Lord of the Rings may not quite understand. It's odd to me that this book (a survival book about sharks) would require some background on an unrelated fantasy series. I loved the references myself, but I think others may miss out if they don't know Tolkien lore.
In the end, I would say that I liked this book, and it's pretty close to deserving five stars, but I don't want to go so far as to call it amazing. It didn't blow me away or move me to tears, but I was entertained by it.
The story operates on two plots: one in which the main character of Davey gets pulled out to sea by a current and must stay afloat, and the other plot of his family (and some other resort goers and hotel employees) discovering that he is missing and going to search for him.
Only negatives for me:
The story relies heavily on coincidence. There's pretty decent explanations for how people end up where they do when they do, but the main character's survival relies heavily on perfect timing. This is used for suspense and to raise the stakes, but it just felt a little cheap.
The book also makes a number of references to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, which is good for the characterization of the protagonist, but readers who aren't as familiar with the Lord of the Rings may not quite understand. It's odd to me that this book (a survival book about sharks) would require some background on an unrelated fantasy series. I loved the references myself, but I think others may miss out if they don't know Tolkien lore.
In the end, I would say that I liked this book, and it's pretty close to deserving five stars, but I don't want to go so far as to call it amazing. It didn't blow me away or move me to tears, but I was entertained by it.
September 6, 2023
Small Spoilers
I am not the target audience for this book; which I believe is tween boys. Therefore, I am bumping it from a 2.5 to a 3. I think the target audience might enjoy it more than I did.
I bought the book secondhand simply because I love reading shark attack books and it was a dollar. Did I read the back cover or skim the book? Nope. Should I have? Probably.
It was a rather boring book, again that may be because I'm not the target audience and I was wanting a shark attack book. The main character is a 13-year-old boy who decides to ignore a no swimming sign. His teen boy logic was since he was only going to go up to his waist it wasn't swimming. It was too late when he realized that a current pulled him out too far and that he was stuck.
When his family finally woke up they went looking for him, and instead of the authorities searching the water they took a boat to Key West to see if he snuck out there because he's a bookworm who wouldn't get into the ocean but would go to a city apparently.
By the time they decide hey maybe he did go into the ocean most of the day is gone.
And it is roughly halfway through the book when the sharks appear and they don't really do much until the end of the book. Mostly they just circle and eat a fish.
It took about 1-1.5 hours to finish the book.
I am not the target audience for this book; which I believe is tween boys. Therefore, I am bumping it from a 2.5 to a 3. I think the target audience might enjoy it more than I did.
I bought the book secondhand simply because I love reading shark attack books and it was a dollar. Did I read the back cover or skim the book? Nope. Should I have? Probably.
It was a rather boring book, again that may be because I'm not the target audience and I was wanting a shark attack book. The main character is a 13-year-old boy who decides to ignore a no swimming sign. His teen boy logic was since he was only going to go up to his waist it wasn't swimming. It was too late when he realized that a current pulled him out too far and that he was stuck.
When his family finally woke up they went looking for him, and instead of the authorities searching the water they took a boat to Key West to see if he snuck out there because he's a bookworm who wouldn't get into the ocean but would go to a city apparently.
By the time they decide hey maybe he did go into the ocean most of the day is gone.
And it is roughly halfway through the book when the sharks appear and they don't really do much until the end of the book. Mostly they just circle and eat a fish.
It took about 1-1.5 hours to finish the book.
July 18, 2024
This was the perfect shark week read!
NO SW MM NG!!!
I was very impressed with this book. I went in expecting something along the lines of goosebumps and boy was I wrong. This book has extremely well written characters- I absolutely loved Davy and Brando. Davy was really relatable to me, as an avid reader I often find myself looking for quiet little hideaways to read- also huge LOTR fan so those bits were fun. The plot is wonderfully engaging- I loved how at times the writing is funny and witty and others it's emotional and serious.
This book switches seamlessly between different character POVs in a way that was never confusing to the reader I especially enjoyed the POV of the shark. I appreciate that the author gave the parent characters names and used them- a small detail that does a lot to make their characters more developed. I also really enjoyed how the author used this book to share actual accurate facts about things like rip currents (ALWAYS SWIM PARALLEL!!!) and sharks and didn't just make them mindless killing machines.
The story is very believable and had me anxious the whole time and rooting for both Davy and Brando. I look forward to reading more by this author!
NO SW MM NG!!!
I was very impressed with this book. I went in expecting something along the lines of goosebumps and boy was I wrong. This book has extremely well written characters- I absolutely loved Davy and Brando. Davy was really relatable to me, as an avid reader I often find myself looking for quiet little hideaways to read- also huge LOTR fan so those bits were fun. The plot is wonderfully engaging- I loved how at times the writing is funny and witty and others it's emotional and serious.
This book switches seamlessly between different character POVs in a way that was never confusing to the reader I especially enjoyed the POV of the shark. I appreciate that the author gave the parent characters names and used them- a small detail that does a lot to make their characters more developed. I also really enjoyed how the author used this book to share actual accurate facts about things like rip currents (ALWAYS SWIM PARALLEL!!!) and sharks and didn't just make them mindless killing machines.
The story is very believable and had me anxious the whole time and rooting for both Davy and Brando. I look forward to reading more by this author!
October 31, 2019
The novel, Surrounded by Sharks, by Michael Northrop is about a 13 year old kid named Davey. He goes on a vacation with his family to Florida; he is cramped in a small hotel room with them. Davey likes to be by himself and away from his family as much as possible. In his free time he reads books and comics. Eventually this becomes a problem when he goes down to the beach alone. His family looked all over for him. The one place that they didn’t look was the ocean.
Davey decides to take a break and take a dip in the water. Soon enough, eventually the current pulls him out. He gets further and further away until all he can see around him is a vast sea. Needless to say the “No Swimming” sign was not ambrosias enough. Davey finds out he is not alone in the water, but is being followed, matter of fact circled even.
I really recommend this book because it shows how a 13 year old kid goes from not wanting to be near his family to realizing how much he truly needs them. He doesn’t understand how much he loves something or someone until he finally loses it
Davey decides to take a break and take a dip in the water. Soon enough, eventually the current pulls him out. He gets further and further away until all he can see around him is a vast sea. Needless to say the “No Swimming” sign was not ambrosias enough. Davey finds out he is not alone in the water, but is being followed, matter of fact circled even.
I really recommend this book because it shows how a 13 year old kid goes from not wanting to be near his family to realizing how much he truly needs them. He doesn’t understand how much he loves something or someone until he finally loses it
July 27, 2020
HE COULDN'T SLEEP. THAT'S HOW IT ALL STARTED.
When Davey wakes, just as the sun is rising, he can't wait to slip out of the crammed hotel room he's sharing with his family. Leave it to his parents and kid brother to waste an entire day of vacation sleeping in! Davey heads straight for the beach, book and glasses in hand, not bothering to leave a note. As the sparkling ocean entices him, he decides to test the water, never mind that No Swimming sign. But as the waves pull him farther from shore, Davey finds himself surrounded by water - and something else, too. Something circling below the surface, watching, waiting. It's just a matter of time ...
It was a good little story, barely over 200 pages, so it's a fast read. It's pretty well told and probably pretty realistic. I can see parents being a little too relaxed about their son not being in the room when they wake up. After all, they're on a tiny little island. What bad thing can happen there?
When Davey wakes, just as the sun is rising, he can't wait to slip out of the crammed hotel room he's sharing with his family. Leave it to his parents and kid brother to waste an entire day of vacation sleeping in! Davey heads straight for the beach, book and glasses in hand, not bothering to leave a note. As the sparkling ocean entices him, he decides to test the water, never mind that No Swimming sign. But as the waves pull him farther from shore, Davey finds himself surrounded by water - and something else, too. Something circling below the surface, watching, waiting. It's just a matter of time ...
It was a good little story, barely over 200 pages, so it's a fast read. It's pretty well told and probably pretty realistic. I can see parents being a little too relaxed about their son not being in the room when they wake up. After all, they're on a tiny little island. What bad thing can happen there?
September 22, 2017
I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. Michael Northrop’s Surrounded by Sharks leaves you waiting and wondering whats next.
The main character Davey is on vacation and he decides to get out of the hotel. He goes to a secret beach to swim but little does he know there is a riptide. It takes him out to see and in no time he is surrounded by sharks.
I liked the constant action when he is lost at sea. I didn't like they went from perspective to perspective sometimes leaving you confused who is talking.
Northrop uses setting throughout so you can depict the story better. The more you get into the book the more you can picture where he is at and what happening. This also helps with the characters going back and forth from each perspective.
I think teen boys would like be interested with the book and I would recommend it 4 out of 5 stars.
The main character Davey is on vacation and he decides to get out of the hotel. He goes to a secret beach to swim but little does he know there is a riptide. It takes him out to see and in no time he is surrounded by sharks.
I liked the constant action when he is lost at sea. I didn't like they went from perspective to perspective sometimes leaving you confused who is talking.
Northrop uses setting throughout so you can depict the story better. The more you get into the book the more you can picture where he is at and what happening. This also helps with the characters going back and forth from each perspective.
I think teen boys would like be interested with the book and I would recommend it 4 out of 5 stars.
March 12, 2018
This was horrible! I was actually really looking forward to reading this because I don't usually read books about sharks. So disappointed! For starters, ALL of the characters are incredibly stupid- especially the main character. He actually goes to the beach, sees a "No Swimming" sign and is like "Whatever, I'm going in!" Also, when he's in the water and sharks are circling him, he's not in the least bit scared. He actually admires what they look like! I also didn't like how the author did the tiger sharks perspective in the beginning. In between paragraphs, the author actually wrote "Whump-whump-wahamp-whump," I'm actually quoting that from the book- it says that!! It's like a really bad imitation of Jaws. I would not recommend this to anyone.
July 8, 2018
I have to admit, I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did. I was afraid it was going to be one of those MG books in which the kid is stupid and annoying. It wasn't like that for me at all. The story alternates being told from the POV of the three children (teens/preteens). They are sensible but also fallible. The adults aren't portrayed as clueless as much as just wrapped up in their own lives and not very connected to their kids, which felt real to me. There was a moment when I thought Davey's parents made some strange decisions, but in that situation it is hard to say what someone would do. For Davey's part, he does make a poor decision, but it occurs naturally and not out of some random impulse. The story is fast-paced and exciting.
June 2, 2022
surrounded by sharks is a great book if you like shark books and survival. This was my first time reading through the hole book it was alright but I don't think that this is the type of book I'm into with survival and the ocean. Some insight to why I liked the book it had action,sharks and drama. at the beginning of the book there's this family that wants to go to a vacation so they do and once they get there it cuts to this boy and hes sleeping. Then he wakes up and sneaks out of his hotel in the middle of the island and goes for a swim. But when hes in the water he gets swept in the tide and is lost in the middle of the vast ocean. so if that seems like something you would like to read go for it.
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