Into the Killing Seas

by Michael P. Spradlin

When the ship goes down, the sharks come out….

Stranded in the war torn Pacific, Patrick and his younger brother Teddy are finally homeward-bound. They've stowed away on one of the US Navy's finest ships, and now they just need to stay hidden. But Japanese torpedoes rip their dream apart.

And the sinking ship isn't the worst of it. Patrick and Teddy can handle hunger and dehydration as they float in the water and wait to be rescued. If they're smart, they can even deal with the madness that seems to plague their fellow survivors. No, the real danger circles beneath the surface. And it has teeth....

Based on the true events of the 1945 sinking of the USS Indianapolis, author Michael P. Spradlin tells a harrowing story of World War II.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Middle Grade, Survival, Historical, World War II, Action

185 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2015

About the author

Michael P. Spradlin is the author of more than a dozen books for children.

Reviews

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good little adventure/historical story with lots of action and suspense. Young readers who enjoy survival stories and/or WWII tales will definitely enjoy this one, and it's a quick read.

Unfortunately, the ending was too similar to Bodeen's The Raft for me to truly appreciate it--it was kind of a "oh...I've seen this before" feeling that took some shine off the story.

[Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a bit lower level relating to the word choice and writing style. other than the cons i was a very engaging story and would make a great movie.

[Devyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Into the Killing Seas. The writing was very simple, but the horror is surprisingly heavy.
Good introduction for children about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis.

[Luann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This was completely riveting from page one. I recently read a couple of Titanic books and reading this made me think those survivors had it easy! Sometimes a cover picture exaggerates the exciting, possibly life-threatening action in the book. Believe me, this cover doesn't do that.

This would be a great classroom read-aloud, especially during a unit on World War II. This also makes me want to have a "shark week" in my library and feature both fiction and nonfiction books with sharks.

I also really enjoyed the author's acknowledgements and an author interview at the end. He answered a lot of my questions and made me want to read more about the survivors of the USS Indianapolis soon.

[Suzanne Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think most kids will love this book. It's action packed and keeps you on the edge of your seat. And everyone loves a good shark attack story. Plus, the fact that it is based on a true event makes it all the more intriguing. My only complaint is that the danger in the book was so constant that there was no sense of ebb and flow in the story. I felt anxious to the point of wanting to put the book down. But...I guess when your stuck in the ocean during the worst sea disaster in US naval history, there is probably little ebb your situation.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Into the Killing Seas is an average book by Michael P. Spradlin that explores the historical event of the USS Indianapolis, which sunk on one of its voyages in the Philippine seas. The 2 main characters, Patrick and his younger brother Teddy, are stowaways on the ship, along with some help with an actual sailor on the ship, Benny Poindexter. However, minutes into the trip, a Japanese torpedo sinks the ship and leaves Patrick, Teddy, and Benny left to fend off on their own in shark-infested waters with nothing more than a piece of wood with a nail on it.
I felt this book to be a little bit repetitive, thus leading to it being predictable. The ending I saw coming from about 50 pages in, and I also felt that I've read the ending before in another book because it was predictable. Also, Patrick gets knocked off their makeshift lifeboat many times, and this becomes repetitive because everytime he gets knocked off, the group goes through the same events and conversations. It's as if the author was just looking for filler to make this book longer. Overall, this story had many flaws and issues that prevented it from being a great story to read.
Despite all the issues this book contains, the author did a good job of creating the relationships between the characters. Teddy is known as a shy, weak boy, and that added an extra layer to the plot because not only did Patrick and Benny have to survive, they also had to care for Teddy. Also, with Benny being a tough sailor, Patrick has to learn to be tough too, or Benny will yell at him.
This book was okay for what it was. Since it was aimed towards fourth, fifth, or sixth graders, the plot and theme were easy to find and word usage was simple. This book was a simple read, but it wasn't fun or exciting to be a part of.

[Anthony C · Rating 5 out of 5]

INTO THE KILLING SEAS was a great book because it was scary at times and it also was crazy at other times. In the beginning, It was an ordinary day until the next morning, the next morning the nazis started coming to the Jews land and when the nazis got their planes started to open up for children to get on them so that they could be safe. When Patrick and his little brother teddy were at the planes his mom and dad told Patrick to keep his brother safe, and after that they met an old lady that was on the plane that owned the place that they were going to stay at and she told patrick's mom and dad that they will be safe with her and the other children. A couple days later teddy didn't talk at all ever since they left mom and dad, while they were at the camp Patrick and teddy met benny an army marine soldier and he told them stories about him and all of the missions that he did with his crew. The next day patrick told benny that they needed to get back to their parents so benny decided to help them with their journey they had to wait till the next day to board the ship called THE INDIANAPOLIS to their homeland. The next day when they were about to get on the ship benny realized that he had to sneak both of them onto the ship so he put them in a crate to sneak the on and put it in the basement and it worked perfectly, except every day benny went down there to let them out to eat a little food and to go to the bathroom. In the middle, one day when they were at sea they encountered the nazis again, but this time the nazis shot a torpedo at them the whole ship rocked and started sinking, benny went down to the basement where we were and when we saw him his entire body was torn by the fire then he got us out of the basement he looked around and saw everyone wearing life jackets, but there were no more life jackets for them so benny spotted a wooden raft then he grabbed it and through it in the water and told us to jump in. So we did and after that the ship was almost underwater and when it was it made a big current of water so me and benny started to paddle in the water to get away from the ship so it doesn't pull us under. We survived the strong current, then both of us got onto the raft with teddy also we had no water and food so we started to survive most of the time we slept because it felt good. A couple days later we encountered a shark first it started with one then came more two four six and then we were surrounded with sharks. In the end, Patrick and Teddy actually get rescued and their in the hospital with their parents next to their sides, also Benny was actually never with them he died with the ship when it went under water Patrick was so sad because Benny actually told them stories and told them jokes.

What i liked about this book is that it was interesting.

This book made me feel sad, happy, and excited.

If you like scary books, with happy endings then this is the book for you.

Surrounded by sharks, and the eye of midnight.

[Adele · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I was really put off by the style/tone of this book - the annoying leaving out of swear words while making sure we knew exactly what swear word was intended by providing a rhyme, the fact that the character the protagonist hero-worships comes across as kind of a jerk and an idiot to me, the constant casual references to unspeakable horrors the protagonist has endured for years seemingly (to me) without being impacted in the slightest - but then the ship was torpedoed and I will admit I was caught up in the excitement of the story. That was enough to carry me through and the book is short and a really fast read after all.

[Carson Scribner · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the story Into the Killing Seas by Michael P. Spradlin tells an incredible story of survival and a harrowing story of World War II. The main character Patrick and his younger brother Teddy are stranding in the Pacific ocean trying to stay hidden from a U.S navy ship. Patrick and Teddy run into some problems with the real danger beneath the ocean.
This story reveals a theme about the power of the human spirit. Patrick and Teddy develop a special bond with each other and this will help them with survival. Patrick finds strength and courage to manage the impossible in order to save his brother and himself. The author Spradlin uses the literary element foreshadowing by giving the reader a hint of something that is going on without spoiling the suspense.
I really enjoyed reading this book. This book was based on true events of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in 1945. Fans that like survival and war action would enjoy reading this book. Will they survive?

[Ethan Xiao · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it was definitely a bit slow at times, but I still believe that this book was heading in the right direction. (No spoilers)

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into the killing seas is crazy, scary and sad story. The Maine character is a boy named Patrick he also has little brother named teddy. Patrick and teddy got separated from their parents during world war 2.
After spending time in a orphanage Patrick decided to make a plan to find his parents with a crew member named Benny.

[Zach Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

In recent years, the story of Louis Zamperini (immortalized in both print and visual media) and his harrowing tale of survival captivated the nation. While reading Michael P. Spradlin’s “Into The Killing Seas”, I couldn’t help but wonder if that “Unbroken” story didn’t have a bit of an influence on the tale, as it also is an incredible story (this time told in historical-fiction style) of the U.S.S. Indianapolis sinking towards the end of WWII.

For a basic plot summary, this novel tells the story of two young brothers, Patrick & Teddy, who are separated from their parents due to the war (living in an orphanage in the Pacific) and wanting desperately to get back to them. When the boys make the acquaintance of Benny, a crew member on the Indianapolis, they hatch a plan to hide themselves on the ship as stowaways. Of course, the ship is attack by the Japanese and sunk, leaving hundreds of men—including Benny, Patrick, & Teddy—in the shark-infested waters.

First and foremost, “Into The Killing Seas” is a great adventure/survival tale. Young readers will be mesmerized by the exploits of the young boys, especially when the sharks show up and must be reckoned with. Very exciting reading.

What author Spradlin also does very well, however, is create characters that are interesting and unique. Sometimes, books aimed at YA audiences contain more “caricatures” than “characters”, but this is profoundly not the case here. The three boys think/act like real young boys might, and the interplay between them is always fresh & interesting.

Finally, even though I won’t reveal much here due to potential spoilers, the ending of this book will throw you for such a big loop that even adult readers won’t see it coming. The fact that Spradlin can pull off such a remarkable ending in a YA novel (by their very nature being relatively simple compared to “adult” novels) speaks volumes towards his writing craftsmanship.

I very much enjoyed reading “Into The Killing Seas” and would highly recommend it to any and all readers. The text type is rather large and the books has the look/feel of something you would find in a middle school media center, but (even if you are an adult) don’t let that dissuade you from giving it a chance. In the tradition of “Unbroken”, it has a great survival story to tell.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic adventure I found inside the pages of Into the Killing Sea. One minute I was folded into the confides of a makeshift crate with Patrick and his brother Teddy as their dreams of a better tomorrow floated into their minds and before long, I found myself shivering in the deep ocean battling the unknowns that were surrounding me but also battling for survival. The power of Michael Spradlin’s words were key to the success of this novel, using striking and effective language Michael brings his readers smack dab into the middle of the story making them become a part of the adventure. I would love to see the looks on a child’s face as I read this book to them, I am sure their reaction would be priceless. The story is packed with emotions and history and definitely worth reading.
The year is 1941 and Patrick and his brother got the last two seats on the last plane out of Manila. The Japanese invaded the town shortly thereafter and what happened to their parents, the two boys don’t know. It wasn’t easy for the two young boys as their plane never makes it to its original destination but lands in Guam. The jungle becomes their home for years until an orphanage opened up and the boys met Benny. A first class, private with the Marines, this wounded soldier visited the orphanage and bonds with the boys. Benny is encouraging and his way with the boys is inspirational. Vowing to reunite the boys with their parents, Benny put his career on the line to stow the boys on the USS Indianapolis in a crate which he created on his own. The USS Indianapolis path to the Philippines is crossing through some of the most heavily populated shark invested waters in the entire world. All is well on the ship or at least what can be expected living in a small crate for these two boys until a loud explosion shakes them. Immediately another loud explosion rocks the great vessel a second time. With Benny checking out the situation, the boys lift the lid off their small world and see that water is starting to flood their quarters. They hear cries, screaming, and they know they can’t stay down below any longer. The journey that they take is one that had me holding my breath at times and one that had me reading every word, afraid I would miss something; the writing is exceptional and keeps your emotions sharp and alert. This story is based on true events of the 1945 sinking of the USS Indianapolis and scientist call it the worst encounter between humans and sharks. I call it an exceptional story and one that should be shared.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teacher friends you must BUY this BOOK! Place your pre-orders today! Into the Killing Seas is the terrifying story of what happened to the men aboard the USS Indianapolis. If that's not ringing any bells picture a Naval ship being surprise torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during WWII after delivering important components for the first atomic bomb. Approximately 900 men find themselves adrift in the ocean. When rescue planes find them 4 days later only about 300 men remain. That's because of the terrors lurking hungrily with rows of razor sharp teeth below the waters.

This is the book for kids who like the I Survived series, but are ready for something a little more challenging. I can see lots of kids wanting to get their hands on a copy. I got a couple kids already hounding me for my copy, so I had to sit down and write this review.

First line: He stands next to my hospital bed in a neat, clean white uniform.

Favorite line: I love this quote from the author Michael Spradlin when asked why he included more information about the captain in the afterword. "I think it's important for readers to know the whole story. And my hope, as always when a reader reads one of my historical novels, is that they'll become interested enough in the period to learn more about it. There is so much to be gained by studying history".

Awesome! Comes out this June.

[Matthew Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into the Killing Seas was the first book I read by Micheal P. Spradlin, and I want to read more of his. I read this book because I like realistic fiction books. Realistic fiction books make the reader feel like they are there in the scene. My favorite part of the book was when Patrick, the main character, threw a stick at Stenkivitz, a sailor on the U.S.S Indianapolis that crashed in the sea at the start of the book, like a tomahawk. I think Benny was an interesting character because he chose these specific 2 boys to come with him to get back to the United States. Even though he didn’t do much when they were out at sea, he guided Patrick on mostly everything. I would probably still remember about this book years from now and pass it on from generation to generation. If I could change anything in the book it would probably be the events where they are at sea. Maybe if there was a little more action than just encounters with hostile crew members. I would read this book again because it has such a good storyline and a relationship between Benny and Patrick. If there was someone I would recommend this book to would probably be my grandpa. He knows about the U.S.S Indianapolis so he would probably relate to this book. Overall, I think this book was great because of how well they show how Patrick can take care of Teddy, his brother, in any situation no matter what.

[Serina · Rating 3 out of 5]

My god, this book goes against everything I stand for. However if I just judge it based on the writing and the story for what it is: it's extremely good. Set in the 40s after Pearl Harbor, shows the impact on war to a family. One of the best main characters is Benny who is a marine and takes care of the boys are best he can. The boys are trying to get back to their parents when their ship crashes. They now have to survive at sea with no supplies. A quick read, sure to be a favorite for boys. A stunning surprise at the end that I hope no one spoils for the others!!! Most young people will miss the nuances of patriotism. I'm sure because of my age it strikes at my core. I hate war, because each side feels justified for killing the other. Then you read the afterword and see that people shouldn't be so gung ho to defend their country because of the countries ungratefulness for their sacrifice. I think it will encourage conversation and deeper discussion on the benefits of following orders. I loved the book, but I didn't like that I did.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael P. Spradlinin "Into the Killing Seas" (Scholastic, 2015) on tositapahtumiin perustuva romaani 12- ja 10-vuotiaista veljeksistä, jotka ovat hukanneet vanhempansa toisen maailmansodan syövereihin. Nyt pojat ovat löytäneet auttavan käden, merijalkaväen sotilaan, joka vie heidät salaa USS Indianapolisille saattaakseen perheen jälleen yhteen.

Laiva saa valitettavasti japanilaisen torpedon kylkeensä. Veljekset onnistuvat pelastautumaan pienelle puiselle lautalle pahasti haavoittuneen sotilaan kanssa, mutta keskellä avomerta ovat pelastumisen mahdollisuudet vähäiset. Ja sitten saapuvat hait...

Spradlinilta on joitakin vuosia sitten suomennettu Nuori temppeliherra -trilogia. Käännettäisiipä tämäkin! Vaikka kyseessä ei olekaan mikään maailmankirjallisuuden klassikko ja loppuratkaisu jätti ainakin minut kylmäksi, niin olen siitä huolimatta varma, että tämmöinen lyhyehkö ja jännittävä kirja uppoaisi hyvin niihin kuuluisiin vähän lukeviin esiteinipoikiin.

[Eric Broyles]

A very enjoyable book with good detail and plot. 2 boys and a marine named Benny Poindexter are adrift in the Pacific after being on a US military ship called the Indianapolis. On its way to its destination, a Japanese U-Boat shoots the ship in the communications bay, the ships lists and Patrick, Teddy, and Benny get on a wooden board and sit there afloat for days waiting for help. Do they survive the sharks? Find out.....

[Kyle Welty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was rally good. I was amazed from just all the different exciting parts in the movie. There was a lot of suspense and drama and some of the things in the book where just very surprising. I recommend this book a lot and hope you read it.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast read! Loved it! My middle school kids are going to be all over this! I love it when I can booktalk a good historical fiction. I definitely recommend:)

[Anthony Alvarez]

i think that this book is really good im at the part where the boat is almost there and teddy vomitted 2 times.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Into the Killing Seas
By Maggie Langenohl

The book, “Into the Killing Seas” is about a boy named Patrick who was a stow away on the U.S.S. Indianapolis with his brother, Teddy. Patrick is a brave, twelve year old boy who takes care of his younger brother, Teddy. Teddy is a ten year old boy who cries and whines a lot because he is scared all the time. They are stowed away in a crate by their guardian, Benny, who is a marine soldier who has protected them ever since the war in Guam that they had to flee from. The parents of Teddy and Patrick had left both of them with Benny to keep them safe. Benny promised to eventually bring the kids back safely to them.
When they were on the ship, they felt a big jolt and banged onto one of the walls. They were under attack by the Japanese. They were in a room that could be sealed shut with a hatch. Benny told Patrick to get Teddy and himself out of the room before it blew up because of the bursting pipes. Teddy and Patrick got out with Benny just in time before it blew up. Due to all the damage done to the ship, the ship was going to sink. Many people started jumping off the boats and others just stayed on the ship holding on for dear life while it slowly tipped. Benny told Patrick and Teddy to hold on, but it was too late. Teddy and Patrick crashed into the water. Benny dived in after them.
When they all were in the water, Teddy started having a panic attack. Teddy had problems with staying calm, so he started to cry.
Almost as soon as Teddy started crying, Benny found a pallet floating in the ocean. He had all of them get on it.
All three of them stayed on it for many days, until they faced a greater danger than they had faced yet. Sharks. One brushed up against Patrick's leg. This made Teddy go into another panic attack. Patrick ripped of a piece of wood sticking off the pallet to poke the shark away with. The same thing kept happening. A shark would come, then Patrick would poke it away with help and instruction from Benny. Until one attack, there was a giant shark, that Patrick later nicknamed the Giant, that jumped out of the water and onto the pallet.
The only person that could calm Teddy in these situations was Patrick, but Patrick was getting really annoyed with him crying and Benny saying they were going to get rescued, so he took it all out on the shark. He kept poking the shark with the jagged piece of wood in the eye, until it went away.
This sinking of the ship had been very overwhelming for Patrick. He had watched people get eaten by sharks and seeing the dead bodies floating around in the water. Teddy always crying and Benny always saying that they were going to get rescued. Patrick had lost all belief in them being rescued, until one morning.
Patrick saw a big boat with bright, shiny lights scanning the water for people. Patrick had barely any energy to do anything anymore, so he barely reached out and touched Benny and Teddy to tell them to wake up. When they did, the Marines came off the ship to rescue them.
Patrick woke up in a bed with the sergeant of the marines, who controlled Benny and all the rest of them, standing in the doorway. He asked him where Benny was, but he said Benny wasn’t with Teddy and Patrick. Patrick thought he was lying and told him he was. The sergeant said that had told him to close the hatch on him so that no one else would get injured from it blowing up. Patrick couldn’t believe it. Benny had to be there with them. He helped him and Teddy get through their whole experience. He got so angry at the sergeant had to leave and a nurse came in. She asked what was wrong but, Patrick didn’t want to talk about it. He fell asleep again after the nurse didn't say anything.
He awoke to the sound of familiar voices in the halls. Then two people walked in. At first, he didn’t recognize them, but then he did. It was his parents!
He hugged them and cried. He was seeing his parents again. He told his mom that he took care of Teddy just like she had asked. She was so proud of him. Then, both parents walked over to Teddy’s bed and woke him up. All he said was, “Mama?”.
I like this book a lot. It had action and good characters. It was very realistic and intriguing. I couldn’t put it down! My favorite part was the ending. I would recommend this book to kids ages 10 and up because of the mild violence in it. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars out of interest level.

[Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book about 2 boys on the warcraft call the indianapolis stowaway to take an unforgetting ride to the philipines to try and find their parents. When the family was living in the philippines the japanese started to attack. The parents decided to ship the kids to a place far away. The parents found a sick nun who was going to fly to an island to get medical help. The mother of the family begged and begged the nun to let the boys fly with her. Eventually the nun caved and the plane could only fit the nun and the boys. when the plane landed in guam to refuel the japanese attacked. the nun told the boys to run to the jungle. when they were running the nun got shot. The boys would go on to live with the native tribes who got pushed into the jungle too. eventually the navy attack this island and regained its position. when they did they met a marine named Benny. This person played a key role in the survival later on in the story. Teddy and patrick hear some chatter that the USS Indianapolis was going to attach the philippines. Patrick (The older of the brothers) and teddy (The younger brother) decide to have benny help they sneak onto the boat and help them get to the philippines. enny constructs a 6 foot long 4 foot wide and 4 foot tall crate. he said that no one will go looking for people if it is stamped with ammunition on the side of it. A few days before the ship would land a missile would hit the USS indianapolis right in the communications part of the ship. Benny, Patrick, and Teddy would take the top of the crate that pat, and teddy were living in, throw it into the water and jump in after it. This platform would go on to save their lives when sharks, and dehydration hit.

[Matthew B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into the Killing Seas, by Michael P. Spradlin, is about two kids, Patrick and Teddy, who were separated from their parents during World War II and were aboard the U.S.S. Indianapolis. While they were on, the ship was shot by Japanese torpedoes and sunk the boat. Holding onto only debris, Patrick, Teddy, and Benny, a marine who helped them get on the ship, need to survive in the ocean for a long period of time. Food and water become a problem, but their biggest problem isn't any of that, it is under the water...

The plot of the book was very action packed and had a ton of suspense. The characters in the book are true warriors, do be at the age of Patrick, and especially Teddy, and do what they did is incredible. Patrick was the main character in the book and made the readers think what he was thinking with the selection of words and tone the author used. Tyler was more of a shy character and helped Patrick and Benny, but didn't make much of a substantial difference. Finally, Benny was like a father figure, He made the decisions for the group and helped them all survive. The author did a really good job setting the plot of the story, and building off an actual event during World War II.

I rated this book 4/5 stars because I really liked it. The book carried a ton of suspense, action, events, and just made you think about the situation the characters were going through. It usually made you feel that you were in the book which was a good reason why I rated it so high, but the only reason why I didn't put this book 5 stars is because it wasn't the absolute best book in my opinion. It is very picky to find books I like so since I liked this book, I put it at the rating I did.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most gripping middle-grade novels I have ever read! I assigned this book to some of my students and decided to read it so that I could help them. It has been a while since I've picked up a book to read on my own time, and I could NOT put this one down! I read the whole thing in a day!

The sinking of the USS Indianapolis is one of the most harrowing war-time tales and this story tackled the intensity of the event beautifully. The author took care to stick as closely to the facts of the event as is possible in a work of fiction, which made the story raw and believable. The fictional characters were relatable and lovable and you found yourself truly rooting for them throughout the entire story. There is an incredible plot twist at the end of the book that brings so much more emotion forward from the reader. The entire story is filled with so much action and intensity that you feel yourself holding your breath as you rush through the pages.

I highly recommend this book for those interested in history, studying WWII, or who love action and survival tales. The book does not include and foul language or inappropriate content, but it is quite frightening - so I would not necessarily recommend for young readers. This book would be perfect for middle schoolers or reluctant high-school readers during historical fiction units!

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Into The Killing Seas by Micheal P. Spradlin there are two kids named Patrick and Teddy who have a dream of getting on one of the U.S Navy's finest ships, The USS Indianapolis and sail across the sea. They come up with a plan to get into a shipping crate with the necessities such as food and water and get loaded onto the ship. Later after they got on the Indianapolis, they enjoy being on the ship and they are happy that they got on, but that all ends when a Japanese torpedo strikes the side of the ship. The Indianapolis starts heeling over and people start to jump of and slid down the sides into the water. They find a wood pallet that floats and get on it with some struggles on the way as in one of them get pulled under that water by the suction of the ship. After they both get aboard the pallet they smoothly sail through the vast ocean with minor injuries. But they dont realize through all that they forgot about the sharks which will play a big problem in the book. Later in the book they wake up in a hosptal with no means of how they got there or even where they are.
I recommend this book to those who like thrills in a book book because you can really feel their fear and emotions which really gets you involved in the book.

[Emma Atkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning two young boys find a friend who is an army guy and they travel the seas with him. They are trying to get home to the Philippines. They climb aboard a boat as stowaways. Then the Japanese attack the ship with torpedoes and the boys are stranded on a piece of plywood and have to survive in the reckless ocean. But when they think nothing could get any worse, it does. Sharks come and there are tons of them and they are circling them. When the sharks leave so does a team member...
Their are two characters in particular that are very different. That is Benny and Teddy. Benny is a army guy and he is super tough and is a great leader. Teddy on the other hand is very dependent and needs help from his brother all the time.
I liked this book because it has lots of adventure in it. It is a book that I probably wouldn't read. In fact, the reason I read it was because it was $2.50 at my brother's book fair. I am glad that I read it though. I disliked it because it was a book that had a weird idea. I would recommend this book to someone that liked adventure.

[Jake Ignatowicz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had originally bought this book in a book fair in elementary school, and had never read it until right now. This book was so repetitive and bland, it made me think the author would write something and then immediately forget they had just wrote it, then wrote it again. It had great potential as a story, and was just absolutely squandered. Very disappointing to see! I give this piece of garbage book 1.5 stars for the historical aspect of it and nothing else.

Edit: forgot to mention that the author doesn’t swear in this book to a fault, because after every eventful scene they cop out and say “he swore a lot” which seems harmless, but after 20 times it gets to be annoying as heck! The main character is annoying and you can never get behind his actions or thoughts, and the plot twist was stupid, contrived, and been done a million times before. Save your time and read something else.

[Emma B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into the Killing Seas was a really good book and I definitely recommend it. I have never read a book about this topic before and it was very interesting. This was also a very quick book to read so I really recommend it if you are looking for something fast to read or if you don't know what to read. I have also never heard of this author before but he has written a few other books too that look very interesting. This would be a good book for people who like books about WW2 or people who like very intense, good books. This book had very good descriptive details of what was happening in the book and that was something I liked about it and it really explained and put you in the perspective of the characters in the book and what was happening and what they were going through.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very shocking to me all the things that these characters went through is just very sad and amazing.This book made me feel like i could read it again,it's just an amazing book.It's filled with a lot of action and this book is able to make me visualize it in my head.I also like this book because right away in the beginning of the book it starts off very interesting then in the middle of the book it gets very intense in the last part is very interesting then it turns to a sad book.The author of "Into The Killing seas" by Michael P. Spradlin.My favorite park of the book was the ending it was just a great ending.