Hideout

by Watt Key

In this riveting middle-grade adventure from Watt Key, the son of a Mississippi policeman finds a boy living on his own in the wilderness.

Twelve-year-old Sam has been given a fishing boat by his father, but he hates fishing. Instead he uses the boat to disappear for hours at a time, exploring the forbidden swampy surroundings of his bayou home. Then he discovers a strange kid named Davey, mysteriously alone, repairing an abandoned cabin deep in the woods. Not fooled by the boy’s evasive explanation as to why he’s on his own, Sam becomes entangled in his own efforts to help Davey.

But this leads him to telling small lies that only get bigger as the danger increases for both boys and hidden truths become harder to conceal.

From the author of Alabama Moon , Hideout is complex tale of friendship, kindness, and dangerous secrets.

This title has Common Core connections.

Praise for Hideout :

"A compelling read that will keep a tween audience burning the flashlight batteries late into the night.” ― The Bulletin

“In the tradition of Gary Paulsen’s survival tales . . . short chapters filled with action and adventure keep the pacing taut and will entice reluctant readers . . . A good pick for action/adventure fans.” ― School Library Journal

“It's man versus nature as well as man versus man in this tale that will have strong appeal to Key's fans and adventure lovers.” ― Kirkus Reviews

“An exciting adventure set in Mississippi’s Pascagoula River marshlands . . . The boys’ survivalist adventures in the swamps are suspenseful, [with a] reassuring ending.” ― Booklist

Praise for Watt Key :

“Excellent. A terrific choice for reluctant readers.” ― Booklist , starred review

“An unusual coming-of-age story.” ― The New York Times Book Review

Genres: Adventure, Mystery, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Survival, Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2017

Reviews

[Liz Friend · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story: Sam hates remembering getting beat up in front of the whole school, so he's taken to cruising the bayou by himself in his fishing boat. When he meets Davey, a kid his age who's hiding out in the swamp all alone, Sam worries about him, even though it's obvious Davey isn't telling the truth about why he's out there. Sam wants to help--but helping means lying to his parents and friends. What he doesn't realize is that helping Davey is also going to put both of them in mortal danger.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (abusive foster parents; family life of crime) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Hand this one to boys looking for an adventure story in an unusual location. I liked Key's "Terror at Bottle Creek" better, but if you can get over the dumbness of a kid thinking he can fix everything in a truly dangerous situation by himself without getting adult help, this one is good too. (And luckily, the grown-ups do show up to facilitate a happy ending.)

[Eyehavenofilter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes this is a YA book, a bit predictable, but it's hellishly good, and I'd highly recommend it to any kid who needs a good book to read, if they ever feel like they are on the outside looking in.
Sam, the new kid, is just enough of a square peg forced into a round hole. With a cop as a father, everyone thinks he's a rat.
He strikes out on his own, into the swap searching for a way to make his mark.
He meets another outcast, and hopefully a friend, that's where things go wrong. It's just spooky enough to hold your attention, enough twists and turns to make you wonder, who's playing who, and if it will all go terribly wrong, and will it end up with more than one dead body hidden out there in the swap.

[♡Kayla♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute story about friendship and secrets. <3

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Watt Key's writing! It draws you in from the very first page and does.not.let.you.go until the very last. Intricate characters and a heart pumping plot line, set amongst the eerily dark and tangled swamps of the deep south will keep even the most resistant reader turning the pages of his newest novel. I would love to read this one aloud!

[McCaid Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watt key has done it again! This was a great suspenseful and emotional read.
Hideout is a mystery with several twists (one I saw coming a mile away but felt it was definitely needed) and was also a drama.
I loved the characters and the problems they each had. Watt Key always does a good job developing his characters and I'm always left feeling sad when one of his book ends. I don't want the characters to go!
The only complaint I have was that I wish one part hadn't of been left abandoned. It would have made for another suspenseful, nail-biting chapter/chapters. (The part where the MC was supposed to deliver the drugs)
But apart from that and the predictable twist, this novel definitely packed a punch. Watt Key really nailed the suspense and the emotions in this one. The drama between the MC and Grover was a great side plot. I will definitely be picking up Watt Key's next book, Deep Water!

[Rachel Rooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 2019-2020 Missouri Truman Readers Award preliminary nominee (grades 6-8).

After a bad bullying incident at school, Sam is feeling off-balance. When his dad gives him a fishing boat, Sam uses it to explore the nearby waterways. He befriends a mysterious boy and gets in over his head, although his heart is in the right place.

I really enjoyed this book. It is an action/adventure title. I liked that it wasn't just boy versus nature, like Key's previous book, but had more characters and story to it.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watt Key has become my new "favorite author, "especially for struggling, reluctant readers. This isn't a Sunshine State Reader, but Watt Key has had two books on that list, and therefore I began to read more books by him. In Hideout Sam takes his new fishing boat out, but not for fishing. Something happened at school that stripped him of his dignity, and his friendship with his only friend. He decides he wants to show his father, the police chief, and he himself that he is brave. He begins to explore the bayou for a dead body. Instead of a dead body, he finds a young boy, Davey, who is trying to survive out in the swamp on his own. With supplies, he filches from home, and a few lies that grow bigger with each tale, Sam finds himself wrapped up in more trouble than he bargained for. His friendship with Davey stays strong, but it is not easy.
This book is a great survival book, good relationships between parents and child, and also between friend and friend.

[Baige · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a perfect book for my classroom library. I struggle to find books that are readable and enjoyable for middle school boys who don't love reading and have already read Hatchet--this is perfect for them.

[Hope Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of the book that I read was "Hideout", by Watt Key. The genre of this book is mystery and it is about a boy named Sam. He has just gotten a boat and he likes taking it out on the delta...although he has a secret that no one knows. This book was about finding new friends and accomplishing your goals.

At the beginning of the book, Sam is explaining why he wants to find a dead body in the swamp and he is telling us what the officials found. In this case it was a boat streaked with blood...but the body was not with it. Sam also introduces the idea of a fight that he and his best friend, Grover, were in at school. They got beat up because the kids thought that they were "nerds". He goes out looking for the body because he believes that it will make him cool but instead of finding it, he finds a boy named Davey. Davey was by himself and was fixing up an abandoned swamp camp. He says that his father and his brother, Slade, are coming to get him. Sam gets entangled with this boy and his many mysteries and before you know it, he's lying to his parents. During the middle of the book, Sam starts to stay the night at the swamp house. Some mysterious things happen and Sam gets curious. He finds a trail in the woods but decides not to follow it because of some things that Davey told him that don't particularly add up. Davey tries to give Sam a bag of money but he doesn't accept it because he thinks that its from a robbery of a fish market. He then gets in a fight with his "ex best friend", Grover and ends up going back to the swamp. He doesn't know it but this time he'll have to stay there. Around the end of the book, Davey's step-brother Slade shows up but Davey's dad wasn't with him. Sam ends up following them down the trail and finds that they are selling and harvesting drugs. He says he's going to turn them in but they take something from his boat so that it doesn't work and he can't get away. He and one of Slade's friends, Jessie, run away and try to get away but before long they catch up with them. They run into the woods after wrecking the boat and stumble over something as they run. It turns out to be the dead body that Sam was looking for...but it also turns out to be something else. It was Davey's father. Sam decides to let Jessie get away but he doesn't go with him. Sam says that he has to go back and tell Davey about his father. When Sam gets back to the camp and tells Davey, he runs away and Sam follows. They get lost but then find their way out. Everything ends up being fine when they get to Sam's house. Sam patches things up with Grover and Davey gets a new home.

My favorite part of this book was when Sam and Davey get to go home. They were so happy and they become really good friends. Davey gets his home that he never had and is more happy than ever. He gets a dog, gets to go to school, and even gets some new friends.

I feel like this was a really good book overall and I gave it a 4 star rating because it reflects everything that can happen in your life, good and bad changes. The author portrayed the characters very well and everything was written nicely. 4/5

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a YA book that is geared toward a younger audience, this is a great book with adventure. It's about a 12 year old boy named Sam (whose house is on a creek) who got a boat (Bream Chaser) for his birthday. He takes his boat out on adventures, going farther up the swamp than he should, to find old fishing camps. He encounters a boy, Davey, living in one of the abandoned camps. Davey is all alone, waiting for his dad and brother to show up. Sam ends up befriending Davey, helps him fix up the camp, brings him food and eventually spends the night! Soon after, Davey's brother shows up with friends and a load of trouble! Sam is torn between helping his friend Davey and just forgetting that he is out in the camp. In the end, Sam does the right thing and helps Davey out of a tough situation.

[Kaedin H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a really good book.

[Julia Hall]

This book has mystery, survival, adventure, and some touching family relationships! I loved it!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Hideout” was a surprising title for me. I really enjoyed the storyline and it is pretty believable. There are a few things worth mentioning; Davy is a very neglected boy. He describes the abuse he endured at the hands of his foster father, things like his foster father pressing his hands under the armpits and getting sprayed in the eyes with Febreeze. There is some swearing and some intense moments with Davy’s stepbrother who grows marijuana.

Found in L4M OT Volume 130.

[Ashley Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great outdoor adventure book with enough suspense to keep you turning the pages. I liked the dynamic between Sam and Davey and the problems they were both facing. You really start to feel for both characters.

[Kathryn Rupp]

The book Hideout by Watt Key is a great and easy read for anyone looking for a suspenseful and outdoorsy book. Hideout is about a young boy (Sam) that was out on his boat and came across an abandoned camp and a boy Davey. Sam decides to help Davey out till his brother and dad come back. There is a lot of imagery in the book which helps readers understand the story more and be able to make connections with the book. Hideout also has good examples of friendship and getting over your fears. This was my first book by Watt Key and I highly recommend this book to anybody looking for their next good read. Overall Hideout was enjoyable and is a good read for anybody looking for an outdoor mystery.

[Ms. B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story about Sam who finds Davey, a boy living alone in the Mississippi swamps is the perfect mix of mystery and adventure. I loved

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

you can hide but never run

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why I put off reading this one for so long. It was a page turner. The boys will love it. A great read for those who love the outdoors!

[Ben "10" Macgill · Rating 5 out of 5]

pretty good book!

[Kathy Fiedler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic author! A great read. Lots of adventures!

[Beth Lasley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to my 5th grade students and they loved it. There are many curse words, so I had to edit as I read. I loved how there was action in each chapter, and it left my students crying for the next chapter since most of them end in a slight cliffhanger. The ending is sweet and leaves you happy. A tale of family and friends. This is a Charlie May Simon 2019/2020 book nomination. My students have to read three of the nominations and vote for their favorite.

[Scott Fillner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book has ALL the emotions. It is an intense story. It rips your heart out one minute and is filling it the next minute. Watt Key has the ability to draw you in from the opening sentence and keep you until that final punctuation.

If you haven't yet, I absolutely recommend that you read this and other books by Watt Key.

[Crowinator · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars.

[Myra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, this book!!! Loved that it spoke in depth about the beauty that is in the southern swampy landscape and a boy's love of exploring his surroundings.

[Robby Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robby Wheeler

(Possible spoiler alert)

Summary: My book “Hideout” and my book is about a boy named Sam who went to an abandoned creek to look for a dead body but while he was looking he found a boy there named Davey, Sam and Davey became friends and Sam started going there a lot just to visit Davey but Sam’s parents didn’t know about Davey, but Sam and Davey have dangerous secrets they don’t know about each other. This happened in the bayous of Pascagoula Mississippi.

Characters: In the book Sam is the main character and his actions are dynamic because before he met a boy named Davey he was weak and was scared about a lot of things and when Davey and Sam got into an intense battle with Davey’s brother Slade Sam was more brave because he didn’t want Davey to know that sam was always scared of things but Sam did change a lot because he was more brave about things then before. Davey is a 12 year old boy and he had crew cut hair and glasses. Sam has a friend named Grover and Grover is a fat redhead kid that is really rich though his dad is a surgeon and his mom is always busy with her job, the only person that is around the house. Sam met an officer named Jim and he’s a pascagoula marine police. Jim grew up in Biolx, after highschool he joined the army and served two hours in iraq. He received an honorable discharge in his late twenties, came home, enrolled at the police academy, and became a marine police man. He’d been a law enforcement officer in Pascagoula ever since, except for two years when he’d lived in Houston, Texas. Jim had a son that died from a brain tumor.


Themes and Messages: Sam went to go looking for a dead body in the Bayous of pascagoula Mississippi but while he was looking for the dead body he ran into a boy named Davey, and Davey was at the camp alone for a week because his dad and brother went somewhere. Davey’s dad and brother built the camp 5 years ago and it was theirs before the government took it away from them. Sam has been going to the camp to help Davey and try to rebuild it but Sam’s dad and mom don’t know anything about the camp because Sam tells them he’s going to Grover’s but he’s actually going to see Davey. Later on in the book there was an incident where Davey’s brother Slade came back to the camp with two of his friends and Slade was planting marijuana farther down from the camp that Davey had no idea about. This affect’s Sam because he had been lying to his parents about everything and one of Davey’s friends Jesse went to Sam’s house to get Sam’s dad because his dad is the chief. Sam and Davey were swimming for about a half an hour running from Slade, when Sam and Davey finally reached land they saw a boat and it was Sam’s dad, Sam’s dad was really happy to see Sam and wasn’t mad at him at all. Later on Officer Jim arrested Slade.




Personal Reflection: What I liked about my book is that Sam was weak and scared before he met Davey, but after he met Davey he became more brave and not so scared because he wanted to be a good role model for Davey, but I don’t dislike anything about my book because I thought it was really good. The book didn’t make me laugh or sad, and it also didn’t make me challenge my point of view.


Recommendation:This book would be good for other people to whoever likes mystery action books and what happens in the end. This book would also be good for people who love knowing about mysterious things all the time and a big plot twist during the book. This book isn’t all about action though it has some peaceful parts in some of the chapters and little conversations about their life. I would recommend this book because if some people really like mystery action books then this could be one of their new favorite ones.


Real-World Connection: This book could affect other people’s lives because you never know if something relatable like the book actually happened to someone in real life. If something did happen to someone that related to the book then the people would probably be really scared and not so brave like in the book. This reflects in today's world because if someone were ever to be in a relatable situation they would be more scared and not so brave like the book because if it actually happened in the real world people would be more in a sticky situation and not might be able to know what to do like what Sam and Davey did in the book.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The name of the book I read is Hideout by Watt Key. The theme of the book is secrets are not always good to keep. The reason this is the theme is because Sam fins Davey in the swamp and starts lying to his parents about it. He ends up getting in the midst of something terrible. He can’t get help because of all the secrets he has.

Sam had recently been very badly beaten up. He had been trying to get his mind off it by taking his book out for rides in the swamp. Sam and his best friend Grover are in a feud because Sam is mad at him for being a loser. So he decides to stop hanging out with him. He finds Davey, who is a kid hiding out in the swamp waiting for his Dad and brother. Sam quickly realizes how strange this is but he decides to keep going back to Davey’s destroyed house. All the secrets Davey has and the ones Sam is keeping from his parents make this book a good mystery. It is unsure to Davey and Sam if Davey’s family is going to come, making the rest of the plot filled with plot twists and surprises.

I think Hideout was a very well written book. At first I had second thoughts about reading it but those quickly went away. Because the plot became very mysterious and action packed and always kept you thinking. For example, the author makes you believe Davey’s family will never come but his brother does come. This quickly makes the plot action filled and fast, as Slade, the brother does some very illegal stuff getting Sam into the mix. To add more to the plot Sam’s dad is a police officer so when Sam gets in trouble with Slade his dad rescues him and takes Slade to jail. I also like how the book doesn’t just stop after Sam is rescued and Slade is caught. It goes on to show how each of the boys did throughout the summer, which is a nice way to wrap up the book because, you get to know how the action filled journey came to a calm end. The calm end is very settling as Davey gets adopted and Sam, Grover, and Davey become great friends.

This book is great for people who like to feel a connection to the characters. Throughout the story you see what the characters go through and hide and it draws you to them. It is also great for people who love a mystery and like to keep flipping the page because all the secrets the characters keep, makes it a huge action packed mystery novel. Finally people who like wholesome endings would like this because the character all end in a good place.

[Seneca S · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I am doing for this book review is called Hideout by Watt Key. This book is about this kid named Davey, he is the only child. His mom doesn’t work and his dad is a police officer and his dad loves to take Sam fishing in the summers and so Sam went out to go fishing by himself until he sees a little old house by the swamp, this kid pops up that's younger than him and tell him how he gets there, his name is Davey, he wonders why he it out there alone and Davey tells him that his step brother and his dad got into jail and they said that they will be back and meet him there. Davey has been waiting for them for 2 weeks and they haven’t came so Sam said that he will be back with food until when he got home his dad and his friend thats also a police officer said that there's a dead body and its missing so Sam just forgets about it and his other friend, Grover that loves to play video games is wondering what's happening and all that, soon Sam and Grover get into a fight and they don’t talk while other hand Sam is helping Davey. Couple days after Davey’s step brother shows up and says lets go but Davey doesn’t wanna go so he tells Sam to get out of here and they get into an argument to where Sam and his dad try to get Davey away from Slade but he doesn’t so they try to find him and then Sam comes across a dead body which seems like it’s Davey and Slades dad. They catch Slade and everything is fine until Davey doesn’t have a family so officer Stockton and Mrs. Stockton adopt him and Sam and Grover makeup.

One of the things the author does to affect me was when Davey’s brother stole Sam’s boat. “He took my boat.” “He left with the money where you could find it.” Another that affected me was when Davey was gonna get adopted by officer Stockton and Mrs.Stockton. It happened on page 308, it says “Even after Davey moved in with officer Stockton and Mrs.Stockton.”

I really recommend this book because it has a little bit of mystery and it seems like your inside the book. It is really easy to read, that’s what I like about it. I really loved the ending, at first I thought Davey was gonna live with Sam and his parents, but he got adopted by the Stockton family. My favorite part in the book is when Sam found Davey stranded in the river in this mini house, I liked how they met.

[HAILYN]

Hideout by Watt Key, lexile- 630. It's about a young boy named Sam. He lives by a river that is rumored to have a dead body within it. While searching for this body he comes across a worn out cabin, in the woods. There was this mysterious boy named Davey that was fixing it up. Even though Sam was skeptical of Davey and how his story wasn't quite adding up, Sam and Davey quickly became friends. Sam would supply Davey with the essentials he needed to survive, but Sam couldn't tell anyone he was out there. Soon enough Sam and Davey are in some deep, deep trouble.

The whole plot of this book really took place more at the end, because it all just came together towards the end. “I hope they take me places like this”. Davey is looking for a foster home to live at and wants the same experiences of Sam, because he never got any of those kinds of experiences. “ there wasn't a single boy our age who could have walked into Grover's house and not been envious… he bought grover anything he wanted, remote control planes, and guns, and fishing rods, two Ipads and a macbook, he even had a boat, a brand new boston whaler, that he'd never used.” So I think the theme could be- Be grateful for what you have because someone else might not get those things.

Hideout isn't a book I would normally read, but it wasn't bad. It was pretty climatic because so many things happened that I would not have guessed were going to happen. I would say if you like mysteries this is the kind of book you should read. It wasn't my favorite book just because the things that happened were not realistic at all. It wasn't confusing to read just because it was told by the same person the whole book. The ending was a little weird and happened super fast, like all in the same chapter. But I do think that this author is good and I want to read another book of his, maybe a more realistic one though.

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review
Hideout by Wyatt key
Hideout is an engaging book that you can’t stop flipping the pages to. It is filled with suspense but it is also heartwarming. It starts off with a twelve-year-old boy named Sam Ford. Sam has been beaten badly by two bullies at his new middle school. When Sam gets bullied he blames his only friend nerdy, Grover. His dad is a chief of police of Pascagoula. Sam had been given a fishing boat for his 13th birthday by his father, but he hates fishing. Instead, he uses the boat to travel and find a dead body that rescues hasn’t been able to find.
He one day decides to explore the forbidden swampy surrounding Gulf Shore. He there meets Davey. Davey was alone and repairing an abandoned cabin. Sam decides to help Davey build the cabin and asks him questions about why he is there by himself, where are his parents, how long has he been there for, etc. At the end of the story, Sam and Davey become really good friends.
I really enjoyed the characters, for many reasons. A few reasons are that they were sweet, realistic, and unique. Sam is caring, loving, and helpful. He helped his dad, Davey, and his friend Grover with their situations and he still had his to deal with. I also find the dialogue intriguing because it’s believable unlike some books where they talk in some sort of way that nobody speaks, And lastly, I loved the tone it was pretty dark but also light at some points. I like dark stories so if you’re more of an always happy never negative then this book isn’t for you.

[Riley]

Davey was smiling to himself and Sam could tell he was happy but wished he could have known what Davey was thinking. Sam and Davey did not know a whole lot about each other as soon as they met so they did not talk to each other like two best friends would. They were more quiet unless something happened or they wanted to do something. As Davey was sitting there with a smile on his face he looked mischievous. Sam was just admiring the smile wishing he knew what Davey was thinking.
Sam has found a new friend and can now forget about the fight that had happened. Sam has gone through a lot with the whole fight and wants to stop being friends with his best friend. Davey's family is not the best people and could get Sam into a lot of trouble.
Sam helps Davey and helps him stay safe. One thing that should have happened is Sam should have told his dad about this whole thing a long time ago. Sam could have gotten into serious harm. Davey's brother was bossing Sam around and since his dad is a cop he should have put Davey's brother Slade in his place. Sam should have gotten Slade arrested for doing the stuff he did. I recommend this book. It was a very interesting book and pulled me in from the start. If you like mystery and survival books this one's for you.