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Overboard
One moment of rashness, and fourteen-year-old Emily Slake finds herself amid hundreds of panicked and drowning people in the dark ocean waters off Sumatra. Miles from shore without a life vest, she resolves to survive. But in facing the dangers of the ocean, the desperation of her fellow survivors, and her own growing exhaustion, Emily must summon wits and endurance she's not sure she has.
Striking out on her own, Emily encounters Isman, a frightened young Muslim boy, floating in a life vest. Together they swim for their lives, relying on Emily's physical strength and Isman's quiet faith.
Based on a true story, Overboard is both a riveting tale of survival and a sensitive portrayal of cross-cultural understanding in a time of crisis.
Striking out on her own, Emily encounters Isman, a frightened young Muslim boy, floating in a life vest. Together they swim for their lives, relying on Emily's physical strength and Isman's quiet faith.
Based on a true story, Overboard is both a riveting tale of survival and a sensitive portrayal of cross-cultural understanding in a time of crisis.
158 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
23 people are currently reading
1080 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Fama
9 books410 followersElizabeth Fama is the author of Plus One (FSG, 2014), Monstrous Beauty (FSG, 2012), a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection and Odyssey Award honor winner, and Overboard (Cricket Books, 2002), an ALA Best Books for Young Adults.
(You're absolutely welcome to follow me on Goodreads, but I'm more of a lurker here than a participant.)
(You're absolutely welcome to follow me on Goodreads, but I'm more of a lurker here than a participant.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
August 5, 2015
I was riveted to this little book! I connected immediately to 14 year old Emily, stuck in Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra with her doctor parents. Although she tries to fit in, Emily is lonely and desperate for her home and friends in Boston. Angry and upset over something that went wrong at the clinic, Emily takes a ferry to visit her Uncle Matt on the small island of Weh, without telling her parents. She's sure she'll arrive in plenty of time for Matt to phone her mom and dad before they're done with work for the day. But mid crossing the overloaded, patched boat sinks and Emily and hundreds of passengers are thrown into the ocean as its getting dark. Without a life jacket, Emily fights to stay alive, swimming through the night and waiting for rescue boats that don't seem to ever come.
Overboard is less than 200 pages but manages to be both heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. I was glued to Emily's story as she fights with the ocean and sometimes other people and must keep swimming or die. I also got a flavor of life in this part of the world and the dangers of ferry travel. Many of these people couldn't swim and were loaded down with heavy clothing, and they didn't have much of a chance, women and children even less. I especially loved Isman, the boy Emily finds in the ocean, and the way they support each other. I did wish for a little more at the end. But this is definitely recommended.
Full review to come
Love triangle factor: N/A no romance
Cliffhanger Scale: standalone
Overboard is less than 200 pages but manages to be both heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. I was glued to Emily's story as she fights with the ocean and sometimes other people and must keep swimming or die. I also got a flavor of life in this part of the world and the dangers of ferry travel. Many of these people couldn't swim and were loaded down with heavy clothing, and they didn't have much of a chance, women and children even less. I especially loved Isman, the boy Emily finds in the ocean, and the way they support each other. I did wish for a little more at the end. But this is definitely recommended.
Full review to come
Love triangle factor: N/A no romance
Cliffhanger Scale: standalone
July 29, 2015
Normally, Overboard is not a book that I would pick up. But since I got the book, I thought, why not read it? It has less than 200 pages after all. And upon opening the book, I was surprised that it was actually signed! Aren't I just lucky.
To be honest, this book is not my taste so I didn't really enjoy it as much as I would want to. But taste aside, I have to admit that it was a pretty good book. It's my fault that I wasn't able to get into it, not the book's nor the author's fault.
Overboard is different than any other book I've ever read. It's about a sinking ship and helping each other to survive. In some ways, it's also about fate and faith. It's about friendship and not giving up. It's about the difference between being positive and being realistic.
It was scary in a way that it was too real. It already happened, so what's preventing the same thing from happening to anyone? It really made me think and somehow it also made me a bit uneasy, thinking over that fact.
Overboard was a quick and gripping read. It had my heart racing and I really connected with the main character. It was only when I finished reading that I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. This one is definitely a unique and interesting read. It's not for me, but I still recommend it.
To be honest, this book is not my taste so I didn't really enjoy it as much as I would want to. But taste aside, I have to admit that it was a pretty good book. It's my fault that I wasn't able to get into it, not the book's nor the author's fault.
Overboard is different than any other book I've ever read. It's about a sinking ship and helping each other to survive. In some ways, it's also about fate and faith. It's about friendship and not giving up. It's about the difference between being positive and being realistic.
It was scary in a way that it was too real. It already happened, so what's preventing the same thing from happening to anyone? It really made me think and somehow it also made me a bit uneasy, thinking over that fact.
Overboard was a quick and gripping read. It had my heart racing and I really connected with the main character. It was only when I finished reading that I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. This one is definitely a unique and interesting read. It's not for me, but I still recommend it.
August 4, 2015
Elizabeth Fama’s books have made me terrified, flabbergasted, swoon, happy, and amazed. But never pensive like this. Overboard is a well-realised tale of the ugliness and the untimeliness of life.
Overboard is set in Indonesia and for once, it was refreshing not to read anything Westernised or so modern. I could identify with what Fama was describing because the Indonesian culture doesn’t differ that much of those from us here in the Philippines. I’m happy that Fama presented nothing but the truth of this world.
Seeing through Emily Slake’s eyes was a wholly illuminating experience for me. She’s a foreigner in this nation and it was fascinating to read about her honest observations. Everything from the poverty to religion to racial discrimination. Another point for Fama here.
And then there’s the sinking ferry. I only know of survival stories in TV shows and films so I was curious as to how this is going to turn out in book form. Let me tell you, it was as gripping and emotional to read as it is to watching it. You could really feel for Emily and her mission to survive afloat this vast and dark sea.
Despite being short, Fama still managed to deliver a heartbreaking and rousing story. I hope more people get a chance to read this beautiful body of work.
Overboard is set in Indonesia and for once, it was refreshing not to read anything Westernised or so modern. I could identify with what Fama was describing because the Indonesian culture doesn’t differ that much of those from us here in the Philippines. I’m happy that Fama presented nothing but the truth of this world.
Seeing through Emily Slake’s eyes was a wholly illuminating experience for me. She’s a foreigner in this nation and it was fascinating to read about her honest observations. Everything from the poverty to religion to racial discrimination. Another point for Fama here.
And then there’s the sinking ferry. I only know of survival stories in TV shows and films so I was curious as to how this is going to turn out in book form. Let me tell you, it was as gripping and emotional to read as it is to watching it. You could really feel for Emily and her mission to survive afloat this vast and dark sea.
Despite being short, Fama still managed to deliver a heartbreaking and rousing story. I hope more people get a chance to read this beautiful body of work.
June 4, 2019
I definitely was intrigued by this book. It caught me by surprise. I enjoyed the mystery and always being on the edge of my seat while reading. This is certainly for someone into drama. The books is written by the same author as Hatchet and it has many of the same characteristics as that book did.
April 26, 2024
When you get past the beginning and the whiney teenager, the rest of the book is pretty good.
August 4, 2015
If a book has left me in a rollercoaster of feelings, it would have to be this book. Filled with values and morals, Overboard just threw me off into an abyss of feelings, where I am now dysfunctional because it is just so good.
Overboard tells the story of a fourteen-year old girl, Emily, forced to live in Indonesia because her parents work as volunteer doctors. She does not like being the odd one out among the dark skinned people while her pale white skin and blonde hair gets paraded on by people. She is tired of her parents not understanding her feelings and her frustrations, and when a tragic incident happens in a hospital, Emily then decides to leave and travel to the island of Weh where she is to meet her Uncle Matt. Lo and behold more tragedy strikes and Emily's determination and even her faith is challenged.
This book was a slow read for me at first, even though it is quite short. It just narrates the near-death experience of a girl, swimming for her life but then it gets exciting. Forces of nature come into the picture, making it seem like a difficult conquest. I swear, turning every page, I expected some tragedy to happen, because it seemed inevitable. It made me sad. And when there were times that I almost thought that everything was gonna be alright with the world, dun dun dun, more plot twist. It definitely reminded me of reading and watching The Life of Pi.
My infuriating feelings for this book are totally good, because it is thrilling, without being too boring. Elements of faith and religion also makes its way into the story, introducing the character of Isman. Emily however, was a homerun character for me. Though at the beginning, I found her rather annoying with all her qualms, which were perfectly normal for a 14 year old. I just might be getting old. But her perseverance towards the tragedy and staying alive is admirable and uncanny for someone of such a young age.
Not much can be drawn out from characters throughout this novel, because it is very short and it only focuses on the struggles of that particular situation, however, the descriptions and the way that the scenes were written, left me gripping my book. There was this one moment in the book where I had to completely curse out loud and scream at the book, It's just so good.
Though not entirely YA, it is labeled YA by Cricket Books, but to me it seems to fall in the middle grade category, however, it is as relevant as any book out there right now.
Elizabeth Fama just delivers. I've read Plus One and you know how much I completely adored and loved that book. I would die for a sequel of that book, you hear. It's that beautiful. You need to read it!
A drawback to my feelings for this book is how the end didn't seem to reassure me, which a lot of books do. And I guess, Elizabeth's books have a way of doing it to me most of the time. I feel like there could've been some rough patches fixed up in terms of the characters. It was open-ended, which is good too, but I expected a bit of a closure.
Overall, Overboard delivers on the emotion, the writing, the wit, the drama, the thrill and everything you need in a book, rolled into one little parcel. It's very good and I truly recommend it!
Overboard tells the story of a fourteen-year old girl, Emily, forced to live in Indonesia because her parents work as volunteer doctors. She does not like being the odd one out among the dark skinned people while her pale white skin and blonde hair gets paraded on by people. She is tired of her parents not understanding her feelings and her frustrations, and when a tragic incident happens in a hospital, Emily then decides to leave and travel to the island of Weh where she is to meet her Uncle Matt. Lo and behold more tragedy strikes and Emily's determination and even her faith is challenged.
This book was a slow read for me at first, even though it is quite short. It just narrates the near-death experience of a girl, swimming for her life but then it gets exciting. Forces of nature come into the picture, making it seem like a difficult conquest. I swear, turning every page, I expected some tragedy to happen, because it seemed inevitable. It made me sad. And when there were times that I almost thought that everything was gonna be alright with the world, dun dun dun, more plot twist. It definitely reminded me of reading and watching The Life of Pi.
My infuriating feelings for this book are totally good, because it is thrilling, without being too boring. Elements of faith and religion also makes its way into the story, introducing the character of Isman. Emily however, was a homerun character for me. Though at the beginning, I found her rather annoying with all her qualms, which were perfectly normal for a 14 year old. I just might be getting old. But her perseverance towards the tragedy and staying alive is admirable and uncanny for someone of such a young age.
Not much can be drawn out from characters throughout this novel, because it is very short and it only focuses on the struggles of that particular situation, however, the descriptions and the way that the scenes were written, left me gripping my book. There was this one moment in the book where I had to completely curse out loud and scream at the book, It's just so good.
Though not entirely YA, it is labeled YA by Cricket Books, but to me it seems to fall in the middle grade category, however, it is as relevant as any book out there right now.
Elizabeth Fama just delivers. I've read Plus One and you know how much I completely adored and loved that book. I would die for a sequel of that book, you hear. It's that beautiful. You need to read it!
A drawback to my feelings for this book is how the end didn't seem to reassure me, which a lot of books do. And I guess, Elizabeth's books have a way of doing it to me most of the time. I feel like there could've been some rough patches fixed up in terms of the characters. It was open-ended, which is good too, but I expected a bit of a closure.
Overall, Overboard delivers on the emotion, the writing, the wit, the drama, the thrill and everything you need in a book, rolled into one little parcel. It's very good and I truly recommend it!
February 23, 2012
I will admit that I would never have picked up this book on my own. I asked my friend/mentor for recommendations for “Adventure” themed books for my class and she recommended the author E. Fama. Through the first 20-30 pages I thought perhaps I had made a mistake. I was reading about a whiny, complaining teen girl so nothing surprising. Then she boarded a ferry and her life changed, as did my reading experience.
Every moment of her life for the hours that she was in the water after the ferry capsized was well thought out. Elizabeth Fama took us along for the ride while Emily grew from a frivolous teen with few redeeming characteristics to a contemplative young adult struggling to save her life and the life of a young boy she meets in the water. Facing fear, fatigue, frustration and doubt, Emily makes decisions for her own survival as well as Isman’s.
I would love to read a sequel as I thought the ending of this 158 page book came far too fast. I would recommend this to a teen who is looking for a sense of adventure without violence (there are dead bodies in the water but beyond that, none), without sex and with no language issues. Because it is a short book, it might not overwhelm a reluctant reader. Elizabeth Fama does an excellent job of showing Emily shirking off the childishness of her actions earlier in the day and claiming her place in the world as a capable young woman.
Every moment of her life for the hours that she was in the water after the ferry capsized was well thought out. Elizabeth Fama took us along for the ride while Emily grew from a frivolous teen with few redeeming characteristics to a contemplative young adult struggling to save her life and the life of a young boy she meets in the water. Facing fear, fatigue, frustration and doubt, Emily makes decisions for her own survival as well as Isman’s.
I would love to read a sequel as I thought the ending of this 158 page book came far too fast. I would recommend this to a teen who is looking for a sense of adventure without violence (there are dead bodies in the water but beyond that, none), without sex and with no language issues. Because it is a short book, it might not overwhelm a reluctant reader. Elizabeth Fama does an excellent job of showing Emily shirking off the childishness of her actions earlier in the day and claiming her place in the world as a capable young woman.
March 7, 2014
Stephen Crane's THE OPEN BOAT meets THE BREAKFAST CLUB by John Hughes.
I have to give this book two stars just because the suspense of drowning, terror and dehydration keeps you turning the pages till the very end. But the characters in this book are so annoying, it's like Molly Ringwald from THE BREAKFAST CLUB meets Hadji from JOHNNY QUEST and all they do is talk and talk and swim and drown and talk and talk . . .
I have to give this book two stars just because the suspense of drowning, terror and dehydration keeps you turning the pages till the very end. But the characters in this book are so annoying, it's like Molly Ringwald from THE BREAKFAST CLUB meets Hadji from JOHNNY QUEST and all they do is talk and talk and swim and drown and talk and talk . . .
November 6, 2007
great book for Muslims to relate with, fantastic lesson,a lot of unexpected Islam in this book.
August 21, 2008
Not the ridiculous Kurt Russell/Goldie Hawn fiasco...
June 8, 2011
I think I was expecting a lot more. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be.
February 18, 2015
I loved the book! I wish that they would make a second one.
November 4, 2019
The review SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
I personally think that Overboard is a very good book and it could be enjoyed by many. It is appropriate for middle school and up in my opinion. It teaches multiple good lesson. Although at some points it is a little graphic and stressful, it is still a very good book.
The book Overboard teaches a good lesson. This lesson could be understood by many people of many ages. One lesson that stood out to me is even though it may be hard, sometimes you have to let go of things. Towards the end, not to spoil it but Emily and her friend Ivan have to split up in the middle of the ocean. I can not say what happens, but it is not all that terrible. This lesson can be used with many things in life.
Overboard is a good book because it is appropriate for many ages. Since it teaches such good lessons and so many lessons, some younger readers might not understand the smaller lessons but the big lesson should stand clear to all the younger readers, just keep swimming and never give up.
Even though the lessons, age restrictions, and everything else that is amazing about this book are all good things, this book does get graphic. Towards the end when Emily is all sunburnt and cut up it does make you cringe with the details that are given. There are also a lot of fights throughout the book. For example, Emily's newly met england friends always fought for spots on anything because he was a strong. This could be inappropriate for younger readers.
In conclusion the book Overboard is a good book and I fully recommend it. This book is good for many ages and has a very good story. It teaches good lessons, can actually help you out in the real world. Although it sometimes is semi inappropriate it still teaches good lessons. Everyone that is reading this, go read Overboard by Elizebeth Fama.
I personally think that Overboard is a very good book and it could be enjoyed by many. It is appropriate for middle school and up in my opinion. It teaches multiple good lesson. Although at some points it is a little graphic and stressful, it is still a very good book.
The book Overboard teaches a good lesson. This lesson could be understood by many people of many ages. One lesson that stood out to me is even though it may be hard, sometimes you have to let go of things. Towards the end, not to spoil it but Emily and her friend Ivan have to split up in the middle of the ocean. I can not say what happens, but it is not all that terrible. This lesson can be used with many things in life.
Overboard is a good book because it is appropriate for many ages. Since it teaches such good lessons and so many lessons, some younger readers might not understand the smaller lessons but the big lesson should stand clear to all the younger readers, just keep swimming and never give up.
Even though the lessons, age restrictions, and everything else that is amazing about this book are all good things, this book does get graphic. Towards the end when Emily is all sunburnt and cut up it does make you cringe with the details that are given. There are also a lot of fights throughout the book. For example, Emily's newly met england friends always fought for spots on anything because he was a strong. This could be inappropriate for younger readers.
In conclusion the book Overboard is a good book and I fully recommend it. This book is good for many ages and has a very good story. It teaches good lessons, can actually help you out in the real world. Although it sometimes is semi inappropriate it still teaches good lessons. Everyone that is reading this, go read Overboard by Elizebeth Fama.
September 13, 2017
The book Overboard is based around a girl named Emily and a major event that happened in her life. At the beginning the author writes about what her family was like and how she grew up. She lives in Sumatra with her parents. Emily's parents are doctor's and she often has to help out at the clinic they work at. One day she had a patient die and nothing was going right so she was going to run-off to her uncle. She was going to take a ferry to where he lived and then call her parents when she got there. The ferry sunk on there way there. The story is based on the hardships she goes through and the friend she makes, Isman. You learn about how the become friends and what they go through. I felt as if the author was good at giving good imagery to paint a picture what was happening. Even though I liked how the author described things, I felt as if the book dragged on. Also there was a lot of life lessons in the book. I thought the book was okay and would recommend to someone who needs a short read with adventure.
September 26, 2018
I thought it was a good book, it was a little hard to understand at first, I had to reread a couple of chapters to really understand what something ment or an event that was unclear. Once I started to understand what was going on I enjoyed it. I was very surprised that it was based off a true story. At some points in the story I didn't really like the details of times the characters were in pain, like the end was a little rough because I could imagin the pain Emily was in. Over all the book was a very good book, I really would like the author Elizabeth Fama to write a second book about what happened next or maybe more backround information about the characters. I recomend this book to anybody who likes these types of survival themed books will really enjoy this book as much as I did. Thank you.
March 5, 2018
The book was different than what I thought it would originally be about. The storyline was easy to follow as Emily and a young boy Isman swam after their ferry boat had sunk in the ocean, they swam all day & night to reach safety. The experience that they both faced was something most people wouldn't think of as they faced troubles throughout the night by trying to survive in the hardest most demanding conditions. The only thing I didn't like was how much rambling occurred, there were many run-ons that could've been easily avoided which ultimately made it harder to follow at certain parts in the story.
June 12, 2019
This book was based partly on the author's own experiences of travelling and living in exotic places growing up, and partly on the true story of the sinking of the ferry Gurita in the 1990's off the coast of Sumatra. I thought the story to be well crafted and well written. It was engaging and had me holding my breath right along with Emily as she swims to survive the night in the Indonesian ocean waters. Though the character of Emily does seem a bit unbelievably wise beyond her years at fourteen, it was still a gripping tale of the strength humans are able to exert when faced with the choice of life or death.
December 11, 2019
My book is called overboard and is about a 14 year old girl who is named Emily and is stranded in the middle of the ocean. Along the way Emily meet a boy named isman. Isman is a very religous boy and is young. Emily and isman face many difficult situations and have to survive without food and water. Unfortunately for isman he does not know how to swim so he has rely on Emily and his life vest to keep him alive. I gave this book a 5 star rating because it was very interesting and had me wondering how they were going to survive.
August 5, 2015
When Elizabeth contacted me about this book of hers, I was thrilled. Because I adore Beth. She's amazing. And the two books I have read by her so far, Monstrous Beauty and Plus One, have both been amazing. I said yes right away to be able to read this book too. And I'm so glad I did. Because I enjoyed this one a whole lot. Overboard was written about thirteen years ago, so it is a bit old, but still amazing. I'm so glad that I read it. And I simply cannot wait to read even more books by the amazing Elizabeth.
I'm not sure how to talk about this book, though. Because it is very short. Less than two hundred pages. Yet still long enough, too. I do wish it had been even longer. Felt like it ended too soon, in a mean place, lol. Yet it was also the perfect way to end a book, so I liked it a whole lot as well. I thought the writing was pretty amazing, not perfect, but I enjoyed it at all times. The story is written so well. And I did adore reading about Emily. She was pretty amazing. Well, much more amazing than I would have been.
Overboard is a story about survival. About how a fourteen year old girl tries to survive after the ferry she was on sinks. And it is amazing. I loved reading about it. I loved how mean this book was. It is a bit young, yes, so no romance or anything like that. It is all about survival. About Emily being stranded in the ocean without a life vest in the middle of the night. I loved reading about it. Some things were a bit horrible. Yet not described too much to make it horrifying. But it was scary to read about, either way.
This book is set in Indonesia. Which I thought was pretty interesting. I must admit that I could never live there myself. And I loved reading about how Emily have been living there for almost two years with her parents; how she still don't like it there. How much she stands out. How she hasn't been able to make friends with anyone. I loved her view on things. Like her, I would not enjoy living there, hah. But it was so interesting to read about. Sounded so awful. Yet it was interesting and exciting in a way too.
Emily is just fourteen years old. So she felt a bit young, yet grown up too. I'm not sure I liked her parents at all. They aren't in this book a lot, since it is so short, but they are there a little bit. I felt like they shouldn't have made Emily live there, when she didn't want to. But at the same time I understand them. They both work at the hospital there, and they help a lot of people. Though it was heartbreaking in the beginning of the book to read about that one person they could not save. It was a bit depressing.
While this book is short, a lot of things happen. Emily sort of runs away, to go visit another island close by. She takes the ferry. And reading about that was pretty interesting. Reading about the religion in this book, and how often they pray. I do find it interesting. But I also know that I could never live like that, sigh. It is not for me. I don't believe in a god. And I'm good with that. Don't have anything against those who do, though. Anyway. It was interesting to see the different religion in this book. It was well written.
Then the ferry sinks. And so much awful stuff happens. Emily is alone. She almost drowns so many times. And it was scary to read about. I liked it a whole lot. There were a lot of people on this ferry. And they are all ending up in the water. And there is so much panic. And people trying to drown each other to survive. And it was so creepy. And awesome. I liked reading about the older couple that Emily talked to a bit. They were interesting to get to know. Oh, how I wish she could have stayed with them more. Ack.
I loved reading about how Emily was surviving in the water. How she kept swimming. For so many hours. How tired she became. And how hurt she got too. I very much loved that the water was warm. I miss swimming in hot water, hmph. But yeah. Then there is the boy that Emily finds. Isman. Whom is just nine years old. I must admit that I would not have been able to take him with me, to try to have him survive too. I'm not sure I'm such a good person. But Emily was. And I did like reading about this boy.
I can't find more to say about this book. Just a few more words. I found Overboard to be an amazing book. It is about surviving a disaster. About keeping hope in the darkest time. And I liked it oh so much. Emily was so brave and strong. I probably would have given up after all those hours of swimming, sigh. I get so tired, so fast. But Emily was awesome. Anyway. This book was exciting. And I very much liked reading about Emily trying to survive in the ocean for so long. I like reading about that sort of thing :)
I had some issues with the writing, but nothing big, so I'm giving this book four stars. I just felt like Emily did some weird thinking while out there swimming, lol. Yet I did like it too. Anyway. Mostly I enjoyed Overboard a whole lot. And I'm so glad that I read it. I think you should all read this book. It was so exciting and interesting to read about. And so much about survival. And I liked it a whole lot. And I feel like you would all like it too. Buy this book. Read this book. Then read more books by Elizabeth. <3
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Preview review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2015/0...
I'm not sure how to talk about this book, though. Because it is very short. Less than two hundred pages. Yet still long enough, too. I do wish it had been even longer. Felt like it ended too soon, in a mean place, lol. Yet it was also the perfect way to end a book, so I liked it a whole lot as well. I thought the writing was pretty amazing, not perfect, but I enjoyed it at all times. The story is written so well. And I did adore reading about Emily. She was pretty amazing. Well, much more amazing than I would have been.
Overboard is a story about survival. About how a fourteen year old girl tries to survive after the ferry she was on sinks. And it is amazing. I loved reading about it. I loved how mean this book was. It is a bit young, yes, so no romance or anything like that. It is all about survival. About Emily being stranded in the ocean without a life vest in the middle of the night. I loved reading about it. Some things were a bit horrible. Yet not described too much to make it horrifying. But it was scary to read about, either way.
This book is set in Indonesia. Which I thought was pretty interesting. I must admit that I could never live there myself. And I loved reading about how Emily have been living there for almost two years with her parents; how she still don't like it there. How much she stands out. How she hasn't been able to make friends with anyone. I loved her view on things. Like her, I would not enjoy living there, hah. But it was so interesting to read about. Sounded so awful. Yet it was interesting and exciting in a way too.
Emily is just fourteen years old. So she felt a bit young, yet grown up too. I'm not sure I liked her parents at all. They aren't in this book a lot, since it is so short, but they are there a little bit. I felt like they shouldn't have made Emily live there, when she didn't want to. But at the same time I understand them. They both work at the hospital there, and they help a lot of people. Though it was heartbreaking in the beginning of the book to read about that one person they could not save. It was a bit depressing.
While this book is short, a lot of things happen. Emily sort of runs away, to go visit another island close by. She takes the ferry. And reading about that was pretty interesting. Reading about the religion in this book, and how often they pray. I do find it interesting. But I also know that I could never live like that, sigh. It is not for me. I don't believe in a god. And I'm good with that. Don't have anything against those who do, though. Anyway. It was interesting to see the different religion in this book. It was well written.
Then the ferry sinks. And so much awful stuff happens. Emily is alone. She almost drowns so many times. And it was scary to read about. I liked it a whole lot. There were a lot of people on this ferry. And they are all ending up in the water. And there is so much panic. And people trying to drown each other to survive. And it was so creepy. And awesome. I liked reading about the older couple that Emily talked to a bit. They were interesting to get to know. Oh, how I wish she could have stayed with them more. Ack.
I loved reading about how Emily was surviving in the water. How she kept swimming. For so many hours. How tired she became. And how hurt she got too. I very much loved that the water was warm. I miss swimming in hot water, hmph. But yeah. Then there is the boy that Emily finds. Isman. Whom is just nine years old. I must admit that I would not have been able to take him with me, to try to have him survive too. I'm not sure I'm such a good person. But Emily was. And I did like reading about this boy.
I can't find more to say about this book. Just a few more words. I found Overboard to be an amazing book. It is about surviving a disaster. About keeping hope in the darkest time. And I liked it oh so much. Emily was so brave and strong. I probably would have given up after all those hours of swimming, sigh. I get so tired, so fast. But Emily was awesome. Anyway. This book was exciting. And I very much liked reading about Emily trying to survive in the ocean for so long. I like reading about that sort of thing :)
I had some issues with the writing, but nothing big, so I'm giving this book four stars. I just felt like Emily did some weird thinking while out there swimming, lol. Yet I did like it too. Anyway. Mostly I enjoyed Overboard a whole lot. And I'm so glad that I read it. I think you should all read this book. It was so exciting and interesting to read about. And so much about survival. And I liked it a whole lot. And I feel like you would all like it too. Buy this book. Read this book. Then read more books by Elizabeth. <3
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Preview review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2015/0...
September 6, 2017
This book had me on the edge of my seat, every page was jammed packed with very scary situations that could happen to you. The fear that life can just get taken away from you just like that is a very scary thing in my opinion. The only thing I don't like is how short the book is, even though it comes to a conclusion. I really want to know though if Isman's parents even made it.
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February 13, 2024I’m not giving this book a star rating because it’s a true story about a real person and their story. But dang! This book was good! I do have one complaint though. The end was a cliffhanger without a sequel 😩 I normally like cliffhangers but only in series! Overall amazing story and even if you don’t like nonfiction or Hatchet style books, I think everyone should read it ☺️
February 7, 2017
While not exactly my cup of tea, it was still a decent read and thankfully short enough to hold my interest until the end.
September 20, 2017
I really liked the scenes where she was in the ocean and she had to survive, but this book had only two main scenes, that's why it has three stars
July 9, 2018
Not what I expected and left me wanting just a bit more
November 5, 2018
A Nail Biter
March 14, 2020
Ok book. Not a bad book.
August 27, 2021
Excellent!
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February 14, 20232 Copies
October 25, 2025
this book was okay, it js couldve been continued at the end where she like goes back to her parents instead of ending where it did. pretty chill tho lowk
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