Collision Course

Titanic #2

by Gordon Korman

From bestselling author Gordon Korman, a second heart-stopping adventure aboard the unluckiest ship of all.

The Titanic has hit the high seas--and moves steadily toward its doom. Within the luxury of the cabins and the dark underbelly of the ship, mysteries unfold--a secret killer who may be on board, a legacy that may be jeopardized, and a vital truth that will soon be revealed. For Paddy, Sophie, Juliana, and Alfie, life on the Titanic brings both hiding and seeking, as their lives become irrevocably intertwined.
And then, of course, an iceberg appears, and the stage is set for the final scene.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Historical, Adventure, Childrens, Young Adult

166 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Gordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was blown away by the continual intense scenes in this Titanic series.

Just like in the previous book the characters are all over the ship and at the end when the ship is sinking, I'm just...WOAH!!! How? Please tell me. You get every sort of point of view during the sinking of the ship (up on top, below where the sinking first began, in the middle and so forth!).

And a murder attempt on board on the Titanic! I couldn't stop reading as Paddy tries to flee from the Titanic authorities, as Alvin, Julianna, and Sophie all try to help him and get in trouble in the process. Then the end where you are so mad because you want to read more...and you don't know who is going to live or die.

There is a little more support of Woman's right in this, although most of it is humorous, in my eyes. I can totally understand Julianna's feeling and I wouldn't say she was wrong. No romance (same as the first book) and two (I think) swear words. Talk of murder and killing; not descriptive. A "clean" read.

If you don't have the third book in this series, you will seriously wish you do ;)

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did the Jack the Ripper storyline really need to happen?

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Review to come!

[Jennifer Rayment · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake’s Review:
Mom: Jake seriously I think you should read this, its really kind of exciting.
Jake: Mom, you promised.
Mom: I know but you know what I think you should try. Tell ya what give it 5 chapters and if you don’t like it I will go buy you the next beast quest book.
Jake: Mom are you bribing me?
Mom: Yup totally. See how all this reading has made you so smart.

2 Days Later
Jake: It’s pretty scary and a little creepy but you are right, I wanted to keep reading it. There was tons of action and I really liked how smart the kids were and how dumb the adults were. Didn’t like reading it at night though since the Jack the Ripper guy was kinda creepy. Want to find out more about Jack the Ripper and the Titanic disaster, can we look up some stuff on the Internet? So since I finished reading it will you still buy me the Beast Quest.
Mom: Ok, so since you told me I was right, I will definitely buy you a new book. Now go tell your father that mom was right
Jake’s Rating:8.5/10 (just a little too scary and sad for my tastes)



Mom’s Review: This really was a fantastic read for the middle school reader. Lots of thrills and chills and smart kids solving things without bumbling adults getting in the way. History and moral questions thrown in such a subtle way kids won’t know they are learning things. This is such a treat with middle school fiction because you want to instill in kids the love of reading but at the same time teach them things and make them think. Korman really has a talent here and I can see why he sells tons of books. Ok guys this involves the Titanic so pretty much I am prejudice towards liking it. I promised Jake I wasn’t going to make him read this, but I think he will really enjoy it. Don’t want to give away too much but this story involves some interesting theories on the identity of Jack the Ripper and also how the disaster could have been prevented. Lighttoller really comes across as a jerk which differs from some of my reading. Love it, love it. Can’t wait to read the final part of the story.
Mom’s Rating: 10/10

We received this from Scholastic in Exchange for an honest review

[R.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! This was just as good as the first one!!

The details are amazing - I could picture everything that was going on, amongth all the activity! Should I mention that horrible man doing his evil deeds as well? Wow, it was all really neat, scary, and exciting all at the same time!

I've got to go read the last book now because this book ended at the wrong time!! Yes, the Titanic is sinking!

You can read my review for the first book here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Amazing!
5*****

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

book 2 of series - as good as first.

Will be in a tub with nonfiction books about Titanic

[Rianna Plank · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems almost everyone aboard the Titanic have something to hide. Now that the crew knows there is a stowaway on board Paddy is desperate for a place to hide. Alfie has discovered a horrifying secret about another passenger. Juliana's father finally reveals the reason she has come on this business trip with him, and Sophie wishes her suffragette mother would stop alienating the other guests. In the meantime the Titanic continues on its doomed journey.

The Titanic hits the iceberg is this entry, but that is practically background compared to the other action and intrigue happening. In fact there's almost too many things happening in this story, the Jack the Ripper storyline is especially unnecessary. Otherwise it's as fast-paced as the first, and leaves the reader eager for the final installment.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

#2 in Titanic series by Gordon Korman, Collision Course sets the pace for eventual sinking of titanic and the small mistakes the Captain made and the details he overlooked which proved disastrous.

Alfie, Paddy, Sophie and Julie continue their journey in this one and even unmask Jack the Ripper. It is quite a sensastional book.

I liked the pace and the writing for this one. The little snippets of Captain ignoring all the warnings about the icebergs made the book even more frightening especially knowing what was about to come in the future. Reading about these characters and their final moments before the chaos was quite surreal, waiting around for the impending doom to hit a terrifying experience.

4 stars.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seriously?! As an adult, this book is utterly ridiculous, but the kids love it. Since they are the target audience, I suffered through this for book club. I'm pretty glad I don't have to read the third one.
The writing itself is very exciting, it's the content I'm not digging. I mean, Jack the Ripper on the Titanic. I'm pretty sure I rolled my eyes while reading that part out loud.

[Austin Krause · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I wasn't too impressed with this book. It was a lot like the last one in this triplet series. There were times that I was very intrigued by it, but the majority of the book was boring details in my opinion. Overall, this book is really for younger children, and it was made clear throughout the book.
Plot:
This book is mainly about the R.M.S. Titanic's journey across the Atlantic Ocean on its maiden voyage. The same characters as the last book are in this one following up on their plans to take a ride on the ship to get to America.
Paddy is the stowaway of the ship who is yet to be caught. He also found a huge secret as he was rummaging through someone else's belongings in the cargo hold.
Alfie is underage but is a steward on the ship. He knows of the secret as well from his friend Paddy.
Sophie is a first class rider who is the friend of Alfie, Paddy, and Juliana. Paddy showed her the secret as well.
Juliana is also a first class rider and is also a friend of Alfie, Paddy, and Sophie. She knows of the secret from Paddy as well.
The secret seemed to be just someone's scrapbook, but as Paddy looked through it, he found that it was no ordinary scrapbook. It contained evidence that led him and his three friends to believe that the man who committed the White Chapel murders was riding on the Titanic. Not long after that discovery, Alfie learns of a man who he stewards for who is very hateful of women. That led the four friends to believe that that man, Mr. Masterson, was the one who committed those murders. A few days passed with the Titanic steaming toward America just as fast as it could. Then one night, Sophie was looking at the ocean from the rear deck, when that accused man, Mr. Masterson, crept up behind her and threw her against the railing, almost dumping her overboard. He tried to strangle her, but Alfie, just walking up to the deck, heard her strangled cry and tackled Masterson just before he stabbed Sophie with an ugly knife he pulled from his coat. Alfie was no match for Masterson though, and Masterson quickly had both of them against the railing at gunpoint. At the same time, the watchman in the crow's nest spotted an iceberg coming right at the ship. The Titanic turned a little, but the iceberg hit it broadside. Luckily for the two friends, the jarring of the ice caused Masterson to fall and he was only able to knock Alfie out with his crutch before he got away. The Titanic is now injured and there is a known killer on the loose. What will come of the four friends?
Recommendation:
I recommend this book to young kids in 4th or 5th grade. This book is for kids of that age and I think they would enjoy it. It has an easy reading level and is perfectly understandable in terms of plot. Male or female, I don't think it matters; just that the reader has some slight interest for historical fiction.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up b/c I had left my other book at home and needed something to read. I thought I'd be able to read it while in the library with my students and bring my other book the next day, but I got immediately sucked into this story. I couldn't put it down until it was finished. I didn't realize when I picked it up that it was part of a trilogy or that it was the SECOND book, but neither of these two "problems" kept me from enjoying the book. I love all the characters, and inserting Jack the Ripper as a passenger was an interesting twist in this book. I had never read anything by Gordon Korman before. I believe he is a master at dialogue. Like most historical fiction I read, one of the biggest draws is the sprinkling of facts throughout the story, and this book doesn't disappoint on that score. Of course, the fact that it ends after impact is the perfect cliffhanger to make you read the final book. I didn't read the first book and probably won't at this point, but if it's anything close to this one, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Titanic Collision Course: Gordon Korman
The book I read continues from the ending of Titanic: Unsinkable. I enjoyed this book a little better than the first one. I thought there was even more suspense. The story continues with the same four main characters. Paddy Burns is a stowaway from Belfast who is hiding from the crew. Alfie Huggins is working on the ship as a steward to be with his dad. Sophie Bronson is a first class passenger with her mom who is for women’s suffrage. Lastly, Juliana Glamm is also on a first class trip with her father, the Earl of Glamford, whose unwise decisions has decimated the family fortune. In this story Paddy has had some close encounters in which he might be caught by someone on the crew or the creator of the Titanic. However, his secret was eventually revealed. Paddy used to have to worry about people finding out that there was a stowaway on the ship. Now people actually know there is a stowaway on the ship and Paddy has to live on the run hiding from pursuers. Juliana learned why her father brought her along his business trip to America and wants out of it. Sophie’s mother is as usual fighting for women’s suffrage. Paddy and Alfie discover evidence that may prove someone on board the Titanic is an infamous murderer. However, the possible infamous murderer is not the only problem, as the Titanic is on a collision course of doom.

[Josh Vanecko · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was ok a bit slow at points of the book. But, overall a good book for Titanic lovers like myself. I feel as if this book needs a little summarization by me to get you to read this. This book is part of a multi series so I would advise you to read the first one before going on to the next book. So as we all know there were first, second, and third class aboard the titanic. Well, this book goes in depth about the third class as it starts off with a third class person who is looking for food and a place to stay. A family in the first class decides to take her in and one thing leads to another and crew start searching so the little girl has to get on the move. She meets up with a crew member and they become friends. Meanwhile the Crew member “Alfie” finds a man in which he suspects to be no other than Jack the Ripper. While in progress he decides he will take care of him since the man (Jack the Ripper) is disabled. He begins to find out more and more about him because of all his questions. Paddy (the girl) also begins to find work in the ship but since she is third class she has risks of getting caught. Does she get caught? Does Alfie find what he’s looking for? Find out in this “Goodread” Today! You’ll be glad you did!

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part two in Gordon Korman's Titanic trilogy.

I liked the historical Titanic bits of this story. I liked that the fictional story took part amid historically accurate events. I liked the fictional characters, the very well-to-do young girl, the suffragist's daughter, the underage White Star employee and the stowaway. I even liked the sub plot involving Irish gangsters going after Paddy, the unfortunate stowaway.

What I was not fond of was the Jack the Ripper sub plot. It didn't really advance the plot or work to flesh out characters or really do much of anything. I think that it easily could have been editted out and had no effect on the story at all.

But I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt that it will all tie in and make sense with the third book. Here's hoping.

[Evelynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5.

Me when I finished:



You end it THERE, SERIOUSLY?

I MUST READ THE LAST BOOK.

Pretty much the sole reason I rated this book 4.5 stars instead of 5 was because of how intense it was in the last third of the book. Korman wrote this account of the RMS Titanic so well that by the time the iceberg came around, I had almost completely forgotten that it was going to happen, and as it was happening I was almost as confused and terrified as the main characters, even though I know what's going to happen. To the ship, that is. I don't know who among the main characters is going to live and who's going to die!

I shall read on to find out. *bites fingernails in suspense while mumbling "Please, oh please don't kill any of the main characters."*

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 starts right where Book 1 left us hanging. Paddy is constantly looking for a place to hide so the officers do not discover that he is a stowaway - some of his hiding places are VERY unique! Alfie is trying to prove - is Jack the Ripper really a passenger on the Titantic?? Juliana discovers that her father has a purpose for her being on this trip to America with him and she is the last to know. Sophie is still struggling with her mother and her beliefs, but they may be closer than she thinks they are. These four have become good friends and they prove it to each other in their actions.

Cliff hanger ending!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Korman's historical trilogy's middle volume ends with the title collision, but it also includes many intersections between the four focus teenagers.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continues the story of four young teens aboard the titanic. Can't say much besides that it was amazing!

[David K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book ws very good. I loved it!

[Gentrie Thaxton · Rating 1 out of 5]

...

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as good as the first one. The plot thickens, and the Titanic hits an iceberg. Ugh, I'm hoping no one who I like dies in the sinking...

[Christine (KizzieReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book. Some elements from the movie Titanic, only with middle grade kids instead of adults, but still good. Some parts were repetitive and seemed like filler.

[Mellanie C]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14100655

[Lina Olvera · Rating 4 out of 5]

De verdad soy muy feliz leyendo estos libritos :3

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was originally published in 2011, and the most recent edition in 2016. According to Goodreads there are 24 editions of the second volume in this series, including editions in English and French listed. My introduction to Korman’s works was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Since then I have read 85 of his books including this volume, a few of them more than once. I set the goal of reading all his books about 2020. I now have less than 25 books from series to go, and have completed all the stand alone books and am now just working my way through the remaining series. Not counting omnibus editions I believe that as of the summer of 2025 Korman has published 109 books. With each that I read I am entertained and often challenged. My son, who is 17 often, reads these books to me or with me, and he still loves them. And my 14 year old daughter has enjoyed a number of them

The description of this volume states:

“The Titanic has hit the high seas--and moves steadily toward its doom. Within the luxury of the cabins and the dark underbelly of the ship, mysteries unfold--a secret killer who may be on board, a legacy that may be jeopardized, and a vital truth that will soon be revealed. For Paddy, Sophie, Juliana, and Alfie, life on the Titanic brings both hiding and seeking, as their lives become irrevocably intertwined.

And then, of course, an iceberg appears, and the stage is set for the final scene.”

About the author at the back of this volume we are informed:

“GORDON KORMAN started writing novels when he was about the same age as the characters in this book, with his first novel, This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald Hall!, published when he was fourteen. Since then, his novels have sold millions of copies around the world. Most recently, he is the author of Swindle, Zoobreak, and Framed, the trilogies Island, Everest, Dive, and Kidnapped, and the series On the Run. His other novels include No More Dead Dogs and Son of the Mob. He lives in New York with his family, and can be found on the web at his website.”

I do not think there is anyone not familiar with the story of the Titanic, this version of historical fiction by Korman helps us experience the events through several different sets of eyes, mostly youth; youth from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences. From a street urchin in Dublin, to an aristocrats daughter, to a young man who faked his age to serve on the ship with his father, to a girl who constantly seems embarrassed by her mother’s political activism. Other than the prologue the events in this instalment of this series take place between, Friday. April 12, 1912, 4:50 P.M. and Monday, April 15, 1912, 12:09 A.M.. But there in an excellent twist in this story having to do with a scrap book from the White Chapel murders.

I admit I have never been much into the story of the Titanic, I have never seen the movie, and it is on my all-time list to never see, but this book and series are excellent, and it were do but put to film, I would go to see it with no hesitation.

This story is another great read from Korman’s masterful pen.

Historical fiction at its best. Coming from a long line of Irish men, the Irish thugs presented here seem very familiar. I also love the hits at the Whitechapel killings and history around those events are intriguing. The numerous historical figures that are actually part of these events. It is masterfully written historical fiction, sure to be enjoyed by young and old alike!

[Erin Meloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Titanic series by Gordon Korman. It follows four children named Paddy, Sophie, Juliana, and Alfie. The four kids know a secret about an occurrence on the ship that no one else knows about. This is that there is a killer loose on board the ship. Throughout the book the children are trying to uncover the different mysteries surrounding this, but realizes that they are in great danger. Since they are on a ship, there are not many places to hide, and the ship also hits an iceberg, which will cause its sinking. When I was in the fifth grade I was fascinated by the Titanic. I would spend my time researching it, looking at pictures of artifacts that have been found underwater, and reading about it. The 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking also happened when I was in fifth grade, so it was a point of discussion in class. When I went to my school's Scholastic Book Fair and found this series, I was eager to buy it and start reading it. Even though this story is fictional, I loved that it took place on board the ship. It made it very interesting for me. The end of the book ends on a cliffhanger, which made me eager to read the next one as well. This would be a good series to include in a classroom library, or implement into a lesson about different book genres. The reading level is aimed at older elementary grades, and that is about the age when students are delving into this topic. This book is a great example of that because it includes a real historical setting, but includes a fictional story.

[Carrie Gulledge · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids and I always enjoy anything by Gordon Korman and this second installment in his Titanic series was no different. And the only reason that I am giving it four stars instead of five is the side storyline that involves Jack the Ripper. It doesn't add to the story and is, in my humble opinion, completely unnecessary. It takes away from the real story and the real tragedy that are unfolding. Whether Jack the Ripper was on the Titanic or not is one that's been argued before, I just wish that it hadn't been a part of this series. Otherwise, great and imaginative writing (flows really nice as well; I should know since I read every word aloud to my 7 and 11 year old); can't wait to read the conclusion to the series.

[Morgan (youarethelibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the action that would make it appealing to young readers, as the stowaway Paddy Burns tried to evade escape by the White Star Line’s employees. Alfie, Sophie, and Juliana do what they can to help him, but their own problems continue to plague them as Alfie tries to discern who Jack the Ripper is, and Juliana learns her father’s real reason for business in America.

I felt this installment was less information-heavy than the last book, as it focuses more on the action surrounding our four young passengers and less on factual events. But the iceberg has been struck, and the next book will tell us what becomes of our four main characters.

I wish the author had included a note at the end of the book deciphering fact from fiction for his young readers.

[mahno_or.a · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book over 17 times and always wished that I could read the other two books in the series, its unfortunate that I wasn't able to because I had two cliff hangers to deal with, one due to starting from the middle book in the series and second not being able to read the last book of the series. I haven't read this book in a while and will read it again once more, I don't remember many of the characters names other than "Daniel." Weird, I know. Its just me, I never remember main character names. Only characters I dont know anything about, and when i learn everything about them i forget their names. Forgive me.
I did like the book though. But I'll have to read it again just to make sure.