From the author of Alabama Moon (2006) and Terror at Bottle Creek (2016) comes an exciting adventure set in Mississippi's Pascagoula River marshlands. When 12-year-old Sam finds another boy, Davey, living alone in an abandoned fishing camp, Sam's efforts to help him draw the attention of a trio of criminals. Emotionally reeling from a beating at school, Sam wonders if he's been marked as a loser for good. He wants to do something brave, like his police chief dad, so he's taken to piloting his boat in the bayou's unmapped areas, where he finds Davey. Davey claims to be waiting for his father and brother, but as Sam begins sneaking him food and supplies, it's clear Davey isn't telling the whole truth. He's hidden piles of money, which remind Sam of a robbery his dad is investigating. Sam's struggles to fit in at school, to like himself, and to solve his own problems reflect middle-grade concerns. The boys' survivalist adventures in the swamps are suspenseful, and the reassuring ending relies on supportive adult intervention.

After moving to a new town, twelve-year-old Sam is beaten mercilessly by bullies. Humiliated, he finds refuge exploring Mississippi's Pascagoula River bayous. When he encounters a strange boy hiding in an abandoned camp, Sam decides to show his own bravery and help--a decision that becomes dangerous and complicated. In a plot containing much drama and many threads, Key nicely depicts survival in the wild.

Key treads familiar territory in this tale of boys trying to be men, this time in the dangerous swampy bayous of Mississippi.Narrator Sam Ford has been beaten badly by two bullies at his new middle school. With a dad who has just become chief of police of Pascagoula, Sam tries to escape his humiliation by blaming his only friend, nerdy white Grover. Hoping to prove himself, Sam heads to the bayous in his new boat, a present for his 13th birthday, looking for a dead body that search and rescue hasn't been able to find. Instead, Sam finds Davey holed up in a deserted and rotting old fish camp. Given the absence of racial markers, particularly in this Mississippi setting, readers are likely to conclude that both boys are white. With little heed to common sense, Sam begins to help Davey by taking him supplies he's sneaked out of his house. The natural predators of the swamp and backwaters combine with human dilemmas to test the boys and their mix of loyalties. The ways they meet such frightening circumstances as thieves on the run highlight the difference that a loving and supportive family can make, and that has nothing to do with what money can buy. The boys are on the cusp of manhood, and navigating those waters is as treacherous as any swamp. 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. (Adventure. 10-15)

Gr 7 Up-An adventure story that follows in the tradition of Gary Paulsen's survival tales. After an embarassing incident at school, Sam's father gives Sam his own fishing boat. But Sam has never had any interest in fishing. While exploring the swamp near his house, he discovers a boy named Davey who has been living alone. Determined to help, Sam brings Davey food and supplies and strikes up a friendship. But Davey has a secret that could put the boys' lives in danger. Short chapters filled with action and adventure keep the pacing taut and will entice reluctant readers. Several references to marijuana use may make this selection more appropriate for mature readers. VERDICT A good pick for action/adventure fans. Patrick Tierney, Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School, Providence