Book review - Terror at Bottle Creek

Title:  Terror at Bottle Creek
Author: Watt Key
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books:  Zane and the Hurricane by Rodman Philbrick
                      Never Say Die by Will Hobbs
Rating:

interesting

Summary (provided by publisher): In this gritty, realistic wilderness adventure, thirteen-year-old Cort is caught in a battle against a Gulf Coast hurricane. Cort's father is a local expert on hunting and swamp lore in lower Alabama who has been teaching his son everything he knows. But when a deadly Category 3 storm makes landfall, Cort must unexpectedly put his all skills-and bravery-to the test. One catastrophe seems to lead to another, leaving Cort and two neighbor girls to face the storm as best they can. Amid miles of storm-thrashed wetlands filled with dangerous, desperate wild animals, it's up to Cort to win-or lose-the fight for their lives. 

My opinion: I liked the information about swamp animals in this book. It gives a great deal of interesting facts without becoming overwhelming or too much like a text book. There is one passage where Cort and his father compare the nature of mammals and reptiles, how domesticated mammals can revert to a feral state without the influence of humans but no amount of human influence seems to fully domesticate a reptile. These are really cool concepts to consider. Apart from that its actually a fairly standard survival story. The parts about Cort’s issues with his parents are well integrated into the immediacy of the survival story. Over all, it is fairly well written and worth a read.

More information: Terror at Bottle Creek releases January 5.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley