ARA Review by Meversgerd of Adrift
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ARA Review by Meversgerd of Adrift
Adrift, written by Charlie Sheldon, hooks you to your seat from the first harrowing wave. Prepare to be swept overboard, thrown about, frostbitten, maimed, or stranded alone in this faced-paced story about risk and reward. During a terrible winter storm, the story begins on turbulent waters in the Gulf of Alaska aboard a cargo vessel, Seattle Express, that catches on fire in the dark of night. To make matters worse, the ship is far from land and immediate help. Glitchy from the start, the fire alarm rings, waking up the crew to an abundant amount of smoke. The ship was on fire. After gauging how far the fire spread, and finding it beyond containment, the captain, Steve, radios for rescue then orders his crew to the lifeboats. The unit splits into two groups, each heading for one lifeboat on either side of the swaying ship. Steve runs one, while William, the oldest crewmember, takes charge of the other.
The story segues into the bedroom of one of the owners of a dying salvage company, Louise, who wakes up sensing a ship in trouble. Though tragic for the boat and crew, claiming the vessel and tugging it back to land will save her company. Even though the burning ship is more significant in width and length than her much smaller tugboat, Warhorse, Louise puts together a plan and crew to claim the Seattle Express and tow it back to port for a payday that would save her family business. But she's not the only one racing to make that claim. The ruthless company that owns the cargo ship sends newer, bigger, and faster tugboats to the wreckage.
William's daughter learns about her father's fate but having faith in her tribal beliefs, dreams, and visions that tell her he is waiting for her; she does not give up. She puts together a crazy plan to traverse the Pacific Northwest wilderness during the dead of winter during a blizzard to rescue her father.
William and his lifeboat crew make landfall, but the snowstorms, jagged coast, and wilderness are not conducive to rescue helicopters. Freezing, starving, and with dwindling strength mostly used up by their daily search for firewood, William decides to risk it all and sets out in search of help but ends up breaking his leg. Hurt, starving, and lying weak under a tarp camouflaged by snow, his time is almost up. Will his daughter and rescue team find him in time?
Adrift is a stand-alone sequel in Charlie Shelden's Strong Heart series. Not only did the author write about how treacherous it was to work on ships while traversing the harsh, relentless seas, but he also lived it. He effectively expressed the risk to one's life, losing a loved one lost at sea, and the challenges faced by sailors every time they set sail on a job or protect our country.
I rate this book a 5 out of 5 because of its intense imagery and suspense. I honestly wasn't sure this was my type of novel, but it genuinely surprised me. I enjoyed every nail-biting, worrisome moment.
***
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