Shipwreck by Gordon Korman Book Analysis

The book Shipwreck by Gordon Korman is the first volume of the Island trilogy. This fictional action/adventure story was first available to readers in 2001. Shipwreck is only one book of the considerable number of novels written by Korman. This publication has become one of my favorites, as it tells an exciting story, while also presenting the hard truth that things will not always go your way.

The reader is brought into the story right away. On a pier in Guam, we are first met by Luke Haggerty, who was falsely convicted for possession of a firearm. Then, we meet the duo of Will and Lyssa Greenfield, the bickering siblings. Next is Ian Sikorsky, the youngest of the group. In addition, there is Charla Swann, an intensely athletic young lady. Later, we find J.J. Lane, the son of an actor. The reader is also introduced to Captain Cascadden, his first mate Mr. Ratford, the Phoenix, and the Charting a New Course (CNC) program.

As the Phoenix begins to leave Guam, the children realize that it will be a long month with CNC. After a few days of raising the sails and scrubbing the deck, a two-day storm arrives. Captain Cascadden is knocked overboard and thrown into the sea, never to be seen again. The storm leaves the ship leaking, little by little, until the kids cannot even use the lower bunk bed. Everyone is pumping the water out, but it rises even more within a day.

The six wake up and Ratford is nowhere to be found, along with the dingy. Lyssa begins taking apart and drying the soaked engine, in hopes to fix it. However, the blower is broken. Will uses a towel to fan the machine as Lyssa turns on the engine, but the wind blows the rag away seconds before. With a single spark, the boat catches on fire late into the night. The ship breaks apart, leaving Lyssa, Will, Ian, J.J., Luke, and Charla helpless. 

Debris is flying as Luke is now put in the spotlight. He finds a sizable piece of the cabin roof and uses it to float. The boy hears Will and brings his friend onto the raft. Next Luke finds Ian, then Charla. The quartet discovers that only three of them can be on the wood, otherwise it will flip, so they begin taking turns dangling in the open ocean. J.J. and Lyssa cannot be found, even days later. Will falls into a state of unconsciousness on the raft, while everyone is suffering from dehydration, only getting one sip per person thus far.

As the four are drifting, Luke believes a dolphin helped to push the float towards an island shore. The others have their own hallucinations. As rain begins to fall, they all get a full drink of water on the beach. Will is still paralyzed, but dragged onto shore. As everyone truly, safely sleeps, the book closes.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a rough understanding of boats and the different types of people in this world. I believe that Gordon Korman wrote this book to show that not everything is perfect, bad things do happen to even the best people. I would rate this story a 9/10. It has a wonderful plot, clear setting, and realistic, consistent characters. It is an easy read, being only 114 pages long, and is enjoyable the whole way through. Even though you know the ship will wreck (from the title) you are kept on the edge of your seat in anticipation for when it will happen.