LitPick Review
Do you think time travel is real? Have you ever been interested in stories about time travel? If yes, you could also be intrigued by the story of two young children struggling to find their way home after their ship sank in the sea. This is SOS by Sue C. Dugan. Brandon and his younger sister, Amy, were on a ship with their parents and grandparents when it began to sink. With Amy by his side, they headed out of their room to meet their parents. Unfortunately, they were unable to meet them and had to save themselves by entering a nearby floating raft. A few days after floating on the sea, the children were rescued by a ship named City of Benares. The people on the ship were nice to them, but Brandon felt something was wrong. He kept on hearing about a war going on in Europe and that the ship was an evacuation ship. When he asked for the current date, it dawned on him that they have traveled years back to the time of the Second World War! How do you think Brandon felt when hearing this? Do you think he would ever go home? What had happened to his family, and would he ever see them again? What series of events are bound to unfold later on? These questions are answered in this interesting novel.
Opinion:
First, the plot was gripping and even more terrifying when I think of two children out in the cold in the middle of the cold sea awaiting rescue. The author was creative and made use of captivating suspense to stir up the story. For instance, I was happy when I saw a ship approaching to rescue the children. I thought it was finally time to get back home and reunite with their family, but when I found out they had traveled many years back, I was so shocked because I did not expect that. The author also gave vivid descriptions of characters, the ship, and the children's experience out in the sea where they sailed. These descriptions helped me visualize what was happening.
The characters were all amazing. I admired Brandon for the love and care he demonstrated toward his sister, and mostly for the courage it took to save himself and Amy even though it was hard for him because of the unknown disappearance of their family. His qualities created a close and strong bond between him and his sister. As a young girl, I could feel Amy's fear towards their situation, but she's still followed her brother's directions and trusted his guidance. I love how the crew members from the various ships rescued Brandon and his sister and also treated them kindly throughout their stay until the ships sank. If it were not for them, maybe the children wouldn't have been able to survive in the cold water. Honestly, I did not like how Mrs. Holman, mother to Eleanor, Brandon's friend on the ship, put her material things before her daughter's life. When the ship was about sinking, she sent Eleanor to get her jewelry box, and when she finally got it, she couldn't find her mother and was stuck in the time travel with Brandon and Amy.
I really enjoyed the book and would like to recommend SOS by Sue C. Dugan to young adults who are able to understand the story and to adults who are interested in stories about time travel.
