Terror at Bottle Creek

October 12, 2015
Set on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, this fast-paced adventure traces 13-year-old Cort’s daring attempt to keep two neighbor girls alive during a hurricane. The action begins when Cort’s father, a river guide, puts him in charge of taking care of Liza and her younger sister, Francie, at the onset of the storm while their mother is away. Cort feels overwhelmed by the responsibility, but his anxiety turns to terror when Francie ventures outside and goes missing. It’s up to Cort to save her, but the water outside is rapidly rising, and even more dangerous than the raging hurricane are the crazed wild animals emerging from the nearby swamp. Pitting humans against nature, Key (Fourmile) brings to life the eerie quality of the Alabama swampland and the hidden dangers that lurk around every corner. Short, cliffhanger chapters will keep even the most reluctant readers engrossed, and Cort’s muddled emotions, stemming from his parents’ separation and his crush on Liza, add complexity to this gripping novel. Ages 10–13. Agent: Lisa Erbach Vance, Aaron Priest Literary Agency.

October 15, 2015
When a hurricane strikes the Alabama coastal swamps, it takes real expertise to survive. Cort, 13, wants his father to pay attention to their bill-paying river-guide work on the Tensaw River delta instead of trying to win back Cort's mother, who walked out six months ago. The intimidating geography and frightening nature of the swamp are established at the beginning of the book, when Cort and his dad take two hunters up the bayou to kill a gator. A momentary lull in the action follows on their return, and longtime residents of the Gulf Coast will find familiar the calm preparations that are made as Hurricane Igor approaches. Things begin to go wrong when Cort is left alone with the neighbor girls; Liza is Cort's age, but Francie is 6. Spiraling disaster (including a cottonmouth bite suffered by Liza) leaves Cort feeling completely responsible for the safety and well-being of the three. While Cort relies on what he has learned from his father, it's clear that it's not enough. The unusual gathering of desperate animals escaping from high water is critical to the book's suspense, as are the girls' helplessness and fear. Though their situation emphasizes Cort's determination to save them and throws his heroism into relief, it is unfortunate that the story can't find a way for them to contribute. Fare to satisfy readers captivated by disaster, particularly outdoor enthusiasts, but less satisfying to aspiring feminists. (Adventure. 9-13)

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November 1, 2015

Gr 5-8-Residents along the Gulf Coast know that hurricane warnings are nothing to scoff at. Thirteen-year-old Cort Delacroix, who lives in Alabama on a houseboat with his gator-hunting father and dog, Catfish, knows the routine-you pull the boats out of the water, help neighbors board up their windows, stock up on ice, draw extra drinking water, and gas up the generator. When the storm moves closer and Cort's father hasn't returned from town, their widowed neighbor, Mrs. Stovall, goes after him, leaving her daughters in Cort's care. Winds and rain pound the house and topple a tree, causing Catfish to bolt from the house with little Francine unable to free herself from his leash. A harrowing tale of survival ensues, as big sister Liza and Cort search for the pair in treacherous floodwaters and try to avoid the wild pigs, deer, gators, bears, and poisonous snakes all heading for higher ground. Suspense is palpable, as the children become stranded in Bottle Creek, and it is apparent they are competing with dangerous wildlife for any safe space above water. Cort's unstable family life and humble home add layers to his character and will make readers root for his rescue, his budding relationship with Liza, and a resolution to his parents' separation. Details of the Gulf Coast environs, indigenous wildlife, and gritty way of life permeate the action, providing a window into possible experiences of Hurricane Katrina survivors. VERDICT A page-turner that will have readers watching where they step and looking up into trees, long after the slithering and snorting end.-Vicki Reutter, State University of New York at Cortland

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2015
Grades 5-8 Cort has grown up along the Gulf Coast, and hurricanes are a fact of life. He is especially used to the dangers of the wilderness, as his father is a river guide who leads out-of-towners through the swamp on alligator and wild hog hunts. It's not an easy lifeCort's mom left months agoand Cort struggles with what his future will be if he chooses it for himself. But when the latest hurricane arrives and Cort finds himself trapped in the swamp with two neighbor girls, he has a whole new slew of problems: he has not only a Category 3 storm to deal with but a host of gators, hogs, and snakes all battling it out for dry ground. Cort and his neighbor Liza, perhaps because of their upbringing, both seem several years older than 13, but Key's descriptions of the storm and the swamp are arresting and harrowing. A fast-paced survival story with a resourceful hero, this is Hatchet for the post-Katrina generation, and it's sure to find an audience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
Informed by Key's extensive personal experiences of hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, this action-packed survival story pits two young teens and a younger sister against the awesome storm--plus the alligators, wild hogs, bears, and snakes also seeking shelter and high ground. Add in life-threatening hypothermia and injuries, and the suspense is unrelenting. The plot is negligible, but readers won't care.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)