Defiant

"This book is by turns exciting, dark, and moving--it's a hallucinatory and mysterious take on the pirate novels I loved as a kid." --Mac Barnett, bestselling author of the Brixton Brothers and The Terrible Two series "[M]esmerizing. Young people will root for this unlikely crew as, one by one, each member meets challenges with growing maturity... The Defiant will appeal to middle grade and young adult readers interested in adventure, mystery, and eerie situations." --The Children's Book Review "A quirky, fast-moving sea odyssey with a diverse and well-realized cast." --Kirkus "An unsettling, fablelike debut... Quint creates an intriguing satire on the excesses of civilization, as well as a tense adventure in its own right." --Publishers Weekly "The action filled tale is coupled with the volatile tensions that are raised by ethical questions in this arresting novel." --Bay Area News Group "A ragtag group of kids from the last-chance Greenly School are on a field trip abroad the Defiant--the ship of legendary explorer Sir Francesco de Ventana--when all of a sudden a pink flash lights up the sky and a huge wave unmoors the ship from the dock. Suddenly the kids find themselves sailing the open waters alone in a strange world." --Middle Shelf "What was supposed to be a simple field trip takes an unforeseeable turn when a freak storm overtakes Gabriel and his classmates on their tour of the Defiant, a rediscovered explorer's ship. Pink lightning explodes through the sky as the ship is battered by waves until the storm finally calms, revealing that their teacher and guide have washed overboard, and the entire coast is engulfed in flames. After realizing that no one is coming to save them, the kids establish a chain of command, with Gabriel as captain. The refreshingly diverse crew members--encompassing a range of ethnicities, ages, and economic backgrounds--learn tricks for survival and how to sail the caravel they now call home. With shades of Lord of the Flies, this well-written novel pits the Defiant's crew not only against nature but the other communities of survivors they encounter--comprised entirely of children. This high-seas adventure offers much to ponder, and although answers may be elusive, readers will be swept up in the dangers, interesting character dynamics, and resilient spirit coursing through its pages." --Booklist