“Sink or Swim” is a historical fiction novel written by Steve Watkins (author of the I Survive series). Inspired by the true story of the brave young boy, Calvin Graham, who, at age 13, enlisted in the US Navy and served on the battleship USS South Dakota in the South Pacific in intense fighting with the Japanese.

The story starts with an incident that happens with Colton’s older brother during their fishing trip. His seventeen-year-old brother, Danny, was injured, so Colton decided to assume his brother’s identity, and enlisted into the US Navy. After that Colton’s journey begins.

As for me, the most intense and tragic part of this book is when, after the battle, a U-boat explodes beneath Colton’s patrol craft, killing his closest shipmate and wounding Colton’s leg. The survivors are set adrift in an overloaded lifeboat with few rations and connection with anyone. The author excellently describes their attempts to survive in the ocean for a couple of weeks during mid October without food, water, under the sun in the daytime and sometimes surrounded by sharks. But at that time Colton’s thoughts were about his family: “I prayed we would be rescued, and I prayed that if we weren’t, that Mama and Danny would somehow find out what happened to me, and would know that I loved them all the way to the end.”

I would recommend this book for young readers ( ages 8-12 ), who likes stories about World War II and who also enjoys books about U boats or Navy. I liked this novel.

Review by Marianna