Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood

Reviewed by Justin

“Did you see the hole the torpedo blew in the ship?” asks Ken. “Without a lie, you could have put two double decker-buses in it!” responds Fred. Ken, his friends, and many others are in a lifeboat, floating in the ocean with not much water left. Their ship, the City of Benares, has been torpedoed by a German U-Boat, leaving them stranded.

In Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood, Ken Sparks is a thirteen-year-old boy living in England when he receives a letter from the King saying that he is eligible to go to Canada. At first, Ken thinks his mom is going to send him away for being bad, but then Ken realizes that his parents are trying to get him out of danger, because the Germans are bombing England relentlessly. Ken soon goes on a train and boards a ship called the City of Benares which is a massive cruise ship with lots of different food and toys, something Ken has never experienced. One night, when he is around 600 miles away from England, his ship gets torpedoed and the convoy that is escorting them does not rescue them. So, the men and boys on Lifeboat 12 try to sail to Ireland, but they only have enough water to last just one more day. 

One reason I really liked this book is because when something gets calm, like Ken sitting on a lifeboat, it then gets super intense, like when the people on the lifeboat think they spot an U-Boat, or someone dies. One day, a plane flies overhead and Ken identifies it as a British one. I thought they were saved, but as I turned the page, the supplies that the plane dropped landed too far away from the lifeboat, and were never seen again as they were swept away by the sea.

Another reason I kept turning the pages of this book was because of how descriptive it was. I can imagine the Germans raining bombs on London, the hull of The City of Benares exploding, and lots more scenes in this book. I also could imagine all of the characters' feelings, especially when Ken can’t find Lifeboat 8, so he goes to Lifeboat 12, and also when Ken is stranded on the lifeboat. I like these scenes because you can really get to know Ken as a person, such as when he goes back to grab his coat, or when he spots the plane.

  I would rate this book an 9/10 because of how descriptive and immersive this great book is. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about history and wars. This book is also based on the true story of Kenneth Sparks, who is an actual person that lived during the events of World War II. You should certainly check it out from the library and read it if you have the chance.

Simon and Schuster Books, 314 pages