Dangerous Waters: An Adventure on the Titanic

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Dangerous Waters: An Adventure on the Titanic

by Gregory Mone (Goodreads Author)

3.58 of 5 stars 3.58 · rating details · 69 ratings · 30 reviews

A stowaway, a stolen book, a murderous villain: an adventure on the most famous shipwreck in history.

The great ocean liner Titanic is preparing to cross the Atlantic. On board is a sinister thief bent on stealing a rare book that may be the key to unlocking infinite treasure, a wealthy academic traveling home to America with his rare book collection, and Patrick Waters, a

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Hardcover, 240 pages

Published March 13th 2012 by Roaring Brook Press

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Titanic's 100th Anniversary

22nd out of 68 books — 96 voters

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The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Middle Grade Novels of 2012

124th out of 281 books — 446 voters

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Sep 26, 2012 Tarissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's hard to find an accurate and well-written fictional book about the Titanic. "Dangerous Waters", however, meets my expectations! It was engaging, satisfying, and even after I finished, still exhilarating. The thing that reeled me in was the main subject of the plot: books! My favorite pastime is reading, so if there is a Titanic story out there that really focuses on the wonder of books (and the terrible loss of books that went down with the Titanic), then it's probably an automatic favorite...more It's hard to find an accurate and well-written fictional book about the Titanic. "Dangerous Waters", however, meets my expectations! It was engaging, satisfying, and even after I finished, still exhilarating. The thing that reeled me in was the main subject of the plot: books! My favorite pastime is reading, so if there is a Titanic story out there that really focuses on the wonder of books (and the terrible loss of books that went down with the Titanic), then it's probably an automatic favorite of mine.

The story mostly centers around Patrick, a young Irish boy who is quite in awe of the Titanic. I felt, as the story began, an authentic sensation of anticipation of the Titanic. It is the way in which the local people speak about the big vessel that drills excitement in... the world's biggest ship ever is about to set sail this week. Other authors have tried to create this same feeling, but this is the first time I've fully appreciated the efforts made to show the sensation of what the people of Belfast were thinking.

In the plot of "Dangerous Waters", the story sometimes switches from Patrick to one of the other characters, like Berryman, who is trying to steal and acquire a certain rare copy of Sir Francis Bacon's book that is supposed to carry a secret, hidden in code. I rather enjoyed getting the entire story by "watching" the different characters, instead of it always focusing on just one main character. Harry Widener is another of the characters in this book---he was a real passenger on the Titanic, and I think his presence in the book authenticated the entire story. What strikes me as odd, is the fact that usually I do not like famous people from the Titanic taking a key role in a fictional story---I don't generally approve of this because it never feels genuine---but it worked! I actually loved how Harry Widener fit right in.

There are subjects like drinking included in the story---but this tends to go with the subject matter of Titanic and that time era. Patrick himself had a job in a pub. There is also much talk about spit, tobacco, spittoons, etc., which did get a bit graphic at times, but slightly hilarious.

If there's one thing I don't understand about the entire book, it is this minor detail: Why did Emily, a girl from the story, get featured on the front cover? Perhaps it was a marketing idea from the publisher, to make the book appealing to both boys and girls, but the main character is Patrick, whereas Emily has a very minor part.

I really applaud Gregory Mone's writing ability! Great book! (less)

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May 17, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ages 8-12. Patrick's brother is a Trimmer on the new ocean liner the Titanic, and 12-year-old Patrick finds an opportunity to sneak on board to work "like a man" alongside his brother. Meanwhile, Harry Widener, a wealthy passenger, carries a valuable book that another passenger, Mr. Rockwell, believes carries a code instructing how to make gold from ordinary metal and is anxious to get his hands on. He has even hired a thief to get the book for him. Patrick faints in the boiler room and is reass...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Phoebe rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Cheryl, Deborah, Valerie

Shelves: adventure, juv, historical, titanic

Gregory Mone can write--I was pleasantly surprised from page 1. Atmosphere and plot, though amply developed, don't get in the way of the action of this well-thought-out, historically based tale of Harry Widener, his rare book collection traveling home on the Titanic, and the two (purely fictional) men plotting to steal a particularly special one for the secret formula it might contain. But the main character is Patrick Waters, a young man who wants to do more in life than wash dishes at his loca...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Ashley (Firestarbooks) rated it 3 of 5 stars

First of all I loved all the different point of views. The characters were very lovable. I really loved James; he seemed like a perfect big brother. Though there were a lot of names to remember in the first two chapters that it can get a little confusing.

The book is quite descriptive but it still left me thinking up my own idea of the setting. The Titanic is beautifully described.

The book didn't have the amount of suspense as I hoped. It was good, but it definitely didn't blow me away. I wish G...more First of all I loved all the different point of views. The characters were very lovable. I really loved James; he seemed like a perfect big brother. Though there were a lot of names to remember in the first two chapters that it can get a little confusing.

The book is quite descriptive but it still left me thinking up my own idea of the setting. The Titanic is beautifully described.

The book didn't have the amount of suspense as I hoped. It was good, but it definitely didn't blow me away. I wish Greg could had played more with the secret. Go crazy! But everything was just so tone down. I want to feel the rush of fighting the bad guys, I want to feel the air burning in my lungs when the characters are running. I wanted more mind games, more betrayal, more mystery. A good example of a series that contained all that mentioned is the 39 Clues series. It is just a pleasure to read all the books.

When I was half way through the book, I kept on wondering what lay in the other half because I felt the first half was just introduction, nothing big happened. I though that Gregory stuffed the second half with the big secrets, but he didn't. Nothing really made me gasp with surprise. Plus I wanted Greg to talked about the poor passengers, and the trimmers. Greg, I think a good book will be a book on the trimmers :) And YA authors, maybe write one with romance in it. :P That I would love to read.

When I hit the 75% mark, the Titanic hit the iceberg. Only when the Titanic got hit did I felt an emotion. I panicked because of the dramatic irony in the book. I also almost tear up when I read about how hard working James was. I think I would love to have James as my boyfriend :p. Ok, back to the Titanic. So when the Titanic hit, it got a little bit more suspenseful but I was disappointed at the lack of imagination Greg had. The whole Titanic scene was almost the same as the movie Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio, but even the movie had more action with Rose trying to save the locked up Jack.

I do have to say, the ending just made me cry! I wanted to save Titanic from sinking. I wanted to get a boat to save all the passengers. I want to swim to pick all of the poor souls out of the water, but I can't :'(.

The epilogue was beautifully written. I wanted to cry even more. :'(

If I read this book a few years ago I might had loved it but nowadays I find that there are way more amazing books.

Overall, the book was just a little disappointing, 3.5 out of 5.(less)

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Apr 09, 2012 j.m.Brigid Bello rated it 5 of 5 stars

What did I think? I loved it, as my rating should make clear. This book was a real page turner. I wanted to know whether the young protaganist, 12-year-old Patrick Waters, was going to do the right thing and whether he would foil the scheming of the intellectually snobbish villains. If I was going to give it a genre, I would say this is a literary mystery, historical fiction, satire, suspense, adventure and more. The attention to historic detail enabled me to really visualize what it must have b...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Beth G. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, 2012, fiction, historical-fiction, titanic, books-for-kids, middle-grade, arcs, ebook-challenge-2012, ebooks

The whole city had come out to watch Titanic and the strong, heavy smell of coal filled the air. After a few breaths, gritty black dust coated his tongue. The taste of progress, as Mr. Joyce called it.

Synopsis:
April, 1912: The RMS Titanic sets sail for her maiden voyage with more than 2000 people aboard. Among the passengers on the "Queen of the Sea": a wealthy book collector with a rare and valuable volume, a cunning thief desperate for money, and a young steward looking for a chance to be a pa...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Mari Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mg-ya

A solid three stars for this MG mystery/adventure story set on the doomed Titantic. This was a good book, but not a great one. I though it started off really strong but got bogged down a bit in the middle with the excessive detailed discussions of Bacon and Stevenson and "Treasure Island". While as an adult bibliophile, I can appreciate this kind of discourse, I am not sure that the book's intended audience will appreciate being pulled away from the action and fighting. Overall though an enterta...more

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May 27, 2013 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Patrick is a 12 year old boy living in Belfast in the early 1900s. His brother has gotten a job on a luxury ship that is sailing to America. Patrick sneaks aboard the ship with stolen papers to try to work his way to America as well. But shoveling coal is just not the thing for Patrick. After he passes out, he is sent to work with the waitstaff. His job is to empty the big spittoons aboard the ship. In spite of this awful job, fortune finds Patrick in the form of a wealthy book collector who tak...more

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May 26, 2012 Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, first-reads, 2012-reads

With all the recent attention to the 100th anniversary of Titanic's tragedy, this book is a great introduction to the subject for middle grade readers. It's well written, with a glimpse of both the workers on the ship, and the elegant first class. I particularly enjoyed getting to know more about the Trimmers.

The main story is a little bit of a mystery that involves a valuable book, secrets, villains, and an unlikely 12-year-old hero. Young Patrick Waters finds himself following his brother onto...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Rose Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, read-in-2013

"Knowledge is Power"

I am fascinated with stories of the Titanic, so I was happy to see that the author stuck to the facts as far as the Titanic and it's sinking went.

I love learning tidbits and getting a glimpse into the life of the passengers.
Although some of the characters in this book are ficticious, others are not.
I did not know the story of Harry Widener, and how the Library at Harvard was named for him, after his death on the Titanic.

This is a great adventure story about a rare book, some...more

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Jun 02, 2013 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Really fast-paced with short chapters. Basically, a 14 year old sneaks his way onto the Titanic. Once there he befriends a first class passenger, and then becomes his student while aboard the ship. Along the way are two crooks trying to steal a rare book in order to find a code for alchemy, the main character's brother is working down in the engine rooms, while the inevitable iceberg looms. While some of the language is slightly difficult, this would be a great book to hand students--whether the...more

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Jun 02, 2013 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, juvenile

Another Titanic book, yawn...we already know the ending...BUT WAIT!!! A new twist here! Who knew Sir Francis Bacon was there? No, he wasn't really, but one of his books was! Based on the rare book collection of a real passenger, Harry Widener. I had to pay attention to the characters at first with all the twists, but once I had them figured out, it was a breeze and I settled in for the ride, or should I say, voyage.
Not too many other books focus on life in the boiler rooms and the Trimmers, so t...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

The story begins with a mysterious man trying to "borrow" a book from a booksellers shop, only to find that the book is on its way aboard the Titanic with its current wealthy owner Harry Widener. The book in question is Sir Francis Bacon's Essaies and the thief is Berryman. Berryman was hired by Mr. Rockwell another wealthy individual who wants the book for a treasure hunt of sorts and believes it holds the very secrets to alchemy. The story then shifts to an alehouse were the main character Pat...more The story begins with a mysterious man trying to "borrow" a book from a booksellers shop, only to find that the book is on its way aboard the Titanic with its current wealthy owner Harry Widener. The book in question is Sir Francis Bacon's Essaies and the thief is Berryman. Berryman was hired by Mr. Rockwell another wealthy individual who wants the book for a treasure hunt of sorts and believes it holds the very secrets to alchemy. The story then shifts to an alehouse were the main character Patrick is hard at work. Patrick's brother James is soon to be off as a trimmer shoveling coal on the Titanic. Patrick longs to make his mother proud like his brother. So, when opportunity arises in the way of a Titanic work slip, Patrick views this as a chance for greatness and takes the man's place. Patrick stows away but is unable to complete the duties of a trimmer and is transferred from the boiler room up to emptying spitoons. Patrick's new duties place him in direct contact with the passengers and inadvertently he insults Harry thus landing him a position as his new steward. Harry doesn't want him to fetch coffee or gather his coat, instead he wants to tutor him by having them discuss books together. At the same time Berryman and Rockwell have boarded the Titanic are still trying to get their hands on the book without much success. Mr. Rockwell fearing his thief is incapable attempts to hire Patrick by giving him an offer that is hard to refuse. When Patrick gets caught in the act of stealing the book what will Harry do and will anyone determine the secrets of Sir Francis Bacon before the Titanic meets its doom?

This is another one of those books where I'm glad that I read the authors note at the back of the book first. This is where we find the inspiration for Mone's tale and get a glimpse at photographs of the Titanic and a letter written by Harry Widener himself. It really helps set the mood and tone. There is one other character who I've failed to mention above, Emily, but she plays a very short small role. Strengths of the book are we see Patrick evolving to a person with convictions and see the strong bond between siblings. My favorite character however was Harry. He's bright, learned and passionate about books. He tries to impart his knowledge and love of books to Patrick. Berryman was my least favorite, he yearned to be thought of as a noble and uses this to try and explain that he is just borrowing a book. Rockwell stated it well when he said "his morals were delightfully malleable."

(less)

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Sep 19, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, middle-grade, historical-fiction

Twelve-year-old Patrick wants to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, who's a trimmer on the Titanic. Patrick manages to sneak on the ship and land a job as a spittoon-holder, a task more suited for his slight frame than shoveling coal. On board, Patrick stumbles across a plot by a man looking to steal a rare book from Harry, a book collector who's taken an interest in Patrick's education. Patrick has to figure out what secrets the book could hold and what he should do now that he's bee...more Twelve-year-old Patrick wants to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, who's a trimmer on the Titanic. Patrick manages to sneak on the ship and land a job as a spittoon-holder, a task more suited for his slight frame than shoveling coal. On board, Patrick stumbles across a plot by a man looking to steal a rare book from Harry, a book collector who's taken an interest in Patrick's education. Patrick has to figure out what secrets the book could hold and what he should do now that he's been asked to pick a side... and he doesn't have long to do it, because the Titanic will sink in mere days.

This was a fun read. I liked the friendship that developed between Patrick and Harry as Harry begins to tutor Patrick about literature. They had some nice discussions about what a man should be and how books influence lives. I also liked the way the author portrayed the relationship between Patrick and his brother, who were obviously built for very different lots in life but still managed to be close and care about each other. The minor characters weren't nearly as developed or even explained; for example, as a girl whose skill set helps Patrick at one point sort of pops up as if the two of them will become friends, but she really didn't add much - if anything - to the book and was simply rounding out the cast list. On the other hand, I did appreciate the fact that the author created fresh characters for the supporting cast instead of simply name-dropping the most famous people aboard the ship.

The narration jumped around a little, giving a rotating viewpoint about what was happening with the rare book and why it needed to be stolen. The plot wasn't especially deep or dramatic, but it had a nice pace and kept me entertained. The author noted at the end that the story was based on a true story, about a book collector who'd boarded the Titanic with a rare book, which made me enjoy the story even more because he did such a good job bringing everything to life and filling in the blanks with a nice fictional plot. This wasn't action-packed by any means, but it was a really nice tale with interesting characters, a terrific setting, and an intriguing plot. (less)

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Jun 07, 2013 Virginia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, children-s-literature

A fun story with good, accurate historical facts to back up the parts related to the Titanic, its construction, and its voyage. Added to an already high-interest topic are characters young readers can relate to and become involved with and a mystery that keeps you turning the pages. Great for students who are Titanic enthusiasts, as this employees that setting to tell a great story. Also a good ELA/ SS "bridge" book when students are learning about the Titanic.

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Jun 02, 2013 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, adventure

Great story that reveals the different social classes and treatment on the Titanic. Brings in the literature of Sir Francis Bacon and Robert Louis Stevenson. Definitely reads as a mystery-adventure story with some historical facts built in. A young Irish boy cleverly gets on the Titanic and becomes a steward, only to be caught between a thief determined to steal a rare book at any cost from the wealthy book collector he has been assigned to care for. Grades 4-5

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Jun 01, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5th-grade-preview-books

This could possibly be my 1st read-aloud for next year's 5th grade class. The main character is a boy who is smart and gets entangled in a mystery aboard the Titanic. Loosely based on the real life of one of the characters, this could lead to an interesting study on the Titanic.

"The great ocean liner Titanic is preparing to cross the Atlantic. Onboard is a sinister thief bent on stealing a rare book that may be the key to unlocking infinite treasure; a wealthy academic traveling home to America...more

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Jun 12, 2012 LaQuita (Just Us Girls) rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book took you on a different story on the Titanic. I actually enjoyed it. Though the first couple of chapters were pretty slow, the descriptions are amazing. Reading the descriptions you'll be able to imagine just exactly what is going on, what the characters look like, etc. It describes the Titanic perfectly. Though there could have been a bit more adventure in this book for my taste, a younger audience would actually find this very adventurous and would love it. It's a great read for kids...more

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May 31, 2012 Marge rated it 3 of 5 stars

I won an advance copy of this new book from Goodreads. It's the story of a rare book collector who boards the Titanic with a valuable first edition and the two men onboard who are trying to steal it. The description of the great ship sinking are among the best in the book.

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Jan 04, 2013 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is an excellent book. At every turn, Patrick is given a choice--- between right and wrong. He learns about courage, duty, knowledge and being a hero. The book offers a clear picture of the Titanic and her demise. Will look for other books by this author. Excellent YA novel.

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Nov 26, 2012 Mandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Twelve year old Patrick stows away on the Titanic to be with his brother James. Patrick soon unexpectantly finds himself a personal steward for a quirky intellectual named Henry. The two discover that there is a plot to steal one of the rare books Henry is carrying and they try to figure out why while aboard the unsinkable Titanic.

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May 05, 2013 Serina rated it 1 of 5 stars

i am trying to get thru it but this book is dry! i was looking for forward to it too! sad face... i have half thru it on page 112: does it get better? ....FINISHED: NOPE :(!

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Mar 31, 2012 Lola rated it 3 of 5 stars

A good old fashion mystery where villains are villains with a capital V. Perfect for new mystery readers.

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May 24, 2013 Cadie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Quick read. Very cute story.

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May 30, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-chapter-books

This book was a page turner. My kids kept wanting more... and we loved that we hadn't ever read a fictional book about someone who really lived. Might just have to read more of those.

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May 09, 2013 Kevin Hodgson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Solid read-aloud, with adventure and mystery (and Sir Bacon's famous book).

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May 31, 2012 TuRtLe marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I would love to read this book. I am not a sicko, I am devastated by the sinking of the Titanic and all the lives lost, but I love to read stories written about it. This book sounds like a good one to read, because not only do you know the boat is going to sink, but you get the added bonus of a mystery. Really brilliant.

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Apr 02, 2013 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

What a great read! Exciting, funny, and well-written, this book tells the story of a boy's adventures on the Titanic.

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Jul 08, 2012 Kyle Wendy rated it 1 of 5 stars

The blurb made this out to be better than it was, and I pretty much lost interest once he got on board the ship. Looks like a YA book but I think it's for adults. Either way; meh.

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Oct 24, 2012 Sharon Lawler rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-historical-fiction, titanic, harry-widener, bacons-essays, libraries

Very well researched and delivered, with characters from all walks of life. Especially enjoyed the integration of Harry Widener, a real passenger on the Titanic, into the mystery.

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