Static

Flight 29 Down #1

by Walter Sorrells (Adaptor), D.J. MacHale (Creator), Stan Rogow (Creator)

A charter plane crash on a deserted island forces a disparate group of teenagers to bury their petty jealousies and cooperate in an attempt to survive.

Genres: Young Adult, Action, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Adventure, Survival, Mystery

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2006

About the author

Also writes under the pseudonyms of Lynn Abercrombie and Ruth Birmingham. Sorrells has now stopped writing and earns a living as a knife maker. He has a Youtube channel about it.

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was OBSESSED with this book series and television show as a kid. I was glued to my television and when I saw these books at my local bookstore, I went WILD. To me, this was the middle grade version of Lost (I could never catch that show on t.v. It was always on too late and I had to wake up early for band or swim practice... it was sad). As I cleaned my house, I found this entire series and was in awe. The nostalgia I felt knowing I used to binge these books in my bedroom, devouring them page by page... Yeah, it felt good!

Flight 29 Down crashes and a whole bunch of teens are stranded on an island and their pilot is nowhere to be found. They have to survive and try to escape, all while having the typical drama teenagers have. Oh, and Corbin Bleu is a character in it so High School Musical fans rejoice!

This was one of my introductions to dystopian fiction. Obviously, it's not the end of the world and includes no sci-fi elements, but it's scary. What would I do if I was stuck there?! Ideas like that popped into my head and I remember crafting up fan fiction in my head as I anxiously waited for the next book.

The big thing about this book is watching the characters interact with one another. Some are fearless leaders while others have no idea what they are doing. This book is big about setting up those relationships and the scene as a whole. It's a little slower and more boring than the other books, but it has to set the whole story up so it's forgivable. It's definitely a middle grade/young adult novel, and I solely loved it due to the whole nostalgia factor. I can see the target audience loving it though! I remember that I did!

Three out of five stars.

[Jagger Cummings · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was recommended this book by my brother so I decided to check it out. It is good if you like to read about survival and a book for young adults. I have read the second book and it was much better so I have decided to keep with the series. It wasn't my favorite book but I would recommend it.

[Simon Lindley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine being stranded on a deserted island with no radio signal and limited food and water. I have always loved adventure stories of survival so I decided to read Static by Walter Sorrells. The story begins with flight 29 flying over the ocean with Captain Robert Russell as the pilot. Captain Russell is not exactly an inspiring pilot with his Hawaiian shirt and flip flops. Flight 29 is struck by lightning and crashes on a deserted tropical island. The group has no radio signal and a broken plane, so Captain Russell decides to take a group with him and try to find help. Seven kids are left at the plane: Nathan who is an eagle scout and wants to be a leader, Daley who also wants to be a leader, Lex who is a very intelligent kid, Jackson the outsider, Melissa, Taylor and Eric. Some tension forms between Nathan and Daley for leadership. The group is starting to run out of food and water because they can’t agree on daily rations. The whole experience is new for the passengers of Flight 29 because they’re used to the city life. After a while the characters learn that this is a very serious situation and respect each other a little more. This book lived up to my expectations and I recommend you should this book if you want to read a quick story of survival that many people could relate to.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a great start, but it was boring in the middle.

[Jenna O · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book!! There is 8 books in the series:
#0 ten rules
#1 static ⭐️5⭐️😁
#2 the seven
#3 the return
#4 the storm
#5 scratch
#6 on fire
#7 survival
I planning on buying the rest of the series if that tells you anything. At the beginning there was so many people and I had to keep on looking on the back of the book to see who each person was that the book was talking about.But once you get later on in the book you start to figure out who each person is. I am planning on watching it on tv as well!

[Myra Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Jaelyn O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flight 29 Down is a book about these teenagers are going on a class feild trip to a jungle. But when they are flying the plane starts to crash and it goes all weird. They are all worried that the plane will crash into the ocean and they will all drown and die. But they actually end up crashing into the sand. They find out they are in the middle of now where just a jungle. They figured out that they might be there for a while and they have to make a leader and people have to have jobs like getting food and finding fresh water for people drink. Well some of the kids are getting really stressed and scared like what if no one comes and rescues them. So they are all helping out and are wondering if help is on the way soon!

[Chelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really good. Actual the story written was portryed from a tv show. This stroy was about some kids that go on a school trip. They are flying on the plane, when they go through a storm. The plane crashes and the pilet and the teacher don't survive. The five kids have to live and fend for themselves out on an island where anything could happen. Nobody knows where they are and they have no way of communication.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Lost for the tween and teen crowd. I picked it up because I love adventure/survival fiction but found it so cliched it was painful. Everyone is a cardboard character, most of the kids need a good slapping, and the "video diary" portion is really annoying. This is obviously a popular tv show starring the young black guy from High School Musical but, as a book series, ugh. I won't be bothering with the rest of the series.

[Lisa Rathbun]

For a book written AFTER the show was on TV, this was surprisingly interesting (for a YA read). Most of the characters are stereotypes (the bossy class prez, the clueless cheerleader, the lazy class clown, the brilliant whiz kid, the loner, the good girl), but several of the characters begin to take on life of their own. Their are hints of a back story that gives credibility to how they act and why they make the choices they do. I think my kids will enjoy this one.

[Lan B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was cool that the kids in the story were my age. I think it was cool that the kid that was littler than the other kids was smarter than the older kids are. I think this book is interesting how it is after a TV show. I think that jackson was the best characters in the story, he was the best because he had a lot of tools that the other characters needed.

[Mia]

I thought that the book was good. It wasn't amazing but I liked how it told the story in many different views. Toward the end, I was really annoyed with Daley and Nathan and how they always wanted to be in control. But, in the end everything turned out all right. I am excited to read the next book I and want to see the TV show.

[Knight Dreamer]

I remember loving this book so much, especially the TV show. I was obsessed. I can't believe I found it again.

[Phoebs · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 this was a great book and I am planning on reading the rest of the series ( once they get here) 😀there were a few confusing parts but other than that it was great 😊

[Destiny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Flight 29 Down is the remmix to Lord of the Flies without the violence and death. Just like Lord of the Flies there are intense arguements for leadership. There is a scarcity of food and water and they don't know when they will be rescued. The plane, 29 Down, crashed on a stranded island with a group of kids aboard on the plane. On this island there is a "picture perfect" beach and tons and tons of palm trees. But this island isn't like any ordinary island that look like little scattered green dots on a map. This island is huge and it goes for miles and miles. The students on the plane all attend Hartwell High School except for Daley's little brother Lex. Each person in this group have there own motives and objectives. You have Daley, the student body president and she wants to be the leader on the island. You have Nathan, the runner up in the presidental election and is a football player and also wants to be the leader on the island. You have Eric, the clown of the group and he just wants to have fun and relax. You have Melissa, the peacemaker. You have Taylor, the pretty, self-centered cheerleader and she also just wants to have fun and relax. You have Lex, the smart and intellectual one and he helps them survive each natural disaster that is thrown in there way. He is the thinker in the group. And last but not least you have Jackson, the outsider and he doesn't want anything to do with anyone or any situation. In the beginning of the book, it was everyone for themselves and it was "I want what I want and I better get it." But towards the end of the book they came together as a team under a helpful leader.

Overall this book is okay. But it is almost exactly like the book Lord of the Flies by william Golding. Its just not as intense as Lord of the Flies. The book has its interesting and excitng moments. After those moments the book went back to being dull and boring.

Walter Sorrells did an okay job with the book but it could have been better. Maybe it is better because this is only the first book in the series. I reccommend this book to people 12 and under becuase if you are a person like me who is looking for a good and exciting read this is not the book.

[Jorge B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good introduction to the series of Static. The writer does a really good job of introducing the setting and environment of the story. The the story is interesting to follow as a reader because it is an adventure. Book readers should definitely make an attempt to try to read this novel, especially if the reader enjoys adventurous stories that have a well laid out plot of events. The writer of this book does a really great job using literature devices to help the reader understand the series of events and different scenes that each character is involved with. For instance, the writer uses imagery greatly. He use great words to allow the reader to form an image of the situation the characters are dealing with. This is really good as a writer to have and use to give the readers a image and therefore allow them to follow the plot of the book more easily. Not only that but the writer also uses metaphors with the characters' dialogue to emphasis the sarcasm the characters have. If one were to read the book, it would be easy to understand that the characters are involved in a terrifying situation in the middle of no where. These events obviously forces the characters to change character which is why the author's use of metaphors is important to be included so the readers understand the changes of character amongst the characters involved. This is a great novel to read if one would like to experience these literary devices.

[Lachelle Opp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book soooo much. They used to have a tv show that was about it, and my sister and I would watch it all the time. It is really fun and exciting and there is not one point where you are bored in it.

It is adventerouse and has a really good life lesson to it. It teaches you to work with one another and to not give up know matter how hard something is. There is alot of things to say about this book but the most important things are the lessons and how GREAT of a book this was. This is a MUST GET book. It is probably the best book I have ever read!! You would enjoy reading this book because I did.

Flight 29 down is about some kids that were on a trip to a country and while they were in the plane, it started jerking back and forth and then they crashed into an island. The pilot went off to see if there was anybody on the island and he just left the kids there. He never returned back since then. So Daley, a girl who like to take control, was the one that was in charge. Her little brother Lex was very smart, and he knew if hurricanes or storms were coming near by, so he pretty much kept an eye out for trouble. There is alot more of fun and interesting things in this book but I will leave that for you to read.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deserted islands have always had an allure to them, and nowhere is that proven more than in the entertainment world. From well-known classic fiction such as Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island and Johann Wyss' Swiss Family Robinson, to television shows and movies ranging from comedies (Gilligan's Island, Love Wrecked) to survival dramas (Lost, The Blue Lagoon)...yeah, it's been done numerous times. The Flight 29 Down series, which exists both in television and literary form, is sort of a Disney-Channel-esque take on Lord of the Flies, which isn't surprising, since the show's producer's most famous work is Lizzie McGuire. It's all Disney clean, except for the language; several misuses of God's name mar what is otherwise a family-friendly adventure. I haven't seen the original show, so I can't compare the book to it, but those looking for an old-school book serial shouldn't be disappointed in Static, the premiere novel. Let's hope that the rest of the series is just as good, if not better.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. The characters seemed diverse to me and the situations real for landing on a diserted island and having to figure out food, shelter, water, and what not. But I didn't conect with the story. It had its moments but mostly I just wasn't there with it. I felt that the characters could be deeper, just something kept me from really getting into them, and that there could have been more description and that my emotions could have been pulled more into it. But it just wasn't. Not sure why, there just seemed to be something missing. Also, I personally didn't like the swearing or God's name used in vain. Or one of the boy characters trying to get one of the girls but put down her guard, just not things I really like in books but it seemed like the characters were getting that this was a serious situation and that might be typical boy. This book is based off a TV show, one episode of which I watched and it was alright, so, if interested, give it a try.

[Kylie W · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is about a group of kids going on a trip when all of a sudden they find the wing of the plane is on fire and they all start panicking. This is a very interesting and adverterous book. I like this book so far because once you start reading it its like you dont want to stop and you want to keep on reading the book to find out what is going to happen next. I got hooked on this when in the first few pages so far when they are all panicking on what is going to happen to them. I honestly thought they were all going to land in the middle of the ocean and all die. I thought they were dead forsure and had to chance to survive. They do land saftley and not in the middle of the ocean. They land on a little island in the middle of nowhere right by the ocean on the sand. They have a great and advetrous time together.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten people stranded on a desert island. What would you do? Nine kids and their pilot are on their way to a school fundraised vacation. They have been fundraising for months. Boom! Their plane crashes. They split up, which wasn’t the best idea, two kids and the pilot go to try and find help. The other six stay and wait for them to return, with help. One of the six is Lex, a ten year old Albert Einstein. They had a video camera and started making a video diary about what they are enduring for when they are rescued, if they are rescued. The video diary helps keep hopes up for survival. This is book one of this series. I can’t wait to see if they get rescued. I really enjoyed this book because it was full of things that keep you guessing what was going to happen. Anyone can read this book. It was scary and funny. I think anyone who reads the book will love it.

[James Hargest Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suddenly a storm front appears as a group of teenagers are aboard a charter plane. Until all of a sudden there is a loud explosion, rocking everyone around and changing the planes heading, down towards a deserted island. It crashes with no casualties, while the pilot disappears to find help the teenagers are left alone, desperate with minimal food and water. This is the first story in an amazing series that will show readers how to survive on a deserted island.
Static tells the reader of an amazing story; how a group of teenagers managed to survive on an island, full of many difficulties and obstacles to overcome. Static is a great book, and can get confiscated if you read it during class time. If your and adventure and thriller reader, or just want to try something new this is the book to start with. - Ben K

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

It says it's a prequel, it's not really, it's just the story, as same as the first few episodes of the T.V. series. I really enjoyed this. It was a nice clean story made for kids. Okay it has danger and people getting hurt in it, but it's not gruesome. All the kids just want to get home. To me it would be a little more realistic if they relished the time away from adults more, just for a few days, they were all so sensible. But it was nice to see that. They mostly got on, had their differences though.

The idea of crashing on a deserted island is a very scary one. With not much food and only one adult who goes off into the jungle, also not much drinking water, it would be too frightening for some kids that age.

Overall it was a really good read, looking forward to reading the second one :)

Four out of five stars

[Demetrios · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book from the school library when I had nothing else to read. It is about an extremely varied group of high school students who crash land on an uninhabited island. This book shows how truly oblivious and helpless these teenagers are when faced with a deadly situation like theirs. They must learn to work together to survive and bring out something inside them they didn’t thing they had before. One of my favorite quotes is by the pilot. He says, “Guys, here’s a news flash, this isn’t your vacation destination!” This illustrated how unaware they are of their situation, acting like they will be rescued shortly. I was hooked by the style the story was written in, and had a better understanding of the story from various character perspectives. I recommend this book to teens and younger readers. This book will be relished by anyone who reads about drama and survival.

[Kadenp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book three stars because it wasn't very beliveable because it's almost impossible to get off an island with a plane that has just crash landed. It was however pretty good because it kept me interested because it was very action filled. At the beginning they were going to an island called Palau for a school trip that they had been wanting to go on for a long time. They save up for about 2 years for this trip. On the way the plane's engine starts on fire and starts the wing on fire. After that they started droping from the sky and crash landed on a island. Then the captin leaves them. After that they fix the plane and get the piolet and take off for their vacation in Palau.

[Scott Dike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flight 29 Down is an amazing novel that is written for anybody who enjoys a suspenseful adventure book. The novel shows how people from different homes and beliefs can handle tough situations and become a leader if need be. Everybody in the book plays a key role in how they survive on an island that they crash landed on. The kids have to live off of what they have with them and what ever they find in the deep dark mysterious island that seems to go on forever. None of them know how long they will be there or how long they will be able to last with out being rescued, food and supplies are running out, will they survive, all alone with no adults to keep them in line, that is for you to find out, go read Flight 29 Down.

[Joseph H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flight 29 Down number 1 is a lot of things, mysterious not being one of them. Flight 29 Down is a book about 7 kids who have crash landed on a desert island and are completely isolated from all communication to the outside world. They have to learn to work together and get along or they will end up as shark food. My favorite part of this book is when one of the kids, Nathan, tries to get coconuts from a tree then decides that he has to flick the Tarantula that's crawling up his arm, he then falls off the tree and lays unconscious for several hours until Lex and Jackson find him. I recommend this book to everyone.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it for the survival aspect and the kids trying to come up with ways to make sure they would be okay because it is always interesting to attempt to put myself in the same position. That being said, if I was an additional survivor on the island, I would have strangled most of my peers for how frustratingly self-centered and dumb they are. It was tough to read at those points, but those actions are probably indicative of how some young adults (and adults) might act in a situation in which they believe they will be quickly rescued. Overall, a decent start to a series with a cast of characters that are all very different from each other.

[Hailey Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was really good. Its about kids who are on their way to an island to do stuff for school or something. But then as they are in a plane flying there is a big storm and the plane crashes. Now they have to survive with limited supplies. Everyone is freaking out. Then some of the kids leave and go to explore more of the island while the others try to survive. During the book there is a lot of fighting and disagreements. This is only the first book of the series but I really enjoyed the book so I'm going to keep reading the series. If you like a lot of adventure and action and a little bit of suspense then you'll like Flight 29 Down.

[Austin F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Static is the first book in the flight 29 down series. I saw the TV show about 2 summers ago and I wasn’t very excited to say the least. This book didn’t make it much better. It’s an ok book but the plot seems kind of cheesy. It did have a mixed variety of characters but they seemed stereotypical and sort of fake. The part where this book shined was it involved mystery, romance, action, teenage life. It had all the parts to be a successful book. It was a pretty good but not on my top 10 list.