What do you think?
Swamped!
Having snagged a job for a high-end swamp tour company, Jack Cane Landry—Louisiana homeboy and self-professed swamp rat--wants to ditch school and guide fulltime. Poised, articulate, world-traveled, Olivia FitzGerald loves her private New York City prep school and is Harvard bound. When Olivia and her philanthropist father jet in for a tour Jack will help guide, these wildly different teens get flung together in dire circumstances. The plane carrying the party to a remote camp crashes--and Jack and Olivia are the only apparent survivors. Jack soon begins to wonder if his swamp savvy is enough to assure their rescue, but can this rich city girl rise to a challenge where the stakes are life and death? As the teens face down lethal reptiles, a prowling swamp cat, a gun-toting ne’er-do-well and weather intent on killing them, Swamped! wraps nonstop adventure into an unlikely romance.
240 pages, Paperback
Published January 13, 2023
About the author
Ken Wells
12 books25 followers Ken Wells, journalist and novelist, grew up second of six sons on the banks of Bayou Black deep in South Louisiana's Cajun country. His father was a part-time alligator hunter and snake collector and his Cajun-French-speaking mother a gumbo chef extraordinaire.
Wells began his journalism career covering car wrecks and gator sightings for the weekly Houma, La., Courier newspaper. He has gone on to an adventurous career: a Pulitzer Prize finalist for the Miami Herald; editor of two Pulitzer-Prize-winning projects for Page One of The Wall Street Journal where, over a 24-year period, he also roamed the U.S. and the globe covering among other stories the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the first Persian Gulf War and South Africa's transition to a multiracial democracy. He later served as a senior editor for Conde Nast Portfolio magazine and spent six years at Bloomberg News/Businessweek as both a senior writer and editor before leaving in 2015 to pursue book writing full-time.
He is the author of six well-received novels of the Cajun bayous: Meely LaBauve (a 2000 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book); Junior's Leg (2001); Logan's Storm (2002); and Crawfish Mountain (2007). Tom Wolfe said of Crawfish Mountain, "Ken Wells is the Cajun Carl Hiaasen." In 2010, Knopf Young Adult published his YA novel, Rascal, a Dog and His Boy. His sixth novel, Swamped! is a fast-paced YA survival story set in Louisiana's exotic and forbidding Atchafalaya Swamp. It was co-authored with his niece Hillary Wells and published in January of 2023.
Wells has penned four works of narrative non-fiction: Travels with Barley: A Quest for the Perfect Beer Joint, a travelogue through America's $75 billion beer industry; The Good Pirates of the Forgotten Bayous, a story of blue-collar heroism in the wake of Hurricane Katrina; Gumbo Life: Tales from the Roux Bayou, published by W.W. Norton in 2019 and republished as a paperback by Blair Publisher in 2024; and Boudin, a lively travelogue through the mania surrounding Louisiana's most popular sausage, that was published by LSU Press on April 14 as part of its Louisiana True series. The Pirates, published in September 2008 by Yale University Press, won the Harry Chapin book award in September 2009. A paperback version was published by YUP in 2015. Gumbo Life, meanwhile, was chosen by the Louisiana Center for the Book to represent the state at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., last fall.
While serving as an editor on Page One of The Wall Street Journal, Ken was also chosen to edit two anthologies of "A-heds," the beloved middle-column feature that has appeared on the front page of the paper since the early 1940s. Floating Off the Page was published in 2003 and Herd on the Street: Animal Stories from The Wall Street Journal was published in 2007.
Ken more recently is the author the whimsical Christmas novella, A Christmas Tree Without a House: The Tale of Sam and the Mysterious Joseph E.W. Pine (A Very Possibly True Story) available on Amazon and which is now an audiobook on Audible. Kirkus Reviews called it "enchanting." Ken's journalistic and literary accomplishments were honored in 2009 when he was awarded an honorary doctorate from his undergraduate alma mater, Nicholls State University, and was inducted as a Louisiana Legend by Louisiana Public Broadcasting that same year.
Ken divides his time these days between Chicago and a lovely little summer log cabin in the wilds of Maine. He's an avid photographer, hiker and fisherman and dabbles in blues and jazz guitar and songwriting. He cooks a mean Cajun gumbo and visits Louisiana every chance he gets.
Wells began his journalism career covering car wrecks and gator sightings for the weekly Houma, La., Courier newspaper. He has gone on to an adventurous career: a Pulitzer Prize finalist for the Miami Herald; editor of two Pulitzer-Prize-winning projects for Page One of The Wall Street Journal where, over a 24-year period, he also roamed the U.S. and the globe covering among other stories the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the first Persian Gulf War and South Africa's transition to a multiracial democracy. He later served as a senior editor for Conde Nast Portfolio magazine and spent six years at Bloomberg News/Businessweek as both a senior writer and editor before leaving in 2015 to pursue book writing full-time.
He is the author of six well-received novels of the Cajun bayous: Meely LaBauve (a 2000 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book); Junior's Leg (2001); Logan's Storm (2002); and Crawfish Mountain (2007). Tom Wolfe said of Crawfish Mountain, "Ken Wells is the Cajun Carl Hiaasen." In 2010, Knopf Young Adult published his YA novel, Rascal, a Dog and His Boy. His sixth novel, Swamped! is a fast-paced YA survival story set in Louisiana's exotic and forbidding Atchafalaya Swamp. It was co-authored with his niece Hillary Wells and published in January of 2023.
Wells has penned four works of narrative non-fiction: Travels with Barley: A Quest for the Perfect Beer Joint, a travelogue through America's $75 billion beer industry; The Good Pirates of the Forgotten Bayous, a story of blue-collar heroism in the wake of Hurricane Katrina; Gumbo Life: Tales from the Roux Bayou, published by W.W. Norton in 2019 and republished as a paperback by Blair Publisher in 2024; and Boudin, a lively travelogue through the mania surrounding Louisiana's most popular sausage, that was published by LSU Press on April 14 as part of its Louisiana True series. The Pirates, published in September 2008 by Yale University Press, won the Harry Chapin book award in September 2009. A paperback version was published by YUP in 2015. Gumbo Life, meanwhile, was chosen by the Louisiana Center for the Book to represent the state at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., last fall.
While serving as an editor on Page One of The Wall Street Journal, Ken was also chosen to edit two anthologies of "A-heds," the beloved middle-column feature that has appeared on the front page of the paper since the early 1940s. Floating Off the Page was published in 2003 and Herd on the Street: Animal Stories from The Wall Street Journal was published in 2007.
Ken more recently is the author the whimsical Christmas novella, A Christmas Tree Without a House: The Tale of Sam and the Mysterious Joseph E.W. Pine (A Very Possibly True Story) available on Amazon and which is now an audiobook on Audible. Kirkus Reviews called it "enchanting." Ken's journalistic and literary accomplishments were honored in 2009 when he was awarded an honorary doctorate from his undergraduate alma mater, Nicholls State University, and was inducted as a Louisiana Legend by Louisiana Public Broadcasting that same year.
Ken divides his time these days between Chicago and a lovely little summer log cabin in the wilds of Maine. He's an avid photographer, hiker and fisherman and dabbles in blues and jazz guitar and songwriting. He cooks a mean Cajun gumbo and visits Louisiana every chance he gets.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 25, 2023
I loved this book!
OK, it is clearly a Young Adult novel, and I come nowhere near qualifying for that category. But I thoroughly enjoyed this survival adventure novel set in Louisiana's Atchafalaya basin. I even teared up in Chapter 28.
As a transplanted south Louisiana native I enjoy reading novels set in my native locale. Most are a big disappointment; some give the impression that the author randomly chose the location but had never even visited. Ken Wells' novels are decidedly not in this category.
This novel, in fact, was fully authentic as well as believable, suspenseful, and fun. I even learned a few things about my former habitat, like what is "un gross cisseaux, " and that a nutria bleats like a sheep. You'll have to read it yourself to understand those references.
Bonus: a delightful demitasse of magical realism.
Full disclosure: I was given a complimentary copy of this book in return for an absolutely honest opinion.
OK, it is clearly a Young Adult novel, and I come nowhere near qualifying for that category. But I thoroughly enjoyed this survival adventure novel set in Louisiana's Atchafalaya basin. I even teared up in Chapter 28.
As a transplanted south Louisiana native I enjoy reading novels set in my native locale. Most are a big disappointment; some give the impression that the author randomly chose the location but had never even visited. Ken Wells' novels are decidedly not in this category.
This novel, in fact, was fully authentic as well as believable, suspenseful, and fun. I even learned a few things about my former habitat, like what is "un gross cisseaux, " and that a nutria bleats like a sheep. You'll have to read it yourself to understand those references.
Bonus: a delightful demitasse of magical realism.
Full disclosure: I was given a complimentary copy of this book in return for an absolutely honest opinion.
June 16, 2023
Ken Wells, author of the Bayou classic "Meely LaBauve," has delivered another literary triumph (with an assist from his multi-talented niece Hillary) with Swamped! -- a fast-paced, heart-stopping, and romantic tale about two young adults fighting to survive in Louisiana's massive and environmentally-rich Great Atchafalaya Swamp. Jack Landry is a tour guide with a big heart, a sharp mind and a passion for all creatures, large and small, inhabiting one of the largest swamps in the world, which covers a big part of Louisiana. Jack hails from a Cajun lineage, and his story is studded with informative references to Cajun cuisine, landscape and French phrases. Olivia, a visitor from an elite New York City family, survives the crash of a small plane carrying Jack, Olivia's father and a pilot. Separated from these two adults, Jack and Olivia experience a series of adventures that expand their own sense of their capabilities -- and display the immense knowledge that Ken Wells, himself a native of Louisiana, possesses of the region's wildlife, foliage and imminent hazards. Vivid detail, well-drawn characters and a propulsive plot make for a gripping read that stays with you long after this imaginative "buddy" story ends. Through facing and overcoming existential threats common, Jack and Olivia -- young people from radically different backgrounds who's approach to life seems alien to one another at first -- find bridges and forms of communion that transform their differences into complementary strengths. At once an inspirational tale of survival in a unique environment and a budding romance between two well-drawn characters, Swamped! achieves literary distinction while cleverly educating readers in the sights and sounds, terms and phrases, of the most unique landscapes in America. Written with a dramatic quality that enlivens dreamlike scenes of unusual challenges, Wells continues to build a legacy as one of our finest storytellers of a Deep South that continues to spawn American originals even while misunderstood and often neglected. So endearing are Jack and Olivia, so sweet and profound is their "coming of age" that by the close of this fine, dignified and yet exhilarating novel I yearn for a sequel!
February 3, 2023
I was looking forward to this one, but I have to admit it wasn’t all I hoped it to be. Ken Wells teamed on this one with his niece Hilary, an accomplished journalist and entertainer in her own right.
I really enjoyed Ken Wells’ Meely LaBauve bayou trilogy. I have to admit I wish he had picked up the storylines from those books for some future ones. This one, although a celebration of the bayou and its challenges, and a very feel-good plot, just seemed a little rote for me. I enjoyed the bayou, and I cheered for the heroes, but that’s about all.
The plot is pretty straightforward. Olivia Fitzgerald is a teenager on a tourist swamp tour with her wealthy father. Jack Landry is also a teenager, but an experienced swamp guide in the bayou.
Jack and Olivia bring a country boy/city girl romantic subplot to the story. Although engaging, it’s a little bit something you immediately glom onto once you get the characters — you know this is going to happen.
On their way into the Atchafalaya by boat plane, they fly into a powerful storm, and their plane crashes into a remote part of the swamp.
Olivia is unconscious, but Jack is unhurt and able to carry her away from the crashed plane, now in pieces strewn across the swamp and sinking away into it. He can’t get to the pilot or Olivia’s father, who were in the front seats of the plane. But he can save Olivia.
Jack has no idea where they may be or what might be the way out. He knows he needs to get to dryer high ground with Olivia, out of the most dangerous waters and flotants populated by alligators, snakes, and other denizens of the swamp.
There are other denizens — in particular, outlaw marijuana operatives — to deal with. Throughout, we follow Olivia and Jack through test after test, hoping with them for their survival and rescue.
What more did I want? I guess some twists and turns of character? There were some surprises in the challenges — I wouldn’t say that you’ll always see the next thing coming. But there will be a next thing coming.
You certainly root for Olivia and Jack, to survive and to grow together. All good. Just not the something special I was hoping for.
I really enjoyed Ken Wells’ Meely LaBauve bayou trilogy. I have to admit I wish he had picked up the storylines from those books for some future ones. This one, although a celebration of the bayou and its challenges, and a very feel-good plot, just seemed a little rote for me. I enjoyed the bayou, and I cheered for the heroes, but that’s about all.
The plot is pretty straightforward. Olivia Fitzgerald is a teenager on a tourist swamp tour with her wealthy father. Jack Landry is also a teenager, but an experienced swamp guide in the bayou.
Jack and Olivia bring a country boy/city girl romantic subplot to the story. Although engaging, it’s a little bit something you immediately glom onto once you get the characters — you know this is going to happen.
On their way into the Atchafalaya by boat plane, they fly into a powerful storm, and their plane crashes into a remote part of the swamp.
Olivia is unconscious, but Jack is unhurt and able to carry her away from the crashed plane, now in pieces strewn across the swamp and sinking away into it. He can’t get to the pilot or Olivia’s father, who were in the front seats of the plane. But he can save Olivia.
Jack has no idea where they may be or what might be the way out. He knows he needs to get to dryer high ground with Olivia, out of the most dangerous waters and flotants populated by alligators, snakes, and other denizens of the swamp.
There are other denizens — in particular, outlaw marijuana operatives — to deal with. Throughout, we follow Olivia and Jack through test after test, hoping with them for their survival and rescue.
What more did I want? I guess some twists and turns of character? There were some surprises in the challenges — I wouldn’t say that you’ll always see the next thing coming. But there will be a next thing coming.
You certainly root for Olivia and Jack, to survive and to grow together. All good. Just not the something special I was hoping for.
February 20, 2023
Seventeen year old Jack Landry loves the Louisiana swampland he has called home all his life, which has led him to become a sought-after tour guide for the Great Atchafalaya Swamp. What begins as a banal excursion with a wealthy New Yorker and his daughter Olivia turns suddenly south when a storm causes their small aircraft to crash unexpectedly into the swamp as far from civilization as one can be. With Olivia breathing but unconscious, Jack must call on all his strength and knowledge to find a way safely out of the swamp without letting any of the many dangerous creatures living there get to them first. But that is only the beginning, and the two unlikely companions are left fighting for survival against the greatest of odds.
This high octane young adult thriller is well written and incorporates excellent pacing, keeping readers’ adrenaline pumping from the very first page. As Jack is a native to the Cajun backcountry of Louisiana, his many life experiences come to the forefront as he and Olivia make their way through the swampland. From knowledge of the many varied flora and fauna found there to tips and tricks he has collected from stories shared with him by his Paw-Paw, Jack is uniquely prepared for the harrowing experience set before him. Cajun French and the general dialect of southern Louisiana are woven elegantly into the narrative, which thoroughly immerses readers in the landscape Jack calls home.
Though much of the story takes place in Jack’s present as he is navigating the Atchafalaya swamp with Olivia in tow, occasional flashbacks give readers insight into exactly how Jack found himself in this position. Each character’s personality is built in pieces, which enhances the overall plot despite Jack being the primary focus. Occasional strong language and mature moments appear within the text, though these are relevant to the context of the story and serve to support the effectiveness of its delivery. Fans of survival stories like Hatchet will appreciate the intensity of this novel as Jack and Olivia dig deep to become the heroes of their own story. This is an excellent addition to library collections for young adult readers.
This high octane young adult thriller is well written and incorporates excellent pacing, keeping readers’ adrenaline pumping from the very first page. As Jack is a native to the Cajun backcountry of Louisiana, his many life experiences come to the forefront as he and Olivia make their way through the swampland. From knowledge of the many varied flora and fauna found there to tips and tricks he has collected from stories shared with him by his Paw-Paw, Jack is uniquely prepared for the harrowing experience set before him. Cajun French and the general dialect of southern Louisiana are woven elegantly into the narrative, which thoroughly immerses readers in the landscape Jack calls home.
Though much of the story takes place in Jack’s present as he is navigating the Atchafalaya swamp with Olivia in tow, occasional flashbacks give readers insight into exactly how Jack found himself in this position. Each character’s personality is built in pieces, which enhances the overall plot despite Jack being the primary focus. Occasional strong language and mature moments appear within the text, though these are relevant to the context of the story and serve to support the effectiveness of its delivery. Fans of survival stories like Hatchet will appreciate the intensity of this novel as Jack and Olivia dig deep to become the heroes of their own story. This is an excellent addition to library collections for young adult readers.
February 27, 2023
I got this from a friend who thought I might like it because I once lived in Louisiana. It's not the kind of book I would normally buy on my own but I thoroughly enjoyed it! It's technically a YA novel but I think adult readers will like it as well.
I saw one reviewer compared it favorably with Hatchet and I think that's right--just a more sophisticated set up involving two protagonists instead of a lone survivor. Jack Landry is a Cajun kid who grew up in the swamp and learned to navigate the swamp from his grandpa. It's his playground. Olivia FitzGerald is a private school girl who grew up in New York City and is headed to Harvard. She's never set foot in the place. That sets up some fun. The dialogue between the kids, who couldn't come from more different upbringings, is spirited and at times quite funny despite (or maybe because of) their dire circumstances. At some point they come to realize that they are not so different--they have anxieties, aspirations and complicated family dynamics that any teen might recognize. And they show what kids can do with their backs to the wall--they are courageous, resourceful, determined and by the end develop a great respect for each other. You desperately want them to survive.
The authors write with great authority about the swamp and Cajun culture so you learn a lot but it flows seamlessly into the plot so it doesn't seem like homework. There are some expletives and scenes involving mild intimacy but it's all within the context of the story and they never seem forced. And as others have noted, it's a quick read with often unpredictable twists in the plot. For English teachers looking for a novel that boy readers would enjoy as much as girl readers, this is the one. Highly recommended!
I saw one reviewer compared it favorably with Hatchet and I think that's right--just a more sophisticated set up involving two protagonists instead of a lone survivor. Jack Landry is a Cajun kid who grew up in the swamp and learned to navigate the swamp from his grandpa. It's his playground. Olivia FitzGerald is a private school girl who grew up in New York City and is headed to Harvard. She's never set foot in the place. That sets up some fun. The dialogue between the kids, who couldn't come from more different upbringings, is spirited and at times quite funny despite (or maybe because of) their dire circumstances. At some point they come to realize that they are not so different--they have anxieties, aspirations and complicated family dynamics that any teen might recognize. And they show what kids can do with their backs to the wall--they are courageous, resourceful, determined and by the end develop a great respect for each other. You desperately want them to survive.
The authors write with great authority about the swamp and Cajun culture so you learn a lot but it flows seamlessly into the plot so it doesn't seem like homework. There are some expletives and scenes involving mild intimacy but it's all within the context of the story and they never seem forced. And as others have noted, it's a quick read with often unpredictable twists in the plot. For English teachers looking for a novel that boy readers would enjoy as much as girl readers, this is the one. Highly recommended!
February 21, 2023
In Louisiana’s Great Atchafalaya Swamp, we meet Jack Landry, a swamp tour guide who in lieu of furthering his education after high school dreams of owning his own tour company. Jack and his coworker Joe take Terrence FitzGerald a philanthropist, and his daughter Olivia a Harvard bound prep student for a plane tour of the swamp area. Disaster strikes when a surprise storm causes the plane to crash in the marsh. Jack and Olivia survive and begin a harrowing journey through the swamp trying to find their way out as nature uses all its forces to deny their escape.
I love when a novel captures my attention on the first page. This one definitely did and continued throughout. I enjoyed the dynamic of Jack and Olivia. Coming from different social and geographical backgrounds, they discover hidden strengths in themselves and each other as they struggle for their lives.
I love when a novel captures my attention on the first page. This one definitely did and continued throughout. I enjoyed the dynamic of Jack and Olivia. Coming from different social and geographical backgrounds, they discover hidden strengths in themselves and each other as they struggle for their lives.
February 2, 2023
A fun survival tale taking place in the swamps of LA. Jack and Olivia are involved in a plane crash with Olivia's father and Jack's employer. But when the plane breaks apart, they're left stranded in one of the most deadly, uninhabited environments, struggling to survive. Not knowing if anyone else has made it, they must rely on each other to survive alligators, snakes, and the threat of dying of thirst and hunger.
February 5, 2023
What a wild, fun ride! Can't say that I'll be going to the Louisiana swamps anytime soon, with all the dangers these characters encounter, but I loved how the vivid, cinematic descriptions made me feel like I was there. I couldn't put it down!
February 28, 2023
I taught Hatchet as a 6th grade ELA teacher a few years ago. This was very much like Hatchet, but in the Louisiana swamps. I recommended it to my now 8th graders. It has suspense, survival, and just a hint of romance.
March 8, 2023
Excellent novel for middle grade students! I recently retired after 45 years in education, and one of the difficulties with young readers is finding a novel that appeals to boys as well as girls . This one hits the mark!
March 31, 2023
Sent a complimentary copy by News21 for my review.
Received soft cover edition.
A fun, romantic survival story of Jack and Olivia in swamps of Louisiana.
Culture clash and various physical dangers combine to make an entertaining read.
Received soft cover edition.
A fun, romantic survival story of Jack and Olivia in swamps of Louisiana.
Culture clash and various physical dangers combine to make an entertaining read.
June 22, 2023
Swamped
Wonderful book and storyline! Loved the characters and their adventures! Being from South Louisiana myself I loved the people and culture were depicted. It would be great to have it as a series following these characters through out their life especially together!
Wonderful book and storyline! Loved the characters and their adventures! Being from South Louisiana myself I loved the people and culture were depicted. It would be great to have it as a series following these characters through out their life especially together!
January 17, 2023
This is a great adventure story and will hook you from the very beginning. The vivid imagery will account for every detail as if on film. Excellent read!
February 23, 2023
A great page turner from start to finish! I read it in one day! The plot keeps you engaged and always wanting to see what happens next!
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January 31, 2023Amazing! Read it in a day because I could not put it down!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews