Item - Survival at Sea

This book was always a bit of a personal favourite. It had three main plot strands: One where the entire ship and crew were exploring, one where you were in a life-raft alone attempting to survive, and one where you and one other crew-member were in the same life-raft.

The choices were generally interesting, and there was some quasi-realism regarding the requirements for surviving while floating in a life-raft. A number of the characters were well-drawn as well, with Maiko a delightfully pig-headed and sinister villain.

More reviews by Aussiesmurf

This is another excellent work by Edward Packard. It's challenging and creative, and its use of a map makes things a bit more interesting. This is also something of a sequel to The Third Planet from Altair since it uses the character of Dr. Nera Vivaldi.

More reviews by Demian

Map usage is like adding the salt to a book. Sailing is the big focus here. And this one really keeps you on your toes.
Packard could've stretched it (on page 67) and made you explore the island, but got lazy.
Rating: 8/10

More reviews by Good

We’ve met Dr. Nera Vivaldi in a previous book, and this time she takes you on the high seas with a research team looking for a dinosaur considered extinct long ago. Some believe the Arkasaur still lives in the Pacific Ocean, and your job is to find proof. Cruising in a forty-foot sloop christened the Allegro, you, Dr. Vivaldi, and the crew depart Bariba Island on your mission...until warnings flood the airwaves that an underwater volcano has erupted. It could cause tidal waves; should you continue on and hope they won't hit you?

A huge wave blasts the Allegro, lifting you atop its volatile mass. A fall from this height will be fatal, but steer with skill and you'll survive for now. Depending where you direct Vivaldi next, you may spot a new island created by the underwater eruption. The first person to land and claim it could be owner of their own country, your crewmate Maiko points out. When he proposes that the two of you sneak away and claim the island for your own, will you go along with his plot? Maiko might abduct you for refusing, but this could net you an encounter with a living Arkasaur. Agree to Maiko's plan from the start and you may still wind up on his bad side; you could be set adrift and rescued by a businessman who offers to purchase your half of the island. Refuse and he'll toss you into the ocean, but survival is possible. You have rocket flares, but be judicious as to when you deploy them. Maybe you remained with Maiko longer, until an eruption on the new island threatens your life and his. Separated from Maiko in a skiff, you could sail for the island Etuk, but it's two hundred miles away. You might be better off floating where you are hoping for rescue, or going back on the island...but there's no guarantee of safety this close to volcanic activity.

Much in the story depends on reading the Allegro's chart correctly. When you're still onboard with Vivaldi and the crew, choosing to sail a certain direction ushers you to safety on tropical Carina Island; another direction takes you into a life-threatening squall. A third option strands you and Pete Karn, son of the Allegro's skipper, on a raft while the rest of the crew sinks with the sloop. The two of you suffer sunburn, dehydration, and starvation, but you might come upon a ship called the Serena aground on a reef, which offers scant supplies and protection from the elements. Should you stay on the ship despite not seeing any sign of humans, or take your raft out again? Remaining with the Serena, you spot a vessel passing miles away, but can't get its attention. Should you light the Serena on fire to catch the eye of whoever is captaining the vessel? With supplies dwindling, you have to know which risks are lunacy...and which are your only shot at survival.

There are better early Choose Your Own Adventures by Edward Packard. I group Survival at Sea with Your Code Name Is Jonah and The Third Planet from Altair, books that don't expand on the premise in novel ways. Survival literature can be captivating, but this book is too shallow for that. Some elements—including the name of your sloop and a character called Vivaldi—return in a much later Packard Choose Your Own Adventure, Typhoon!, but that one is better. After the excellence of the author’s The Cave of Time, Deadwood City, and The Forbidden Castle, this book is more disappointment than not.

More reviews by KenJenningsJeopardy74

This is one of the best of the series so far, with rigid internal consistency and a surprising amount of interpersonal drama. Some of these endings are really dark, but Packard is a good writer, and his descriptions are haunting or beautiful or both.

More reviews by williamtuttlewho