Shipwreck

The power of teamwork and friendship, or lack thereof, is a prominent theme within the book. When the group first meets, there is no immediate connection between anyone: They do not want to be there. Besides Lyssa, who is sociable by nature, none of the others are interested in forming friendships. Each kid has judged—and been judged—based upon their first impressions. Charla thinks the others are “spoiled rich kids,” J.J. feels superior to everyone on board, Luke is resentful that the others have lawyers and seemingly trivial problems, and Will is so focused on hating Lyssa that he doesn’t give the others much thought (30). Ian’s heartfelt sobbing and disclosure of why he is there momentarily sparks sympathy and connection, but their judgmental competitiveness quickly returns, with Luke commenting, “Poor kid. He forgot to download his personality before they made him ship his computer home” (27). Luke is usually thoughtful and kind, so his cruel comment about Ian is particularly significant, demonstrating how wary the kids are of forming bonds at the beginning of the program.

Captain Cascadden stresses the importance of teamwork; being a crew has nothing to do with an individual’s background or lifestyle. However, for the first few days, each crew member is focused on stewing in their differences rather than looking for common ground. Instead, hating Radford, the “equal-opportunity offender” becomes their common ground (71). As the days go by, Charla, Lyssa, Ian, Will, and Luke work together and grow closer, but they are not quite friends. J.J. is the outsider, determined to annoy and disobey Radford and ignore the wishes of the others, who just want to get this course over with as peacefully and painlessly as possible. Luke is the only crew member who stands up to J.J., angrily telling him: “I don’t like CNC, but it’s better than jail—and that’s where I’ll go if I don’t complete this trip! Don’t even think about messing it up for me” (47). J.J. ignores Luke, and his persistent selfishness results in the tragedy that unfolds, highlighting the power of not working as a team player. Further, if the schooner can be read as a metaphor for any working system within a community, then one outlying, obstinate member has the power to destroy the entire system.

After the captain is knocked overboard, the crew coalesces as their dire situation becomes clear. They have no choice but to work hard together, pumping and clearing the debris off the schooner. However, it is not until Radford abandons them that the kids form a truly cohesive team, and bonds of friendship begin to form. When Ian blames himself for Radford leaving, Luke comforts and reassures him that, “You don’t leave people to die because somebody made fun of you” (78). When Will and Lyssa start to argue, Luke gently intervenes. Ian and Lyssa calmly consider how to fix the remaining sail and engine, and Charla uses her gymnastics skills to get to a lookout spot. They all work together—apart from J.J., who sunbathes and insists that this is all part of CNC’s plan. Contrastingly, teamwork even builds between Will and Lyssa. Will expresses admiration for Lyssa, and Lyssa “found no sarcasm in his praise” (92). When the engine starts, the kids genuinely cheer and give each other thumbs up, finally coming together as a real crew right before the explosion. Then, the bonds between the survivors on the raft are deeper than friendship—Luke risks his life to save Will, and Ian’s knowledge saves them from dehydration and sunburn. Within the space of a week, these four young strangers are now dependent on each other for their survival. They know that without mutual trust and respect, the backbones of friendship and teamwork, none of them will survive. And while Shipwreck is the first of three installments, the power of teamwork and friendship is cemented by the end of this novel, suggesting that these bonds will continue to grow throughout the series.