This is part of the True Rescue Series and has been adapted by the author Michael Tougias. He writes numerous books about the U.S. Coast Guard and this is a true story from the Great Blizzard of 1978 set off the coast of Massachusetts.
In the midst of the Blizzard of 1978, the tanker Global Hope floundered on the shoals in Salem Sound off the Massachusetts coast. When the Coast Guard heard the Mayday calls, they immediately dispatched a patrol rescue boat. But within an hour, the Coast Guard rescue boat was in as much trouble as the tanker—both paralyzed in unrelenting seas. Enter Captain Frank Quirk who was compelled to act. Gathering his crew of four, Quirk plunged his forty-nine-foot steel boat, the Can Do, into the blizzard.

Perfect for fans of the I Survived series ready for a longer form account, this middle-grade adaptation of an adult nonfiction book chronicles the harrowing journey between Captain Quirk and the Coast Guard as they struggled in the holds of a radical storm. It's an epic tale of heroism and bravery at sea.
I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Harrowing account of an attempted rescue and tragic end during a blizzard off the coast of Massachusetts in 1978. I have students who will love this book and the action involved.

This nonfiction book tells the harrowing tale of a monster blizzard that hit the Northeastern United States in February 1978. It specifically focuses on the Can Do, a pilot boat that set out in the blizzard to help guide a Coast Guard vessel back to safety. Although impatient readers, like myself, can do a quick Google search to find out what happens, I would encourage them to read the book first and let the book reveal everything.

Some parts of the book did frustrate me. There are numerous radio transmissions that help tell the story of what happened on the Can Do as well as other vessels, but the author does sometimes wander into speculation. I also wish the timeline was more linear, rather than jumping around not just to the past, but also to different times during the blizzard. There were more than a few times when I felt like I was rereading something that I fully remembered from just a page or two previously.

These moments aside, I think middle grade readers will enjoy this book, especially fans of the I Survived series. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Excellent retelling of an event in history. This book will hold the interest of middle grade readers. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The imagery is fantastic, and you can almost see what was happening.

I couldn't put this book down. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to the Can Do. Just like Charlie Bunko's fiancee, I hoped it was going to end up ok even when all the signs pointed the other way. I saw on Goodreads that Tougias has a book on the blizzard, which I'd be interested in reading. I'd never heard of this author, but am interested in reading more by him. Overall, I thought this was great and think young readers would enjoy the adventure of the boats trying to survive.