The Fort by Gordon Korman

 

On Friday, I finished reading The Fort by Gordon Korman. This adventure novel is about a group of eighth grade boys, Evan, Jason, Mitchell, C.J., and Ricky, who discover a trapdoor to an old bomb shelter in the middle of the woods after Hurricane Leo hits their town, Canaan. Although they promise to keep the place a secret (even Jason's not allowed to tell his girlfriend, Janelle), Evan's brother, Luke, and his new best friend, Jaeger, are suspicious from the very start and bully the younger boys any chance they get. Not to mention, the police begin investigating after the boys sell some of the valuable silver forks to a local pawnshop for some money. When the bomb shelter becomes a real refuge for C.J., who is trying to avoid his abusive stepfather, Marcus, the friends find a way to protect it, even if it means sharing their deepest secrets with each other

I really enjoyed reading this novel because it was so cool that the friends were able to find a secret hiding place that no one else knew about. I think it's pretty amazing that hurricane was powerful enough to reveal the trapdoor and it set off the chain of events for the whole book. While I empathize with all five of the friends because they had some real issues, I especially related to Ricky because I know what it's like to be the new kid and have to navigate the friendships among my classmates. Additionally, the story is told through chapters that alternate perspectives, so the reader gets to know what's happening for each of the boys. Plus, there is one chapter from Luke's point of view. As far as the other side characters, I thought that Janelle was the best girlfriend ever and Jason was really lucky to have her.  I also really hated C.J.'s stepfather, Marcus, who was violent and manipulative because of his anger issues. Jaeger was really awful as well, especially wanting Evan to steal for him and Luke. I hated how Luke had befriended someone like him. On the other hand, something I really liked was the references to old movies and music because that's the kind of entertainment the boys found in the bomb shelter. Although I saw the ending coming, it was definitely a little disappointing. The Fort tackles issues such as bullying, domestic violence, and parental abandonment. I'd recommend it to any kid who has ever wanted a secret hideout of their own.