Book Reviews and More: The Danger - Gordon Korman

The Danger

Dive Series Book 3

Scholastic Canada

ISBN 9781546142256

eISBN 9780545628136

ASIN B00C2YW7X0

The Danger - Gordon Korman - Dive Book 3 Rebranded Cover

This book was originally published in 2003 and went through a rebranding in 2025, I really love the rebranded covers, but the eBook editions still have the old covers. The old covers are pretty cool with actual photos of people scuba diving. According to Goodreads there are 16 editions of the first volume in this series, including editions in English, French, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish editions listed. My introduction to Korman’s works was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Since then I have read 64 of his books including this volume. I am over half way thorough his canon, and have completed all the stand alone books and am now just working my way through the remaining series. Not counting omnibus editions I believe that as of the summer of 2025 Korman has published 109 books. With each that I read I am entertained and often challenged, and I am always entertained. I do plan on trying to read them all. My son, who is 17 often, reads these books to me or with me, and he still loves them.

A description of this volume states:

“Sharks, shipwreck, and sunken treasure in this action packed survival series from bestselling and award-winning author Gordon Korman.

In 1665, a British vessel named the Griffin sank with a priceless amount of gold on board.

Now, centuries later, four kids are trying to raise the Griffin's treasure from the sea. Kaz, Dante, Adriana, and Star must take the biggest risks of their lives... and discover that they won't be able to trust anybody -- even themselves.”

Another is:

“Gordon Korman's adventurous DIVE trilogy comes to an action-packed conclusion with THE DANGER. The kids have found sunken treasure. The adults want to keep it for themselves. But there's a chance that both will lose it if they don't act fast. A thrilling, shark-infested conclusion to Gordon Korman's underwater trilogy.”

This story is being told in 2 parts. The first is a modern day story and the chapters are numbered with no titles and interspersed are chapters or sections set back in 1665. The dated ones start on August 29th, 1665 and conclude on September 2nd 1665. The first of those begins with:

“07 September 1665

The black wave curled high above the Griffin, and came crashing down on the barque with a roar like a wild beast. Tons of water washed over the streaming deck. As thetim in the air with enough sudden violence that men were hurled off the ship to disappear into the raging sea. Such was the nature of the great storm that pounded His Majesty’s privateer fleet in the autumn of 1665.

Young Samuel Higgins was still aboard the Griffin when she righted herself. But this was only because he had been lashed to a bulwark by York, the ship’s barber and medical officer. York had been ordered by Captain James Blade to see to the welfare of the thirteen-year-old cabin boy. The barber took this responsibility seriously. Seamen who disappointed the Griffin’s cruel master often felt the bite of his bone-handled snake whip.”

It is a story in the adventure story with four young divers they are in the Caribbean serving a short term internship as divers for a crew. The four are Kaz, Star, Adriana, and Dante. At the end of the previous volume, a beloved sea captain is dead, sabotage is suspected. One of the kids has the bends and should never dive again. Yet with a man named English, the remaining three make one last ditch effort to get to the treasure and salvage something from all they have been through.

This series is published as three short works, it is also published in an omnibus edition with all three stories in 1 volume. What I like about the shorter versions, is they are great for the classroom, or reluctant readers. This volume is short, it grabs your attention, and draws you in. And the ending leaves you desperate for the next volume. And what a surprise twist at the end! Wow!

This story is an intense read from Korman’s pen. It gets darker than many of Korman’s works.

I still have about 13 books from series left to read to have completed the canon of Korman’s works. I am grateful I finally gave this book and series a read; I look forward to the final volume in the trilogy. It is great read in an exciting series!