THE FORT by Gordon Korman

The Fort by Gordon Korman

Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Air Raid Shelters, Bullying, Domestic Abuse, Secrecy

2022; 239 pages

Description

When a tight-knit group of middle school friends discover a trap door in the woods that leads to a completely intact bomb shelter, they vow to keep the place a secret while sharing their individual secrets to build the safest space possible.

"Five friends who need to stick together after they set up a hideout in an abandoned bomb shelter and discover that the only way to be true friends is to reveal their secrets and help each other out.

The morning after Hurricane Leo rips through the town of Canaan, residents awaken to widespread destruction -- power outages, downed branches, uprooted trees, broken windows and damaged roofs. Four eighth-grade friends -- Evan, Jason, Mitchell, and CJ -- meet to explore the devastation. The tight-knit group is dismayed to find that Evan has brought along a stray -- Ricky, who is new to their town and school, and doesn't have any friends yet.

Ricky is the one to find the strange trap door that's appeared in the middle of the woods -- the door to an old bomb shelter, unearthed by the hurricane. Inside, the boys find a completely intact underground lair, complete with electricity, food, and entertainment (in the form of videocassettes). The boys vow to keep the place's existence to themselves.

Things soon get tense. Some bad locals keep snooping around. And what started out as a fun place to escape soon becomes a serious refuge for one of the kids who is trying to avoid an abusive home situation. In order to save the shelter, the friends must keep its secret... and in order to save themselves, they're going to have to share their individual secrets, and build the safest place they can." - The Publisher

My Comments

I was hooked the minute the boys discovered the bomb shelter which is a club house on steroids. The bonds of friendship ring true as do the secrets. There is a subplot of abuse by a stepfather that is realistic but written with sensitivity for this age group. it is especially poignant how the abused boy's friends were unaware for so long, but then found ways to help him once they understood the situation. Korman skillfully portrays the importance of friendship as well as the excitement and difficulties of being a young teen.