This story is one that is based on real things; it almost seems real that way. There are a few cuss words, but what would you expect from a sailor?? There is also lots of shooting, cutting,, etc. This story is so hard to grasp and give a review on... the plot is so "large" it's hard to sum everything up. The tale tells of two siblings, the Mackenzie kids. Their parents are missing, and so they are forced to live with relatives. Nobody will give them answers about their parents, so they set off to find them themselves. Their journey begins as they are staying with an uncle, who happens to be captain of a ship. Again, secrets are being kept from them, so they snoop a bit and find details of what their uncle and parents are involved in. That's really all I can say, or else I'll spoil the whole epic read. If you think that the book is dragging and boring, don't give up on it -- it's worth the read at the end, for they find companions who change their lives. Something cool about this book is that there are little references every so few pages. They are really interesting and help you to understand the book better.