This is an outstanding nonfiction book accessible to middle school kids, and fascinating even for adults. The author carefully traces the Thai soccer team's trek into the cave, and the long rescue that followed. Many side notes explain Thai culture, and credit is given to the many rescuers that aided the effort in multiple ways. A must purchase for middle school libraries, and well worthy of all the awards it received.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Christina Sonotornvat tells the story of the 13 members of the Thai soccer team that got stranded in a Thai cave due to flooding. Told in an exquisite and highly readable format, it leaves you rooting for the boys and their rescuers alike. Soontornvat tells the story of the risky rescue, the divers who traveled across the world to help, the people who pumped water to limit the flooding of the cave, the food workers and community volunteers in addition to the families who awaited rescue of their children for over a month. Incredible story and it was told incredibly. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. #allthirteen #soontornvat #netgalley #SPOTTX2021

This was truly inspirational, how they managed to stay strong, for so long, holding on to hope when others around them began to despair. This book was really well researched and very well presented. IT was interesting, captivating even at times. It teaches us never to give up, that even in the bleakest of moments there is always hope. With belief and determination we can succeed.

Edge of your seat. You already know the ending to this story, but I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what happened. Christina Soontornvat writes the remarkable story of this team and all the people who helped them survive. I loved the mix of the story and details about the land and people of Thailand. Information about the science of what happened is supported by maps, diagrams and other images. The photographs from the rescue are mesmerizing as well. I cannot encourage you enough to go out and read this one! Teachers, read it aloud to your students. I think they too, will be on the edge of their seats. Thank you to @candlewick and @netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

This was so well done! I loved it! Thoroughly researched and interesting Soontornvat does a superb job detailing the harrowing mission that all of the rescuers went on to save these boys. I was fascinated and intrigued by this story when it happened in 2018 and couldn’t wait to read this account. Soontornvat reveals the logistics behind the rescue and all of the little details that went into making sure everyone got out safely. At first the odds did not seem to be too optimistic. I was shocked to learn that they actually sedated the boys with medication to get them out of the cave safely. The team of rescuers clearly made all of the right decisions because all thirteen were miraculously rescued successfully, something that they only thought might be around a 50% survival beforehand. This book is getting a decent amount of buzz and I can see why, excellent photographs and the engaging text will appeal to many readers in this feel good true story.

In June 2018, a group of 12 young soccer players and their assistant coach entered a cave in northern Thailand, looking for an adventure to pass the time after practice. The heavy rains were still weeks away, and Coach Ekkapol Chantawong had been promising to take them out. But the rain has arrived early, and the cave begins to flood as the team and coach are still inside. What began as an after-practice adventure became a 17-day ordeal as the world waited and watched the rescue operation take place, hoping that the group would emerge all right despite having no food or clean water, and existing in total darkness. Award-winning author Christina Soontornvat tells the Wild Boars' story in All Thirteen. Meticulously research and reading like a taut thriller, Ms. Soontornvat goes through a day-day-by, moment-by-moment retelling of the boys' ordeal and rescue and includes interviews, color photos, maps, and detailed source notes. Callout sections on the country and on calming techniques like meditation and Buddhism, the faith followed by most of the boys, help readers understand how the boys drew on their inner strength to survive. Source notes, a bibliography, and full index make this a great addition to your nonfiction collections and fantastic reading for any of your readers who loved and possibly aged out of the I Survived books and wants more books about true-life survival.

I remember hearing about the rescue of the soccer team in Thailand in 2018, but I had no idea how involved this rescue mission was. This book may have been aimed at middle grade students, but it was definitely a page-turner, even for adults or for those who know how the story will end. I love how the book focused on what the boys were dealing with inside the cave as well as what the volunteers from around the world were dealing with outside the cave. The book was so well written that I would almost forget that it was nonfiction until I saw the pictures and diagrams that were scattered throughout. I will be adding this wonderful book to my school library and I cannot wait to share it with others. All Thirteen is now one of my top 5 middle grade favorites for 2020.

Suspenseful and gripping read! In rich detail and quick paced chapters learn about all the rescue efforts to save the Wild Boar Thai soccer team. Cultural and scientific notes make you appreciate the world wide and community effort that made this happen. An uplifting read about perseverance, ingenuity, and community that 2020 definitely needs!

This book is not only beautifully written and the pictures are amazing but I couldn't put it down! This story is so fascinating to me! My students are going to love reading this book!

A detailed but accessible recounting of the harrowing events surrounding the Thai youth soccer team that was trapped for days inside a flooded cave.

What an incredible tribute this book is to an event that captured the attention of people the world over. Never having visited Thailand or its caves, I was unable to comprehend the level of expertise and innovation that was needed to rescue those thirteen boys and their coach. Soontornvat's book is an incredible combination of human interest story, photo documentation, Thailand geography source, and tribute to the rescuers. The Sleeping Lady, the mountain that housed the Tham Luong cave was filled with up to 10,000 people during the rescue operation. There was even a team of dedicated volunteers whose focus was diverting water that would otherwise flow through the rocks of the mountain down into the cave. The scope of this operation was well beyond my imagination and I am so glad I was able to read about it and see bits of it in pictures. The lives of so many have been forever changed by this experience and this story needed to be told. Well done!

Thank you to Candlewick Press and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Six word summary: A stressful account of cave rescue!

Loved: I loved all the great details presented in this book. I new of this rescue mission, but I really didn't know much about the people involved, the work involved, or the massive amounts of volunteers that spent weeks helping.

Recommend for: Fans of adventure stories and true stories of survival and rescues.

Reminds me of: A real life version of an I Survived book, but with more details about all the players involved in the rescue.

Verdict: Add it to your TBR!

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat provides a detailed account of what the Thai soccer team experienced. The detailed information provides a full picture of the intense situation in a way that students will understand well. The diagrams and images aid the readers in understanding the survival mission. Good pick for students interested in adventure and survival stories.

I remember watching this story unfold when it happened, and I don't think there are enough words to adequately describe how well Soontornvort's book unwraps this life and death event. The clear maps which depict the area, the photography which capture the people and places, and the amount of information about the geology, the team members, and the rescuers, make this a remarkable book. It's one of the best nonfiction titles I've read this year.

Oh wow! This book is an incredible read! The narrative nature of the true story of the boys' soccer team trapped in a cave pulled me in like a work of fiction. The photographs are stunning! This is a must for classrooms and school libraries!

This was an incredibly interesting, gripping, terrifying and thrilling (enough adjectives there??) telling of the story of the rescue of the boys trapped in the Thai cave in the summer of 2018. I remember hearing about this when it was happening. I actually tried not to pay too much attention because I was so thoroughly convinced that the boys were never going to make it and I felt like all the coverage of the incident was just so much gawking. It was a complete shock to me--but obviously a wonderful one--when the rescuers succeeded in bringing the entire team out alive. This book does a really thorough job explaining everything that went into making that happen. Even for people who did pay attention to the news coverage of the incident as it was happening, there is a lot of information here that they would not have known at the time. The sheer number of people and the amount of effort that went into saving these boys is simply amazing.

The book is written for middle graders and teens, so the writing style can feel a little simple for an adult to read, but it is still terrifically informative. The author provides a lot of background information to help the reader understand Thai culture and politics, the geography of the area, the science of caves and cave flooding, and cave diving. I certainly appreciated that, since I know rather little about any of these topics. This book would be a great addition to a public or school library.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus



In June of 2018, a young soccer coach, Ek, took his Wild Boars team on an after practice outing to the Tham Luang cave. The boys had to be back for a birthday party for one of the members, but when they went to leave the cave that evening, they found that they were trapped by rising water. They had no way to contact anyone, no extra food or water, and only their soccer outfits for protection against the water and the chilly cave. When the boys did not return home, their bikes were found outside the cave, and an amazing multinational rescue effort was begun. While signs were posted warning about flooding in the cave, it was not yet the season for heavy rains, although recent precipitation had been heavier than normal. The rainy season was, however, on the way. Because of the levels of the water, the intricacies of the cave structure, and the fact that the rescuers did not know exactly where the group was, a host of agencies were involved in formulating a rescue strategy. There were members of the Royal Thai army, US military troops, a Sirikorn rescue specialists, a team of experienced divers from the UK, and even a renowned Buddhist monk! Equipment also came from all over the world, including a rescue capsule from Elon Musk and specialized masks for the boys. Local workers tried every available tactic to drain water from the cave, including getting pumps from nearby farmers and trying to drain the water with bamboo pipes. Eventually, a daring plan formed that involved sedating the boys and having a team of divers retrieve them, which was thankfully successful.



Soontornvat, who happened to be in Thailand while this event was unfolding, does a great job at alternating personal information about the members of the team and the rescue crew with scientific information about the structure of caves and the methods of extraction. Plentiful photographs give a great feel for what the area is like. The follow up stories about what happened to the Wild Boars after the rescue is interesting as well, and Soontornvat's research and writing process was fascinating. I'm not sure how much interest there is in this particular event, but readers who like action and adventure nonfiction like Oldson's Into the Clouds or Tougias's Into the Blizzard: Heroism at Sea During the Great Blizzard of 1978 will enjoy this ripped-from-the-headlines tale. I'm half tempted to read Marc Aronson's Rising Water; he's a great writer, although I completely understand the thoughts behind having an #ownvoices writer tell the story.

Despite having followed this story closely when it happened, All Thirteen had me on the edge of my seat from the moment it began until its final pages. It is a well written look at the incredible rescue mission that was launched in June and July of 2018 to save the 13 members of a boy's soccer team trapped inside the flooded Tham Luang Nang Non Cave in the Chiang Rai Province of Thailand. Soontornvat not only introduces you to the people involved, but also the underlying science behind the rescue. Her writing is engaging, personal and easy to follow, guiding the reader through every step of the story, from the cave's flooding to the multi-layered problem solving required of the rescue team and the sheer luck needed to ultimately pull it all off. This book is a thrilling and rewarding read, ideal for middle grade readers who enjoy nature, science, and/or a good adventure. I can't recommend it enough.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book was intriguing to me as I remember the impossible rescue of these boys and their soccer coach from the news so I jumped at a chance to read this and learn more.

This book surpassed my expectations and I truly felt as though I was there with the boys and their rescuers through the harrowing rescue mission to save them. This book shows in words and photographs the true dedication of all the people involved in rescuing these boys from start to finish and the obstacles they faced and the decisions they had to make.
I enjoyed how the author also touched upon the Thai culture and mentioned the boys families and even accounts from the boys themselves too.
This is a fantastic account of the cave rescue and all those involved.

Summary: In the summer of 2018, the entire world watched as rescue teams struggled to save the twelve members of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach who were stuck inside the flooded Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Thailand. This book tells the story from the beginning, when this close-knit group of boys ranging in age from 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach decided to take a trip to the cave one day after practice. After the cave unexpectedly flooded, an international team of cavers and divers were called in to figure out the best rescue strategy: pump out the water, drill into the side of the cave, or dive and swim the team out. In the end, the dive and swim strategy was used, and as the story unfolds, the reader finds out it was nothing short of a miracle that all thirteen were rescued (although a Thai Navy SEAL died delivering oxygen tanks a couple days before the rescue procedure began). Sidebars give more information about Thailand, caves, and Buddhism (the coach spent much of his life in Buddhist monasteries, and his teachings on meditation helped everyone stay calm inside the cave). Includes an author’s note that tells of her connection to the story (she was visiting family in Thailand during the rescue); extensive source notes, a bibliography, and an index. 288 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros: I didn’t think anything could compel me to read a 288-page book on my phone, but once I started reading this story, I couldn’t stop. The boys and especially their coach are likeable from page 1, and the rescuers endure hunger, sleep deprivation, and what sounded like a really disgusting foot fungus condition to accomplish something that seemed impossible from beginning to end. The numerous photos draw the reader in, and the sidebars add to the content, and remind me that I’d really like to visit Thailand someday.

Cons: This book appears to be retailing for almost $25.00.