Books like The Poseidon Adventure by Paul Gallico

At midnight on New Year’s Eve, the SS Poseidon is struck by a 90‑foot tidal wave and tips over, briefly turning the ship’s interior upside down. Reverend Frank Scott gathers a disparate group of nine survivors—an elderly couple on a trip to Israel, a New York detective and his ex‑prostitute wife on their second honeymoon to Italy, a brother and sister heading to Greece, a pop singer, a waiter, and a haberdasher—to guide them through the wrecked vessel. Together they fight fire, rising water, and the disorienting chaos of a ship turned inside out, striving to reach the top—now the propeller shaft—and pull themselves to safety. The novel follows the characters as they confront their fears, rely on each other’s strengths, and navigate the stripped‑down corridors and flooded decks in a desperate bid for survival. Their journey reveals personal histories and bonds forged under extreme circumstances, culminating in a tense climax where hope and determination determine who will emerge from the wreck.

First publish date: 1973