Be Not Far From Me – Mindy McGinnis

Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Received: HarperCollins Canada
Published: March 3rd, 2020
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Survival, Aloneness, Reminiscing

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REVIEW:

This is not what I expected from Mindy McGinnis. I read her The Female of the Species, really enjoyed it, and could not wait to dive into this one.

But it was so dull. It’s hard to believe that a story about survival, getting lost into the woods and facing obstacles could be so uneventful. And predictable.

Switchback – Danika Stone

Switchback by Danika Stone

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
Published: May 28th, 2019
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Recommended Age: 11+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Survival, High School, Bullying, Friendship

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REVIEW:

This is a fast-paced survival story starring two teenagers (Vale & Ash) who get lost in the mountains during a school trip with very limited survival skills and necessities. If they don’t make it back to their initial group as fast as possible they might be lost forever. *cue dramatic music*

Wilder Girls – Rory Power

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Received: Random House Canada
Published: July 9th, 2019
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Mystery, Horror, LGBTQIA+, Disease, Friendship

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REVIEW:

Survival stories tend to grip me. There’s something really fascinating, I think, about the idea of ‘‘the survival of the fittest’’ or strongest, smartest, prettiest. It’s a competition. It’s a deadly game. Sometimes, there’s no use even trying because you can’t compare. You don’t have it in you to survive. You’re a follower, not a leader.

An Unwanted Guest – Shari Lapena

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Published: August 7th, 2018
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Recommended Age: 14+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

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BLURB:

It’s winter in the Catskills and the weather outside is frightful, but Mitchell’s Inn is so delightful! The cozy lodge nestled deep in the woods is perfect for a relaxing–maybe even romantic–weekend away. The Inn boasts spacious old rooms with huge wood-burning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a book and someone you love. So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity–and all contact with the outside world–the guests settle in for the long haul. The power’s down but they’ve got candles, blankets, and wood–a genuine rustic experience! Soon, though, a body turns up–surely an accident. When a second body appears, they start to panic. Then they find a third body.

Not If I Save You First – Ally Carter

Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Published: March 27th, 2018
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Adventure, Survival, Romance, Friendship

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BLURB:

Maddie thought she and Logan would be friends forever. But when your dad is a Secret Service agent and your best friend is the president’s son, sometimes life has other plans. Before she knows it, Maddie’s dad is dragging her to a cabin in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness.

No phone.
No Internet.
And not a single word from Logan.

Maddie tells herself it’s okay. After all, she’s the most popular girl for twenty miles in any direction. (She’s also the only girl for twenty miles in any direction.) She has wood to cut and weapons to bedazzle. Her life is full. Until Logan shows up six years later . . . And Maddie wants to kill him.

I Am Still Alive – Kate Alice Marshall

I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Published: July 24th, 2018
Publisher: Viking BFYR
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Survival, Action, Animals

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BLURB:

After: Jess is alone. Her cabin has burned to the ground. She knows if she doesn’t act fast, the cold will kill her before she has time to worry about food. But she is still alive—for now.

Before: Jess hadn’t seen her survivalist, off-the-grid dad in over a decade. But after a car crash killed her mother and left her injured, she was forced to move to his cabin in the remote Canadian wilderness. Just as Jess was beginning to get to know him, a secret from his past paid them a visit, leaving her father dead and Jess stranded.

After: With only her father’s dog for company, Jess must forage and hunt for food, build shelter, and keep herself warm. Some days it feels like the wild is out to destroy her, but she’s stronger than she ever imagined.

Illegal – Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin

Illegal by Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Distributor
Published: August 7th, 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Recommended Age: 10+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Graphic Novel, Survival, Immigration, Realistic Fiction, Refugee, Siblings

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BLURB:

This is a powerful and timely story about one boy’s epic journey across Africa to Europe, a graphic novel for all children with glorious colour artwork throughout. From Eoin Colfer, previously Irish Children’s Laureate, and the team behind his bestselling Artemis Fowl graphic novels.

Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook

Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
First Published: July 4th, 2017
Publisher: Berkley Books
Recommended Age: 13+
Pacing: Slow
Genres & Themes: Adult, Dark Retelling, Survival, Friendship, Betrayal, Violence

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BLURB:

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy. Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter’s idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite. Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever.

Review: The Lost and the Found by Cat Clarke

The Lost and the Found by Cat Clarke

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Publication Date: September 13th, 2016
Publisher:Crown Books for Young Readers
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Survival, Thriller, Siblings

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BLURB:

THE LOST
When six-year-old Laurel Logan was abducted, the only witness was her younger sister, Faith. Since then, Faith’s childhood has revolved around her sister’s disappearance—from her parents’ broken marriage and the constant media attention, to dealing with so-called friends who only ever want to talk about her missing sister.

THE FOUND
Now, thirteen years later, a young woman is found in the front yard of the Logans’ old house, disoriented and clutching the teddy bear Laurel was last seen with. Can her sister finally be back? Faith always dreamed of her sister coming home; she just never believed it would happen. But soon a disturbing series of events leaves Faith increasingly isolated from her family and paranoid about her sister’s motives. Before long, Faith begins to wonder if it’s the abduction that’s changed her sister, or if it’s something else. . . .

Review: The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave, #1) by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: May 7th 2013
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Point of View: 1st Person & Alternative
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres &  Themes: Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Aliens, Survival, Romance, Action, Suspense, Science Fiction, Forbidden Love, War

BLURB:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.