Author: Iain Lawrence
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Red Fox Road by Frances Greenslade
The Disaster Days by Rebecca Behrens
Rating:
.JPG)
Summary (provided by publisher): Virgil is making his older siblings trek to a mountain lake on a trip unlike any they’ve have taken before. They carry precious cargo: the ashes of their beloved mother, who asked that her remains be scattered at her favorite spot. But when a forest fire is sparked by a bolt of lightning at the exact moment when their van breaks down, the journey quickly turns to disaster.
While the oldest, Josh, is gone to find help, Virgil and his sister, Kaitlyn, spot fleeing animals and soon see flames flickering above the tree line. Once the sky begins to darken with the haze of burning timber, Virgil finds himself separated from his sister and left alone in the wilderness. He isn’t sure he can make it, but with the memory of his late mother, a science teacher, and all her lessons to guide him, he quickly learns that not everything has a perfect explanation and survival starts with letting go.
My opinion: This is the exact sort of survival story I'd have loved as a kid. It combines several compelling elements: siblings at odds, a string of bad luck, a natural disaster, a series of bad choices. The characters have some survival skills but are by no means experts so they have to rely upon determination and quick thinking with a healthy dose of good luck. The characters are distinct and flawed, both their strengths and weaknesses adding to the plot in meaningful ways. There are some plot elements that do more to detract from the development of the central conflicts, that add nothing to the way they are growing. And the plot in general doesn't take many risks. It largely treads the expected pathway. Even so, it's a pretty compelling read and one I would easily recommend to kids who enjoy survival novels.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
No comments:
Post a Comment