Wow the reviews were all over the place for this one. I liked it though. Survival stories are one of my favorite tropes so this was right up my alley. Also I have recently read [b:Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption|8664353|Unbroken A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption|Laura Hillenbrand|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327861115s/8664353.jpg|12946965] which I loved. If you're interested in survival at sea stories you really should read that one. But this was a fictional account so I cut it some slack. The story was fast paced and well written. Granted the heroine was a bit of a whiner and a bit thoughtless and clumsy. However I think she was pretty appropriate for a girl of her age. I know that I would not have done as well in this situation as she did.

I didn't realize that Max was dead. I guess I didn't want him to be. I was really hoping for a happy ending I guess so I just ignored the clues. Which when she admitted he was dead I went back and looked for and yes they were there. I teared up a bit at his story and the fact that he didn't make it. ( )

The Raft by S. A. Bodeen is the story of a plane crash and a desperate attempt at survival by a fifteen year old teenager. Robie Mitchell had been visiting her aunt in Hawaii, but now she was cutting the visit short and taking the cargo flight back to Midway Island where she lives with her biologist parents. Through a series of miscalculations, her presence on the plane is undocumented and when the plane crashes into the sea, Robie doesn’t know if anyone is even looking for her. She and the practically comatose co-pilot embark on a messy yet urgent survival journey in the life raft and things get very serious indeed when she discovers they have no water or food.

I am a huge sucker for survival stories so The Raft was a compelling read for me. I found Robie both endearing and aggravating in turns as she struggles to do what is needed to survive and make it home to her parents. Like any fifteen year old she is sometimes selfish, sometimes whiny, but I thought that part of the story was quite realistic. The fast paced story has plenty of suspense but I did find some aspects a little too simplistic, but then, I am not the target audience for this YA story. Overall, I think this is a story that would appeal to the younger range of YA readers and, to survivor junkies like me. ( )

Robie is a 15 year old girl, visiting her aunt in Honolulu- when her aunt leaves for a sudden business trip, Robie is alone and to be checked on daily by a friend of her aunt. This arrangement falls through but her aunt is unaware and Robie is excited to be on her own. She soon decides she's had enough of being by herself, so she hops on a cargo flight back to Midway (her home). She has made this flight many times and the workers know her. On her way back to Midway, the plane plummeted into the ocean and Robie makes it into the emergency raft with the co-pilot, Max.

Robie struggles for days, weeks maybe in the raft and faces many challenges. Sharks, dehydration, loneliness, and so much more. Max injured doesn't seem like he will make it. Robie decides to roll him out of the raft to better her chance of survival in this leaking raft.

She somehow makes it to a tiny deserted island where the situation is not much better.

Young adult readers will relate to this story because Robie is just an average teenager facing not so average circumstances. This book kept me hooked until the end because I was fascinated and attached to the character Robie and wanted her to survive.

( )

It was a quick read, but hard to finish because the main character irritated me so much. I did not like this book. ( )

Narcissistic teenage girl ends up fighting for her own survival in a raft. Good for grades 6 and up. Can be compared to another survival book about a lone character, such as Life of Pi or Hatchet. ( )