0.5 stars rounded up

Main character was a 16-year old girl alone in totally adverse conditions for survival. Very detailed descriptions of conditions and terrain. The survival story was decent, but the dog's fate ruined it for me ( )

CW: Murder of father in front of daughter.

2.5 Stars ( )

This is an interesting survival story but I felt something lacking in the writing. Maybe it is the narrator, Amy McFadden, who doesn't get it quite right. ( )

teen fiction/survival adventure (17 year old builds shelter, hunts for food, and escapes bad guys) ( )

Jess is alone. She is angry, hurt and struggling to stay alive. First she lost her mother in a car accident that left her injured and facing months of physical therapy. Then she was shipped off to live with her father in the Canadian wilderness. She barely remembers her father and she doesn't want to live with him in the middle of nowhere. No radio. No electricity. No nothing. Soon after she arrives, her dad is gone too and Jess is left to face the wilderness alone. Can she survive?

I love this book! Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I had to find out what happens! I binge read the entire thing. The story is suspenseful and compelling. Jess is stronger and more capable than she believes at first. As she struggles to learn how to hunt and keep herself dry and warm, she comes to learn just how intelligent and resourceful she is. She not only takes care of herself and her dad's dog, Bo, but she prepares for a showdown with the people who took her father away. She knows they are coming back....but she's going to be ready for them. It's quite the showdown in the end! Great book!

I have a weakness for suspense thrillers set in the wilderness. This book was just what I love! I'm definitely going to read more by this author. The story was well-written and the pacing kept the suspense going from beginning to end! I don't binge read books very often...but this one I just could not put down.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Penguin via First To Read. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )