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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
After her mother dies unexpectedly, Jess is left to live with her estranged father who may be involved in an antigovernment conspiracy in the Alaskan wilderness -- only it's not the Alaskan wilderness after all, but a remote piece of wild in middle-of-nowhere Canada. In dual timelines, Jess shares how she came to the cabin in the woods and what happened after her father, too, met his demise without warning. Now left to fend for herself in unfamiliar lands with no wilderness survival skills and no one but a dog for company and the rest of that conspiracy group may be after her.
This stunning survival novel is gripping at every turn, with a plot that truly leaves the reader wondering whether or not Jess will make it to the end of the pages alive. With a journal style narration, the possibility of Jess's own death remains strong throughout the book. Marshall underlines the immediacy and urgency of Jess's situation with a harrowing plot, throwing curveball after curveball at Jess, who knows that with winter approaching, her survival is unlikely at best.
Alongside a great external plot is Jess's character development, which is easy to follow for readers who prefer more marked development while maintaining high interest. Jess is a consistently refreshing character with bare motivations and drivers that, while not always necessarily pleasant, are always interesting and strike a note of realism readers will appreciate for its reflection of themselves.
While I didn't do any sort of fact-checking, the events and circumstances of the book seemed reasonably plausible enough. Despite the extreme things Jess experiences, none of them seemed impossible, which helped elevate the stakes and make the book exciting as a whole.
With little to interfere with the raw plot that is the survival novel, readers might expect I Am Still Alive to be a slow read. And to some degree, it is. The book is a deliberate one that is more about Jess's development than it is her story of trying to survive the Canadian wilderness and a group of radical antigovernment conspirers, but Jess's internal story is so thoughtful and interesting that it truly grips the reader from beginning to end.
Readers of survival fiction will eat this up, as will anyone who simply enjoys a good story with solid writing. Don't miss this one.
This stunning survival novel is gripping at every turn, with a plot that truly leaves the reader wondering whether or not Jess will make it to the end of the pages alive. With a journal style narration, the possibility of Jess's own death remains strong throughout the book. Marshall underlines the immediacy and urgency of Jess's situation with a harrowing plot, throwing curveball after curveball at Jess, who knows that with winter approaching, her survival is unlikely at best.
Alongside a great external plot is Jess's character development, which is easy to follow for readers who prefer more marked development while maintaining high interest. Jess is a consistently refreshing character with bare motivations and drivers that, while not always necessarily pleasant, are always interesting and strike a note of realism readers will appreciate for its reflection of themselves.
While I didn't do any sort of fact-checking, the events and circumstances of the book seemed reasonably plausible enough. Despite the extreme things Jess experiences, none of them seemed impossible, which helped elevate the stakes and make the book exciting as a whole.
With little to interfere with the raw plot that is the survival novel, readers might expect I Am Still Alive to be a slow read. And to some degree, it is. The book is a deliberate one that is more about Jess's development than it is her story of trying to survive the Canadian wilderness and a group of radical antigovernment conspirers, but Jess's internal story is so thoughtful and interesting that it truly grips the reader from beginning to end.
Readers of survival fiction will eat this up, as will anyone who simply enjoys a good story with solid writing. Don't miss this one.
Rating 2 DNF
I want to start off by saying I love survival stories. However, this one just didn't do it for me at all. I tried reading it a few months ago but only got to about chapter 5. The story felt slow moving and as much as I liked the main character I couldn't get into it. I thought maybe I was the problem so I planned on picking the book back up later. A few days ago I started listening to the audiobook and decided to restart the book from the beginning. What a mistake that was. The narrator did a great job with the story. However, again I just could not get into this book. I ended up making it to chapter 15 before I called it quits. I think the problem is the book is just okay. There is no wow factor. Having the main character be a young girl with a disability stuck out in the wilderness with killers around, you think the book would be entertaining. I did enjoy the author's writing style in that they did a great job with setting up a scene and making the reader feel as though they were there. I really wanted to love this book and am honestly sad that I didn't. But just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean someone else won't enjoy it, so I actually would recommend this book.
I want to start off by saying I love survival stories. However, this one just didn't do it for me at all. I tried reading it a few months ago but only got to about chapter 5. The story felt slow moving and as much as I liked the main character I couldn't get into it. I thought maybe I was the problem so I planned on picking the book back up later. A few days ago I started listening to the audiobook and decided to restart the book from the beginning. What a mistake that was. The narrator did a great job with the story. However, again I just could not get into this book. I ended up making it to chapter 15 before I called it quits. I think the problem is the book is just okay. There is no wow factor. Having the main character be a young girl with a disability stuck out in the wilderness with killers around, you think the book would be entertaining. I did enjoy the author's writing style in that they did a great job with setting up a scene and making the reader feel as though they were there. I really wanted to love this book and am honestly sad that I didn't. But just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean someone else won't enjoy it, so I actually would recommend this book.
Love a good survival book. The book was fast-paced and emotional.
It was boring AND there’s a gruesome depiction of a dog dying??? Wtf
I didn't have any expectations going into this book. It pleasantly surprised me. It was like a modern day update of [b:Hatchet|50|Hatchet (Brian's Saga, #1)|Gary Paulsen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1385297074l/50._SX50_.jpg|1158125], with a female protagonist.
Teenage Jess had recently been debilitated in a car crash that killed her mother, put her in the charge of foster care, and set her to live with her father whom she hadn't lived with (or seen but once) since she was six months old.
Jess had no idea her father would be a survivalist, living so off-the-grid that he had no neighbors and the only way to his cabin in the remote Canadian wilderness was by sea plane. In their short time together, she found out that. Now Jess has to fight for survival with few resources and only her father’s dog for company.
This book was a combination of an adventure and thriller. Since the protagonist was a 16-year old, I'm giving it more leeway as a thriller than I normally would.
Trigger warning: harm to animals, both for survival purposes and intent to kill
Teenage Jess had recently been debilitated in a car crash that killed her mother, put her in the charge of foster care, and set her to live with her father whom she hadn't lived with (or seen but once) since she was six months old.
Jess had no idea her father would be a survivalist, living so off-the-grid that he had no neighbors and the only way to his cabin in the remote Canadian wilderness was by sea plane. In their short time together, she found out that
Spoiler
her father ended up having to work for some very bad men by way of blackmailThis book was a combination of an adventure and thriller. Since the protagonist was a 16-year old, I'm giving it more leeway as a thriller than I normally would.
Trigger warning: harm to animals, both for survival purposes and intent to kill
I enjoyed the book, it was a little slow to get into and the ending fell flat to me.
This is a story of Jess who must go to live with her Dad after her Mom dies in an accident which leaves Jess herself severely injured. She thinks she's going to a small town in Alaska. However, when her Dad's friend, Griff, picks her up she ends up in remote Canada where her Dad is living off the grid far away from anyone else. She has only seen her dad a couple times in her 16 years of life. How is she supposed to live like this? No electricity, no grocery store or phones. She's even shocked to see that he uses an outhouse as well. Her dad starts teaching her how to survive and cryptically reminds her that if she sees any planes other than Griff's she must come get him and then hide herself. Then her dad dies and their cabin burns. Griff is not expected back until the next spring. Now she and her Dad's dog, Bo, must survive somehow. Winter is coming and she's still hurt and not strong. So while saying her dad's mantra "Smart, not strong" over and over again the struggle to survive begins.
This book is a great one that shows how trauma and necessity can change a person. Sometimes giving people strength to persevere while often still leaving mental ghosts behind as well.
This book is a great one that shows how trauma and necessity can change a person. Sometimes giving people strength to persevere while often still leaving mental ghosts behind as well.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
And it is freeing, knowing that the forest does not care, does not judge. My failure will go unmarked—no mourning, no mockery.
I bought this book at my library's yearly sale on a whim because I thought the premise sounded interesting! I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Once I got halfway through, I couldn't put it down. I thought Jess was a very solidly, well thought out character with a great motive.
This one reminds me of the books with the survivalist aspect that I loved in elementary school. Highly recommend curling up with this one as the weather is getting colder!
I bought this book at my library's yearly sale on a whim because I thought the premise sounded interesting! I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Once I got halfway through, I couldn't put it down. I thought Jess was a very solidly, well thought out character with a great motive.
This one reminds me of the books with the survivalist aspect that I loved in elementary school. Highly recommend curling up with this one as the weather is getting colder!
I thought that this book was really interesting. I like the way that it was written, in the before and after chapters. I think it's a really good example of female empowerment, and surviving when you've got no other choice.
I would recommend this book to anyone ages 12-18, because it provides a character that anyone in that age range can relate to.
Warnings:
Drugs: no
Sex: no
R&R: wilderness survival
Violence: some
Language: no
I would recommend this book to anyone ages 12-18, because it provides a character that anyone in that age range can relate to.
Warnings:
Drugs: no
Sex: no
R&R: wilderness survival
Violence: some
Language: no