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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
“Anyone who says art can’t change the world never studied history.”
I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
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Content Warnings: animal death, violence, grief
I enjoyed this companion novel more than the first book, Alone. In Away, we follow the lives of a group of kids at an evacuation camp as they try to understand the true reason why they'd been sent there. Each kid had their own distinct personality and voice. I liked how as you shifted perspectives there was also a difference in how each story was told. One character, an aspiring journalist told their story in news articles, while the aspiring filmmaker's was told in a script format. However, like Alone, I felt that there were a few plot points that were unrealistic and took away from my enjoyment of the plot. While this book takes place over a long period of time there was still a sense of urgency and danger in the writing style.
I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: animal death, violence, grief
I enjoyed this companion novel more than the first book, Alone. In Away, we follow the lives of a group of kids at an evacuation camp as they try to understand the true reason why they'd been sent there. Each kid had their own distinct personality and voice. I liked how as you shifted perspectives there was also a difference in how each story was told. One character, an aspiring journalist told their story in news articles, while the aspiring filmmaker's was told in a script format. However, like Alone, I felt that there were a few plot points that were unrealistic and took away from my enjoyment of the plot. While this book takes place over a long period of time there was still a sense of urgency and danger in the writing style.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Grief
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
I absolutely LOVED this book! This is a companion novel to 'Alone', and when I heard there was going to be another one, I had to read it immediately. This book is from the perspective of a group of kids who are evacuated and live in a relocation camp. The kids start to question the information they are being told about why they were evacuated. They start quietly investigating and stumble upon something bigger than they could even imagine.
I absolutely LOVED this book! This is a companion novel to 'Alone', and when I heard there was going to be another one, I had to read it immediately. This book is from the perspective of a group of kids who are evacuated and live in a relocation camp. The kids start to question the information they are being told about why they were evacuated. They start quietly investigating and stumble upon something bigger than they could even imagine.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved Megan E. Freeman's Alone. It was a fabulous survival story. If you are like me though, you got to the end, and said, "Wait, what? WHY were they evacuated?" This book is the answer!! Told from the alternating points of view of 4 middle school students, we learn what happened to the people who were evacuated while Maddie survived on her own. One of the four is Maddie's friend Ashanti, who got sick and couldn't sleep over that fateful night. The other three are from a variety of places in Colorado. This is an incredible follow up to Alone. I do think that it would be better to read Alone first, for a stronger emotional impact. Highly recommended for grades 5 & up.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I remember exactly where I was when I read Meagan Freeman’s Middle Grade novel in verse, Alone. I was captivated and could not put the book down… and have been thinking about it and recommending it to others ever since. I audibly squealed when I saw that Away was coming out! This book can be read on its own, but having read the first one did increase how much I enjoyed it.
This book is not a sequel to Maddie’s story; Away takes place at the same time as Alone but is told from multiple perspectives of children in the same evacuee camp. All with different interests, homes, and personal histories, they come together in an effort to record and share what life is like during the camps. Each POV is very distinct, and the entire novel is not in verse this time. I thought it was incredibly clever (and fun to read) that one character who is an aspiring filmmaker’s chapters are all told as if you were reading a movie script and storyboards! The one downside to so many characters is that I didn’t feel the same strong connection to each one as I did in the first book. Personally I could have read an entire book about Teddy and/or Griffin on their own, but I understand the need for the additional characters, and they were very lovable.
Even though this book takes place over an extended period of time, there’s a very real sense of urgency, especially in the last third of the book. The story fills in the holes that we’re left wondering about at the end of Alone, and it’s excellently done. For me personally, I didn’t have the same electric connection that I did to the first book, but I think a lot of readers will. I will be purchasing this book for my library and recommending it to students!
Read if: You read and loved Alone, you don’t trust government authority, you ever wanted to be a reporter
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No