Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
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
4 ⭐️
This one was so good. It had high stakes, action, pacing was immaculate, very strong characters and even though its YA it's still very tense. I love how Sarah Daniels challenges our current society throughout this novel and it was a brilliant time
This one was so good. It had high stakes, action, pacing was immaculate, very strong characters and even though its YA it's still very tense. I love how Sarah Daniels challenges our current society throughout this novel and it was a brilliant time
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Stranded was a fun dystopian book to jump into. Now I've never been on a cruise ship before, or any boat really, so I have absolutely no idea how I would feel if I was trapped on one for years. Years people. Forty years to be exact but still, I have no idea what I would do if I was in that situation. So, it was definitely interesting to see what everyone would be like and how they would possibly escape.
Throughout the book, we get a fair amount of action which left me on the edge of my seat at times. There was definitely plenty of tension to go around as well. Whether it was between the soldiers and the rebels or with something else going on. All I really wanted to know is if Esther and Nik would make it off the ship or not. Seriously, it was constantly on my mind.
Besides that, I think the villain was okay. I can't really complain about Hadley. He was just okay in my eyes. Then again, I feel like the rebels weren't being very rebellious either. Like things felt too simple and I'm not exactly sure why. Still, it was entertaining to a point.
In the end, it did feel a bit rushed and kind of chaotic too. Somehow, I enjoyed it all and I'm very happy that I got the chance to jump into this. Will definitely be on the lookout for another book by Sarah!
The Stranded was a fun dystopian book to jump into. Now I've never been on a cruise ship before, or any boat really, so I have absolutely no idea how I would feel if I was trapped on one for years. Years people. Forty years to be exact but still, I have no idea what I would do if I was in that situation. So, it was definitely interesting to see what everyone would be like and how they would possibly escape.
Throughout the book, we get a fair amount of action which left me on the edge of my seat at times. There was definitely plenty of tension to go around as well. Whether it was between the soldiers and the rebels or with something else going on. All I really wanted to know is if Esther and Nik would make it off the ship or not. Seriously, it was constantly on my mind.
Besides that, I think the villain was okay. I can't really complain about Hadley. He was just okay in my eyes. Then again, I feel like the rebels weren't being very rebellious either. Like things felt too simple and I'm not exactly sure why. Still, it was entertaining to a point.
In the end, it did feel a bit rushed and kind of chaotic too. Somehow, I enjoyed it all and I'm very happy that I got the chance to jump into this. Will definitely be on the lookout for another book by Sarah!
I didn't dislike this book, but I liked the premise of it much more than the execution. I'll still read the sequel, though.
Have you been waiting for the next resurgence of YA distopian fiction. Wait no longer, The Stranded is here for you. While a different story all together, The Stranded took me back to the days when I was first reading The Hunger Games. It has all the plot beats of a good YA distopian story: deeply devoted sisters, a burgeoning love triangle, betrayal, death, despair. Additionally, the setting is so interesting with it being set on a ship. Suffice it to say, I had a lot of fun reading The Stranded.
Although I was thoroughly entertained, this book does fall into some common pitfalls. If you’ve read YA distopian fiction in the past, you may find some of the plot beats predictable. Even though I could see some of the story developments coming, it didn’t bother me or ruin my enjoyment of the book. Additionally, The Stranded is told from several perspectives, none of which are very distant from another. This wasn’t too much of an issue for me at the beginning of the book, but as the story progressed it got to the point where I had to ensure I read the chapter heading every time to know who’s point of view I was getting. I didn’t particularly enjoy reading Hadley’s perspective. I think his backstory is intended to make him a complexly dark character but he read kind of flat to me. I found it strange that his chapters were the only ones told in 3rd person whereas every other chapter was told in first. As he’s the antagonist, my guess is that this was meant to distance the audience from his character. Unfortunately, I found the transition a bit jarring. I would have preferred to get chapters from Alex’s perspective instead to get a clearer insight into his choices as a character.
Despite some hiccups with the writing, I think this is a really strong first novel by Daniels and I can’t wait for the second book in this duology.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Although I was thoroughly entertained, this book does fall into some common pitfalls. If you’ve read YA distopian fiction in the past, you may find some of the plot beats predictable. Even though I could see some of the story developments coming, it didn’t bother me or ruin my enjoyment of the book. Additionally, The Stranded is told from several perspectives, none of which are very distant from another. This wasn’t too much of an issue for me at the beginning of the book, but as the story progressed it got to the point where I had to ensure I read the chapter heading every time to know who’s point of view I was getting. I didn’t particularly enjoy reading Hadley’s perspective. I think his backstory is intended to make him a complexly dark character but he read kind of flat to me. I found it strange that his chapters were the only ones told in 3rd person whereas every other chapter was told in first. As he’s the antagonist, my guess is that this was meant to distance the audience from his character. Unfortunately, I found the transition a bit jarring. I would have preferred to get chapters from Alex’s perspective instead to get a clearer insight into his choices as a character.
Despite some hiccups with the writing, I think this is a really strong first novel by Daniels and I can’t wait for the second book in this duology.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.