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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
I just really enjoyed this book in verse about Maddie and her new companion, George. The nods to classic books and works such as Island of Blue Dolphins and Emily Dickinson were really great and hearing how Maddie navigated her hometown after everyone, but her, is evacuated kept me turning each page to find out how it all ended as quickly as possible - I was hooked!
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
First of this genre that I have found written for younger than teen. Novel in verse.
This was poetic and haunting and not at all what I expected. A survival story to the fullest extent, and a continued reminder of the strength of teenage girls. Elusive and open-ended, Alone really makes your heart ache and yearn for the closeness of others.
Maddie is a twelve-year-old who is inadvertently left behind when the town is forced to evacuate due to an imminent threat. She survives on her own with the company of the neighbors dog, George, who also had to be left behind. She scrounges for food and water, weathers the changing seasons and storms, and learns how to figure things out for herself. It is written in free verse so it is a quick read.
I think there are one or two things that seemed pretty unlikely but otherwise loved it.
George was my favorite character. Bummed by the anti-climactic ending.
Rating: 3/5
Rating: 3/5
For adults who are reading this book -- do yourself a favor and set aside 3-5 hours to read it in one sitting. Trust me, you are not going to want to put it down. Megan E. Freeman has done an outstanding job toying with my emotions in Alone. After I finished, all I wanted to do was give my husband a hug. Not because I needed one, but because this book made me love him even more than I did when I started it. I dare you to read this book and not be affected by the idea of separation from the ones you love.
As for the middle grade children who are the targeted readers of this book, I suspect they are going to LOVE the horror of it.
As for the middle grade children who are the targeted readers of this book, I suspect they are going to LOVE the horror of it.
Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the early copy!
We know by now I love a good survival story, but this one is different. Maddie is 12, and lies to her divorced parents one night - tells mom she’s with dad and vice versa, and then really spends the night at her grandparents’ empty house (they live in South Carolina half the year). That one night is colossal... while she’s sleeping, the residents of her town are loaded into transport vans and taken away. When she wakes up, she’s the only person left in her town.
The initial premise may be a little far-fetched, but the survival aspect feels very realistic. Maddie does a lot to manage to stay alive, and works hard every day to maintain a routine and keep herself and her found dog companion, George, fed and sheltered. She’s smart and level-headed and is a great protagonist for the story. She still has her moments of weakness - missing her loved ones and normal way of life is what gets to her the most. You can really see her move through the stages of grief, though, over the course of this story.
This could have been 5 stars if the ending wasn’t so rushed. It happened in the blink of an eye, really. It didn’t answer nearly enough questions and it barely let me feel anything before it was over.
It’s written in verse, sorta, which I usually don’t like, but this story is way more action forward than a lot of verse novels. She still talks about how she feels, but mostly it’s about what she’s physically doing. And the verse really just feels like a run-on sentence, free flowing thoughts.
I think tweens will really like this, it plays off the “what if my family was gone” fantasy trope that quickly goes sour and leaves kids valuing their lives a little more. But honestly I think it’s a decent survival story for any age and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
We know by now I love a good survival story, but this one is different. Maddie is 12, and lies to her divorced parents one night - tells mom she’s with dad and vice versa, and then really spends the night at her grandparents’ empty house (they live in South Carolina half the year). That one night is colossal... while she’s sleeping, the residents of her town are loaded into transport vans and taken away. When she wakes up, she’s the only person left in her town.
The initial premise may be a little far-fetched, but the survival aspect feels very realistic. Maddie does a lot to manage to stay alive, and works hard every day to maintain a routine and keep herself and her found dog companion, George, fed and sheltered. She’s smart and level-headed and is a great protagonist for the story. She still has her moments of weakness - missing her loved ones and normal way of life is what gets to her the most. You can really see her move through the stages of grief, though, over the course of this story.
This could have been 5 stars if the ending wasn’t so rushed. It happened in the blink of an eye, really. It didn’t answer nearly enough questions and it barely let me feel anything before it was over.
It’s written in verse, sorta, which I usually don’t like, but this story is way more action forward than a lot of verse novels. She still talks about how she feels, but mostly it’s about what she’s physically doing. And the verse really just feels like a run-on sentence, free flowing thoughts.
I think tweens will really like this, it plays off the “what if my family was gone” fantasy trope that quickly goes sour and leaves kids valuing their lives a little more. But honestly I think it’s a decent survival story for any age and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Sooooooo good until it wasn't??? Why is the ending so bad????? I feel tricked