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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
holy moly.
I did that thing where I checked out a book, put it in the TBR pile, renewed it WAY TOO MANY times, and waited until the day before it was due to actually start reading it. And now I regret that decision.
Alone is exquisite, and I wish I had read it earlier so I could tell everyone how great it is.
I did that thing where I checked out a book, put it in the TBR pile, renewed it WAY TOO MANY times, and waited until the day before it was due to actually start reading it. And now I regret that decision.
Alone is exquisite, and I wish I had read it earlier so I could tell everyone how great it is.
Stunning, haunting dystopian story of a middle schooler left alone in an evacuated town, set to verse. The story deftly explores both the practical and psychological effects of surviving alone. A great middle school read.
Young adult book written by a local author. Reads like poetry. Very interesting survival story
Twelve-year-old Maddie is accidentally left behind when her town is suddenly evacuated and her divorced parents think she is with the other one. Nothing makes sense for Maddie, who is terribly alone and needs to fight for her own survival.
Alone by Megan E. Freeman is the embodiment of Maddie's thoughts, written in free verse form. The raw emotions and unfiltered thoughts are poured into the book in a continuous stream of words. The book is written in first person, and at times it feels like reading a middle-grade journal. The language is direct, without flourishing nor anything that is not essential to the discourse. It was a book that I could not put down, as I was able to feel Maddie's desperation and anguish. The story is told from her perspective and we know nothing more than she does. The reader doesn't know why Maddie's town and surroundings have been evacuated nor the extension of it, just like her. This is what makes this book story so gripping. The need to know, the need to see Maddie survive.
It's a short novella, and I think the length works well with the subject and the writing style. In fact, I began to feel it a bit slow towards the ends, but it was still pretty enjoyable. The ending was satisfactory and underwhelming in equal parts, that's why I'm giving the story 4 stars. Many questions I had went unanswered and some events seemed a bit forced, but that didn't make the book less entertaining.
Gail Shalan delivered a very heartfelt narration, becoming Maddie and transmitting her emotions with power and excellent interpretation skills. It was easy to imagine that I was listening to a little girl, alone and scared. I liked that Shalan was able to find the right balance between raw emotion and containment, with a narration that didn't disturb the story but added value to it. The audio production was spotless.
Alone by Megan E. Freeman is the embodiment of Maddie's thoughts, written in free verse form. The raw emotions and unfiltered thoughts are poured into the book in a continuous stream of words. The book is written in first person, and at times it feels like reading a middle-grade journal. The language is direct, without flourishing nor anything that is not essential to the discourse. It was a book that I could not put down, as I was able to feel Maddie's desperation and anguish. The story is told from her perspective and we know nothing more than she does. The reader doesn't know why Maddie's town and surroundings have been evacuated nor the extension of it, just like her. This is what makes this book story so gripping. The need to know, the need to see Maddie survive.
It's a short novella, and I think the length works well with the subject and the writing style. In fact, I began to feel it a bit slow towards the ends, but it was still pretty enjoyable. The ending was satisfactory and underwhelming in equal parts, that's why I'm giving the story 4 stars. Many questions I had went unanswered and some events seemed a bit forced, but that didn't make the book less entertaining.
Gail Shalan delivered a very heartfelt narration, becoming Maddie and transmitting her emotions with power and excellent interpretation skills. It was easy to imagine that I was listening to a little girl, alone and scared. I liked that Shalan was able to find the right balance between raw emotion and containment, with a narration that didn't disturb the story but added value to it. The audio production was spotless.
I love a novel in verse, and this one was very creative. My biggest problem with it was that we never find out WHY the town is deserted! One of my favorite aspects of sci-fi/dystopia is that transition between the world we know and the one it becomes in the author's mind. There was none of that here. I kept reading it, hoping I would learn, and it felt like that knowledge was kept from me.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Took about three hours to read from start to finish. Was a different reading experience as it is in verse. But I’d rather enjoyed it.