torgla 's review for:

Searching for Sky by Jillian Cantor

4.0

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Sky remembers nothing before Island. She’s been happy there with just her mom, her friend River, and his father, living off the land. But soon after they die from eating strange mushrooms, River sees a boat. The two are “rescued” from their tropical utopia and taken to a strange land known as California, with tragic results. They’re completely unprepared for this new world, lacking the skills or even the vocabulary needed to survive. How can they fathom a monetary system when they’ve always gathered their own food? How can they grasp vast distances and traffic when their whole world was reachable by foot? And how can they possibly understand when they’re told their parents were members of a cult?

An entertaining book that had me zipping through it. The main characters are likeable and realistic, their responses and misunderstandings spot-on, and their choices true to their personalities. It’s fascinating to watch the characters evolve as their new environment changes them, no matter how much they may resist.

Disclaimer: received free ARC from NetGalley