pagingmrsvarnum 's review for:

Away by Megan E. Freeman

4.25

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

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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