Trapped by Michael Northrop
Trapped
Author: Michael Northrop
Published: February 1, 2011
232 Pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: September 2-6, 2019
Jessica’s Rating: 3 stars
Book Description:
The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive. . . .
Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn’t seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision. . . .
Jessica’s Review:
Trapped is a short and quick read that I enjoyed until it abruptly ended. Were the last few chapters accidentally left out of my copy? Nope, that was it! Who lives, who dies, and what’s going to happen next? I will have to decide that on my own…
I was pulled in from the beginning wondering what was going to happen. I knew it was going to be a bad storm, but the snow just would not stop! These poor kids just kept getting worse off as the novel progressed. For a YA novel that has boys and girls stuck alone together, there surprisingly was not much teenage drama: They were focused on survival.
If you like quick YA reads, give Trapped a try. Our narrator is a boy, which is a rarity in YA novels. *Disclaimer*: Going in keep in mind that the novel ends with no conclusion/ epilogue.
Northrop wrote another novel which interests me called Surrounded by Sharks. It is similar to Trapped in that it deals with survival, but I doubt I will read it. It is about the same length as Trapped and I am afraid that there will be no conclusion, and my thinking is this:
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
If you have actually read Surrounded by Sharks, I would love to know if there is a conclusion to that novel!
Other than the lack of conclusion, Trapped would be perfect to read while it is snowing: I just hope you don’t end up in a blizzard like our poor teens!
The Storied Life of AJ Fikry
The Storied Life of AJ Fikry
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Published: April 1, 2014
Audiobook
Reviewed By: Jessica
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Dates Read: December 15-23, 2019
Book Description:
As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
We are not quite novels.
We are not quite short stories.
In the end, we are collected works.
A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died; his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history; and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island—from Chief Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward him; from Ismay, his sister-in-law, who is hell-bent on saving A.J. from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who persists in taking the ferry to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, he can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.
And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, though large in weight—an unexpected arrival that gives A.J. the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J., for the determined sales rep Amelia to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light, for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world. Or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming.
Jessica’s Review:
Poor AJ Fikry has had a difficult time in his life lately:
His wife has passed away, his bookshop is not making sales like it should and now a prized possession is stolen! Life can’t possibly get any worse can it? No, in fact it can go in a complete 180!
This was a very enjoyable audiobook. At first AJ is not likeable at all, but over time he and his story grow on you. Maybe there are second chances after all.
If you are a bibliophile like me, you will enjoy this book as it is set in a bookstore! (Books Galore!) I would stay away from other reviews and even other book descriptions, as they give away what this mysterious package is. The book description that I first read did, and I wish I had not known. Go into this book knowing as little as possible and you will be sure to enjoy it!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Video Review: The Lovely and the Lost
Today Kim brings you a video review of The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes:
The Lovely and the Lost
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Published: May 7, 2019
328 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Kira Bennett’s earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She has no idea how long she was on her own or what she had to do to survive, but she remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her perfectly. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue. Along with Cady’s son, Jude, and their neighbor, Free, Kira works alongside Cady to train the world’s most elite search-and-rescue dogs. Someday, all three teenagers hope to put their skills to use, finding the lost and bringing them home.
But when Cady’s estranged father, the enigmatic Bales Bennett, tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child—one of several visitors who has disappeared in the Sierra Glades National Park in the past twelve months—the teens find themselves on the frontlines sooner than they could have ever expected. As the search through 750,000 acres of unbridled wilderness intensifies, Kira becomes obsessed with finding the missing child. She knows all too well what it’s like to be lost in the wilderness, fighting for survival, alone.
But this case isn’t simple. There is more afoot than a single, missing girl, and Kira’s memories threaten to overwhelm her at every turn. As the danger mounts and long-held family secrets come to light, Kira is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her adopted family, her true nature, and her past.
Kim’s Video Review:
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
