Trigger warnings: Shipwreck, pandemic mentioned

6/10, where do I begin with this, so I was hoping that after reading the Nine Emperors by David Logan which was OK but not the best novel ever this would be better but it ultimately turned out to be a very underwhelming debut from Sarah Daniels and I had a lot of problems with this which I'll get to later on. It starts off with an interesting premise where the characters were stuck on a ship called the Arcadia in 2094 after a pandemic swept through Europe in 2051 so they escaped and stayed off the coast of the Federated States. The writing style was fine but rather basic and non-descriptive and fragmented so that bothered me a bit but I didn't mind since I think it was intentional to make the story more action packed.

Esther and Nikhil weren't the best characters ever since they were quite bothersome to read and I don't like the decisions they made since they were questionable at best and jeopardising at worst and I couldn't care for them since they never really developed themselves. It also kind of dragged on for 300 pages, and the action was a bit too quick since the characters planned to escape the Arcadia and crashed it into the port despite the antagonist Hadley's best efforts to stop them but he was in the background most of the time so I never really saw him and it already ended on a cliffhanger but I hope the second book might be good. I think this was inspired by 1984 by George Orwell and definitely not the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins but it was full of action but I recommend those novels over this. ( )

When war ravaged Europe, those traveling on the cruise ship Arcadia were left without a home. Generations later, people still inhabit the cruise ships, desperate to find refuge in the Federated States. Esther is training as a medic, if she passes her tests, she will have a chance to leave the ship and train on dry land. Nik, a member of the rebel underground, launches a leaflet campaign with Ester's sister. Hadley is the security commander of the ship. Desperate to have the ship decommissioned, he will do anything to maintain law and order.

I really enjoyed this book. The world was well developed and nuanced. The characters were fascinating and realistic. The plot moved forward and a nice pace, keeping me interested and engaging. I look forward to reading more from this author. Highly recommended! ( )

I love YA fiction for my 'slouch on the couch' escapist reading. My latest is Sarah Daniels' excellent debut YA novel - The Stranded.

Dystopian and post apocalyptic fiction are some of my favorite genres. Daniels has imagined a world set in 2094. Thousands of people were caught out on the European ship Arcadia and were denied permission to land on the shores of the Federated States when another pandemic hit. So they've been on the cruise ship for over forty years. New generations have no idea what it feels like to be on land. But they have a plan to try and find out....

Daniels' descriptions are detailed and bring the ship to life. The claustrophobic rooms holding more people than they were ever meant to, the rusty and decrepit machinery, gangs in the below decks, broken everything, shortages and more. At the same time, there are 'futuristic' items being used in a number of ways - health and weaponry.

And who's in charge? Not the captain, but a cruel, brutal officer of the Federated States. You're going to love to hate him for sure. And who are you going to be on board with? (Unintended pun, but I like it) The resistance and the teens who have a plan - Esther, her boyfriend Alex, her sister May and friend Nik. Your loyalty to one or more of the teens will change as the plot moves forward. I have to say that May was my favorite. There's some romance, but it's not overdone. There's a large group of supporting character, all with a role to play. Action and danger drive the book forward and kept me rapidly turning pages.

If you've liked the movie/series of Snowpiercer and the Hunger Games books, you'll enjoy The Stranded. I did! This book is listed as Stranded #1 - I will be watching for #2. I'm eager to see what's next - there's more story to be told. ( )

The first novel in a two-part series, this was a good read - and I'm really looking forward to the second book. Relatable characters, good pacing, and while it is cliche - it will make a really good series or movie (in the right hands - if they screw up the casting on Enid I will riot!). Two generations after a civil war and virus fracture the U.S., a number of stranded cruise ships have languished off the eastern coast. People live and die on board, under massive surveillance and strict control. The author did such a great job setting the scene that the ship itself becomes a character (or maybe it is my fear of being stuck on a cruise ship)? Really good combination of setting, characters, and contemporary topics like surveillance, social control, a mysterious virus, and yes, hope. Despite everything, the characters never give up. They're not perfect, they make mistakes, and they (and others) pay for them. Looking forward to the second installment! ( )

Once a luxurious cruise ship, the Arcadia has now been a floating refugee camp for the last forty years. Driven out into sea from Europe after an apocalyptic war, it now floats off the east coast of the Federated States - a leftover section of what was once the USA.

Ester is a loyal citizen aboard the Arcadia and has been working towards becoming a medic to get the rare chance of getting to the dry land. Nik is a rebel, who has been helping form a plan that will liberate the Arcadia once and for all.

When events on the ship throw their lives together, it changes everything. This novel is told between 3 alternating POVs: Ester, Nik, and Hadley. In true YA style, this novel has action, drama, evil and corrupt governments, social issues, and high stakes.

I was excited about this book - stuck on a cruise ship for decades, what does that even look like? I feel like Sarah Daniels did a wonderful job at teleporting me onto that ship and really experiencing the lives these characters went through. The claustrophobic feeling of never really being able to have your own space and constantly under a watching eye made my head spin.

I’m curious to see where this will end up going, as this is the first book in the series. I will definitely be picking up the next book for sure to see the continued storyline and what happens next. This is a perfect book for those dystopian YA novel readers for sure!

I haven’t been on something as big as a cruise ship, just a few fishing boats here and there. But one of the things that kind of shocked me, that I kind of wished was mentioned, was Ester and her “sea legs” verses on land. For someone who was born and raised on a cruise ship and has never felt solid land under her feet, I was waiting for her to mention it.

*Thank You Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ( )