I knew that I would like this book when the beginning discussed Island of the Blue Dolphins. Since that was one of my childhood favorites, I was excited to start reading. This book did not disappoint.
Most of you know that I rarely read books in verse, but this one was quite good. I felt that I was able to get to know the characters and the MC's hopes and fears. It also made the time pass a bit faster, as this book is over a time frame of four years.
I would like to note that I would only recommend this for older middle-grade readers due to the language and the nature of the story.
All in all, I would highly recommend this to readers looking for a survival story full of action or for fans of Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Rating: 4/5
Romance: n/a
Language: d***, b****, a**
Spiritual: character questioning
Violence: natural disasters, a kitten was killed

*I received a copy of this book from Books Forward. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required. ( )

I never thought I'd read a dystopian novel written in poetry, but here we are. I really enjoyed the writing. Some of the situations on how the main character survives may not have been accurate/realistic, but I enjoyed the writing of it and the story too much to care. The only thing I didn't like about this book was the ending- it felt much too abrupt. I wanted more explanation on the story. ( )

Independent Reading Level - 4th and 5th Grade
Awards - Colorado Book Award, the High Plains Book Award, the Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont children's book awards,

independent reading level- 10+
awards-

Ages: 10-12 Years Old