A girl survival book. I think I could get some of my Hatchet fans to read it, there is even a mention of it in the storyline. It's a short easy read. ( )

Sooo fast-paced and suspenseful and full of the outdoor survival and action and adventure I love. Only just discovered this fellow YA adventure novelist, and hoping she writes many more. ( )

4.5 stars ( )

Emma is a champion swimmer, but that didn’t help when her car flipped into a body of water trapping herself and her younger sister Lucy. Unable to deal with her guilt at not saving Lucy’s life, Emma has given up on her own life, going through each day like a zombie.

Hoping to avoid the upcoming anniversary of Lucy’s death, Emma signs up to join a weeklong remote wilderness camp for teens. After a freak of nature kills three of the group, Emma finds herself as one of a group of four struggling to find their way in a vast forest with only a few supplies and a little water. They need to work together but, with each passing day, the threat of wolves and an impending snowstorm, along with infighting, distrust, hunger, and thirst begin to wear them down. With the hope of rescue becoming slimmer each passing day, Emma finds an inner strength she never knew she possessed.

“Stranded” ranks right up with Gary Paulsen’s classic book “Hatchet.” Readers will not only learn important wilderness survival skills, but will also learn what “survival” really means.

Highly recommended for ages 14 and older.

Book review blog: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2016/09/05/stranded-melinda-braun/ ( )