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klmeyers's review against another edition
3.0
Before anyone asks, yes, I am reading frantically in order to make my goal for the year
mldeblois13's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best historical fiction books I have read. Written in verse, the author weaves conventions and structure to create a beautiful story tapestry. This is an excellent novel to use as a mentor text. Amazing voice! The author does an superb job making a long, mundane journey (long hours of just walking, walking, walking) interesting and conveying the despair and suffering of Mary Ann and her many different traveling companions. Readers will literally walk the long, painful journey in her shoes.
leeve_me_alone3217's review against another edition
3.0
*dark humor alert. do not proceed if you're offended by such*
this book reminded me of that one tumblr post that was like "what if people had food names" as such:
"hey spaghetti, dinner's ready!"
"what are we having?"
"margret."
*end of dark humor spiel*
rip to the only characters i cared about: jay, baby harriett, charles, fred, and then freaking EDWARD PYLE!!!!
this book reminded me of that one tumblr post that was like "what if people had food names" as such:
"hey spaghetti, dinner's ready!"
"what are we having?"
"margret."
*end of dark humor spiel*
rip to the only characters i cared about: jay, baby harriett, charles, fred, and then freaking EDWARD PYLE!!!!
amymck05's review against another edition
4.0
This is a Battle of the Books books in our junior high this year and I was tasked with reading it and creating questions. I really enjoyed it. It is poetry, but I think even those who don't particularly like poetry will still like the book. I read a review where someone mentioned that this book could be filed under the "Nevertheless she persisted" category. I agree. This is the story of a strong girl who through hard work and mental toughness survived an agonizing trip across the country to California to find new opportunities.
loffy81's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating story written in prose about Mary Ann Graves and her family's journey West to California. Their fates became tied with the rest of those of the Donner party as she struggled with romance, perseverance, and what the human body can endure when with those we live.
kristinamskinner's review against another edition
3.0
The author was able to give a ton of historically accurate information about the Donner Party dotted throughout the verses. It was concise and I liked that. It’s a good first introduction to the story for youth. It was emotional and made me shiver (from cold and shock). The poems themselves were lacking, but the the story is so chilling that I overlooked the style.
melissapalmer404's review against another edition
3.0
Book #67 Read in 2017
To Stay Alive by Skila Brown
This is a verse novel about the infamous Donner party. I do not think younger readers will stay engaged in this book to get to the cannibalism part (over 220 pages into the book). This book details that hardship of their travels, both physically and mentally. It was an ok read which I borrowed from the school library.
To Stay Alive by Skila Brown
This is a verse novel about the infamous Donner party. I do not think younger readers will stay engaged in this book to get to the cannibalism part (over 220 pages into the book). This book details that hardship of their travels, both physically and mentally. It was an ok read which I borrowed from the school library.
lovegirl30's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a beautiful book. It was gritty, horrifying, real, and extremely deep. To Stay Alive is a story told in short poems that tell the fictionalized yet somewhat true story of Mary Ann Graves. Who was a member of the tragic Donner party.
The author tells the story straight up. She makes is engaging but honest. She tells the really gruesome parts without sensationalizing things. She really shares the horrible and bleak things that the pioneers faced. The boring parts, the dirty parts, and the sad and somber parts are all shown in great detail. This isn't an easy read, however, it is a good and important one.
I love the main character, Mary Ann. While her voice seems mature it was important to remember that she was a fairly young girl when everything happened. I loved how she was emotional and loveable. She cared for her family and was a great sister to her younger brother Frank, hold him when she was exhausted and tired. Her voice created a tone for the story. One of hunger, sadness, hope, horror, excitement. It was interesting watching her grow through out the story.
I love free verse poetry, it works so well for this story.
Overall it is a great story. It is a quick read but not a light read. There were parts of this book at the end that made me put the book down and think a lot. I feel like this book will stick with me for a while. I find myself wondering what I would have done on the trail. Would I have followed the same path? It would have been very difficult making some of those choices. It really was eye-opening. Glad I picked it up at the library will be buying it for sure.
themaggiemch's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
An interesting and quick read. I was engaged in the story while reading, but it was slightly forgettable. The novel-in-verse format allowed for some interesting concepts to be conveyed on the page, but I think I would've liked it better had it been in prose.
abharris's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5