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k8lynn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this book was awesome. so hard to stop reading! i definitely would like to read more buy this author!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
proxyc4t's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Amazing concept, great beginnin and middle, but I found the ending disappointing. The ending felt very rushed, and was ended abruptly, now that could have been on purpose for a sequel however as far as I can tell this book is a stand alone and for that I have to judge it appropriately.
The world building was decent and was a concept that has been done be for but the author had a fantastic take on it and for that I commend them. That being said I would have liked to have learnt just a tad bit more about the world as a whole. The charaters are well written and each main charater has a drive and ambition although the side charaters I found rather confusing and I kept mixing them up due to them being quite forgetful and not a lot of expansion on their character as a whole.
Over all I wish this book was longer I really think another 60-100 pages would have allowed the author to flush out more of the concept and charaters and to have not rushed the ending as much. That all being said I know it sounded harsh, but, I do hope there is a sequel because I would love to read more about/from this story line.
The world building was decent and was a concept that has been done be for but the author had a fantastic take on it and for that I commend them. That being said I would have liked to have learnt just a tad bit more about the world as a whole. The charaters are well written and each main charater has a drive and ambition although the side charaters I found rather confusing and I kept mixing them up due to them being quite forgetful and not a lot of expansion on their character as a whole.
Over all I wish this book was longer I really think another 60-100 pages would have allowed the author to flush out more of the concept and charaters and to have not rushed the ending as much. That all being said I know it sounded harsh, but, I do hope there is a sequel because I would love to read more about/from this story line.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
emmagee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
shelfofunread's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5 stars. Welcome to the Arcadia. When waves of refugees arrive fleeing biological warfare in Europe, the United States is placed into a strict quarantine. The Arcadia and other vessels fleeing the virus are forced to anchor off-shore, along with all their passengers and crew.
Forty years later, the once-luxurious cruise ships have become home to the stranded: descendants of passengers and crew alike, now divided into extremes of privilege and poverty. Desperate to get a coveted ticket to the Federated States, the citizens of the Arcadia work flat-out under an increasingly militant regime, training to become citizen-soldiers and medics. But can they ever work hard enough to be valued by a country that doesn’t want them? And if playing by the rules stops being an option, how else can the stranded obtain their liberation?
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw cruise ships quarantined and turned away from ports, the premise of Sarah Daniels’s YA dystopian thriller The Stranded seems all too realistic. And whilst the focus is very much on the decedents of those original passengers and crew, there are just enough glimpses into the past to get a very real sense of the terror and confusion that the virus – a by-product of biological warfare between unnamed European nation-states – caused.
Not that things are very much better for the occupants of the Arcadia in the present day. Although ostensibly governed by The Captain, everyone on the Arcadia knows that the real rules are enforced by Hadley and his gang of brutal Coalies. Unless you head below the waterline and into Neath territory, in which case you’re going to be at the mercy of Silas or Enid and their respective gang members. It’s a fantastically realised world in which the politics of class and race are played out in microcosm against the tattered remnants of the ship’s former hierarchy.
The Stranded‘s protagonists are equally compelling. Esther is just desperate to get off the ship, studying every hour she can in the hope that she can prove her loyalty to the Federated States and get the chance to live a life on land. For Nik, the Federated States represent the people who took his father. Working for the rebellion, he knows the truth about what the Coalies are doing on other ships and he’ll do whatever it takes to liberate the Arcadia once and for all. Both make for exasperatingly realistic teen protagonists, complete with the full complement of ‘coming of age’ problems: complicated relationships, unwanted feelings for each other, families in jeopardy, festering resentments, and the small matter of a ship-wide rebellion to run.
We also get chapters from the perspective of Hadley, the sociopathic commander of the Coalies who act as both the Arcadia‘s security services and the watchful eyes of the Federated States. Hadley, however, has his own agenda – and he isn’t about to let two teenagers get in the way of that. I have to admit that I did find Hadley a one-sided villain. He’s the kind of out-and-out evil that, if I’m honest, isn’t all that interesting to me and I found his chapters considerably less engaging than those told from the perspectives of Nik and Esther. I also guessed the other major villain (no spoilers!) from almost the get-go, which somewhat undermined what I think is supposed to be a late-book reveal.
For all that The Stranded is billed as a dystopian thriller, it also has a surprisingly slow start. Short chapters and changing perspectives keep the pages turning – as does the impressive world-building – but Daniels does take her time establishing all of the major players before really kicking off the action. Personally I found the premise and the characters interesting and engaging enough that this didn’t bother me but, if you like your books to hit the ground running, be aware you have to do a little leg-work before The Stranded really picks up the pace. That said, once it does get going, the plot starts running downhill faster than a boulder with rocket boosters attached!
Because The Stranded is the first in a duology, don’t expect the ending to wrap up nice and neatly either. Indeed, if you hate cliffhangers, I’d just go out and acquire both The Stranded and its sequel, The Exiled, at the same time because boy, does this book end with a cliffhanger! Again no spoilers, but I would definitely plan to read these as back-to-back books if you want to get the full story.
Although there is some mild violence and swearing, and some peril for our protagonists, the book stays within PG territory so should be suitable for most teens (as well as adult YA fans, of course). With discussions of social issues including race, class, police brutality, forced confinement, and poverty, there are some hard-hitting topics underneath all the action but Daniels weaves these into her narrative with skill. Readers should be aware that not all the characters we meet in The Stranded make it to the end of the book, and there is also an incident of kidnapping/abduction.
With light sci-fi vibes, The Stranded is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Mira Grant’s Feed series, and Divergent. Although the story isn’t told at the fastest of paces, the blend of action, family and personal drama, social issues, and nefarious government shenanigans made for a compelling read the fulfilled the potential of its unique premise.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Forty years later, the once-luxurious cruise ships have become home to the stranded: descendants of passengers and crew alike, now divided into extremes of privilege and poverty. Desperate to get a coveted ticket to the Federated States, the citizens of the Arcadia work flat-out under an increasingly militant regime, training to become citizen-soldiers and medics. But can they ever work hard enough to be valued by a country that doesn’t want them? And if playing by the rules stops being an option, how else can the stranded obtain their liberation?
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw cruise ships quarantined and turned away from ports, the premise of Sarah Daniels’s YA dystopian thriller The Stranded seems all too realistic. And whilst the focus is very much on the decedents of those original passengers and crew, there are just enough glimpses into the past to get a very real sense of the terror and confusion that the virus – a by-product of biological warfare between unnamed European nation-states – caused.
Not that things are very much better for the occupants of the Arcadia in the present day. Although ostensibly governed by The Captain, everyone on the Arcadia knows that the real rules are enforced by Hadley and his gang of brutal Coalies. Unless you head below the waterline and into Neath territory, in which case you’re going to be at the mercy of Silas or Enid and their respective gang members. It’s a fantastically realised world in which the politics of class and race are played out in microcosm against the tattered remnants of the ship’s former hierarchy.
The Stranded‘s protagonists are equally compelling. Esther is just desperate to get off the ship, studying every hour she can in the hope that she can prove her loyalty to the Federated States and get the chance to live a life on land. For Nik, the Federated States represent the people who took his father. Working for the rebellion, he knows the truth about what the Coalies are doing on other ships and he’ll do whatever it takes to liberate the Arcadia once and for all. Both make for exasperatingly realistic teen protagonists, complete with the full complement of ‘coming of age’ problems: complicated relationships, unwanted feelings for each other, families in jeopardy, festering resentments, and the small matter of a ship-wide rebellion to run.
We also get chapters from the perspective of Hadley, the sociopathic commander of the Coalies who act as both the Arcadia‘s security services and the watchful eyes of the Federated States. Hadley, however, has his own agenda – and he isn’t about to let two teenagers get in the way of that. I have to admit that I did find Hadley a one-sided villain. He’s the kind of out-and-out evil that, if I’m honest, isn’t all that interesting to me and I found his chapters considerably less engaging than those told from the perspectives of Nik and Esther. I also guessed the other major villain (no spoilers!) from almost the get-go, which somewhat undermined what I think is supposed to be a late-book reveal.
For all that The Stranded is billed as a dystopian thriller, it also has a surprisingly slow start. Short chapters and changing perspectives keep the pages turning – as does the impressive world-building – but Daniels does take her time establishing all of the major players before really kicking off the action. Personally I found the premise and the characters interesting and engaging enough that this didn’t bother me but, if you like your books to hit the ground running, be aware you have to do a little leg-work before The Stranded really picks up the pace. That said, once it does get going, the plot starts running downhill faster than a boulder with rocket boosters attached!
Because The Stranded is the first in a duology, don’t expect the ending to wrap up nice and neatly either. Indeed, if you hate cliffhangers, I’d just go out and acquire both The Stranded and its sequel, The Exiled, at the same time because boy, does this book end with a cliffhanger! Again no spoilers, but I would definitely plan to read these as back-to-back books if you want to get the full story.
Although there is some mild violence and swearing, and some peril for our protagonists, the book stays within PG territory so should be suitable for most teens (as well as adult YA fans, of course). With discussions of social issues including race, class, police brutality, forced confinement, and poverty, there are some hard-hitting topics underneath all the action but Daniels weaves these into her narrative with skill. Readers should be aware that not all the characters we meet in The Stranded make it to the end of the book, and there is also an incident of kidnapping/abduction.
With light sci-fi vibes, The Stranded is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Mira Grant’s Feed series, and Divergent. Although the story isn’t told at the fastest of paces, the blend of action, family and personal drama, social issues, and nefarious government shenanigans made for a compelling read the fulfilled the potential of its unique premise.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Violence, Police brutality, and Classism
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
trippyotter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
ammerrily's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
haleybre's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
alli_the_bookaholic13's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
3.75 stars
CWs: death, rebellion, violence, blood and injury detail
Thank you to the publisher for an eARC vie NetGalley.
I’m feeling a bit conflicted about this one. It took me about 50% to really get invested in the story and the characters. I found the beginning was quite slow and drawn out. I appreciated the details that were provided to set the scene and the character relationships, but I wish that it hadn’t taken so long to really get into the action. I struggled to stay focused on the story and wanting to read it, but once I got to part 2 and pst the 50% mark, I flew through the rest of the book. In a couple of hours I finished it, while it took me 2 weeks to find the desire to read the first half. This is definitely a combination of me not being in the right mood, and the story just not quite hooking me fully from the beginning.
I liked Esther alright in the beginning, but once things started to get intense and go badly, I really liked her character. She stood up for things, she was strong and brave, and I was rooting for her. I liked her relationship with her sister, and I wish that we’d seen more of it.
I liked Nik from the beginning. Something about his character was perfect for this kind of story. He was well written and I admired his conviction and loyalty. I liked learning about the rebellion, but I wish there had been more details. Much of it was vaguely discussed even though Nik is a major part of the rebellion. This left me feeling conflicted about the rebellion and I wasn’t fully invested in it or the characters for more than half the story.
The story is told through 3 POVs that of Esther, Nik and commander Hadley. Esther’s and Nik’s POVs are both first-person, but Hadley’s was third. I didn’t mind this, and I actually liked Hadley’s POV a lot. As the villain he was pretty basic, but it was easy to hate him.
CWs: death, rebellion, violence, blood and injury detail
Thank you to the publisher for an eARC vie NetGalley.
I’m feeling a bit conflicted about this one. It took me about 50% to really get invested in the story and the characters. I found the beginning was quite slow and drawn out. I appreciated the details that were provided to set the scene and the character relationships, but I wish that it hadn’t taken so long to really get into the action. I struggled to stay focused on the story and wanting to read it, but once I got to part 2 and pst the 50% mark, I flew through the rest of the book. In a couple of hours I finished it, while it took me 2 weeks to find the desire to read the first half. This is definitely a combination of me not being in the right mood, and the story just not quite hooking me fully from the beginning.
I liked Esther alright in the beginning, but once things started to get intense and go badly, I really liked her character. She stood up for things, she was strong and brave, and I was rooting for her. I liked her relationship with her sister, and I wish that we’d seen more of it.
I liked Nik from the beginning. Something about his character was perfect for this kind of story. He was well written and I admired his conviction and loyalty. I liked learning about the rebellion, but I wish there had been more details. Much of it was vaguely discussed even though Nik is a major part of the rebellion. This left me feeling conflicted about the rebellion and I wasn’t fully invested in it or the characters for more than half the story.
The story is told through 3 POVs that of Esther, Nik and commander Hadley. Esther’s and Nik’s POVs are both first-person, but Hadley’s was third. I didn’t mind this, and I actually liked Hadley’s POV a lot. As the villain he was pretty basic, but it was easy to hate him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Torture, Police brutality, Medical content, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
anniereads221's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
4.5
Woah this was a freaking rollercoaster. There was a plot point that was so obvious from the get go. But the rest of it absolutely amazing and damn i have to wait till next year for the next one ahhhhhhh
Woah this was a freaking rollercoaster. There was a plot point that was so obvious from the get go. But the rest of it absolutely amazing and damn i have to wait till next year for the next one ahhhhhhh
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
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