energyrae's review against another edition
5.0
Jess Cooper is a girl who is recovering from a horrific car crash in which she loses her mother. She also is considered disabled because of the damage she sustained not just from the initial crash but the fire that followed.
Now, rather than living in a foster home, she goes to live with her father whom she hasn't seen since she's a young girl. Thinking she's going to live in Canada, the plane takes her to an extremely remote location where there are no neighbors. Her father lives off the land and so Jess must learn to survive that way too, except she's so mad at her father for abandoning her, she is pushing back and not really paying attention.
Which she sorely wishes she had when the sketchy men her father was dealing with shoot him and burn down the hand-built cabin they live in. Now she must learn to live in the harsh climate if she wants to survive. Having only her father's dog as a companion, things are sure to be hard.
This was a great story, it reminded me a bit of My Side of the Mountain except Jess has the worst luck, nothing goes right. The author did a great job portraying what life would be like and wrote great characters, it's a very good storyline. Loved this book.
Now, rather than living in a foster home, she goes to live with her father whom she hasn't seen since she's a young girl. Thinking she's going to live in Canada, the plane takes her to an extremely remote location where there are no neighbors. Her father lives off the land and so Jess must learn to survive that way too, except she's so mad at her father for abandoning her, she is pushing back and not really paying attention.
Which she sorely wishes she had when the sketchy men her father was dealing with shoot him and burn down the hand-built cabin they live in. Now she must learn to live in the harsh climate if she wants to survive. Having only her father's dog as a companion, things are sure to be hard.
This was a great story, it reminded me a bit of My Side of the Mountain except Jess has the worst luck, nothing goes right. The author did a great job portraying what life would be like and wrote great characters, it's a very good storyline. Loved this book.
librarypatronus's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this - I haven’t picked up a lot of survivalist fiction, but I would based on this one. Full of tense moments, where you could actually believe she was in danger and this time would kill her (compared to my read of The Martian where it became pretty obvious that he’d just solve every issue in one page with his giant brain), Jess was not at all suited to survive in the wilderness but through luck, help from Bo (and her late father), and the little bit of knowledge that she’d gained and her own drive to survive, she starts to have a fighting chance. We read her journal chronicling the before (her father dies and she’s alone) and after, hoping that once she’s gone someone will still know what happened. “So if you’re reading this, I’m probably dead. But for a while, I survived. My name is Jess Cooper, and I am still alive.”
anjreading's review against another edition
3.0
This is an eye-rolling survival story about a girl named Jess, already damaged and weak from the car wreck that killed her mother, who goes to live with her survivalist father in the remotest regions of northwestern Canada. Her father has a shady past and ends up dead, their cabin burned down, while Jess struggles to survive a brutal winter alone in the wild. I love survival stories but this was pretty over the top and unbelievable. It turns from a survival story into a survival/revenge story at the end when the bad guys make a second appearance.
mo0nkidd's review against another edition
4.0
Spoilers:
The dog dies otherwise this would have 5 stars
The dog dies otherwise this would have 5 stars
sharonswyers's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing amazing amazing. I want to scream from the rooftops and recommend this book to everyone I know! I devoured it in 3 hours and it left me wanting more, but not in a bad way!
meganaderr's review against another edition
3.0
Good
A really engaging read, would love to see it made into a movie. But killing the dog seemed stupid and pointless and kinda ruined the end for me.
A really engaging read, would love to see it made into a movie. But killing the dog seemed stupid and pointless and kinda ruined the end for me.
fearlesspkjimin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.0
I read the summary and thought hey, this is actually really interesting and creative. And it did not miss.
It's true that it can get a bit repetitive for some people, but I personally didn't mind it, I enjoyed reading about her little adventures around the forest and all the things she had to do to survive. I wouldn't read it again and not sure if I'd recommend it to someone else unless they're looking for something similar to this, but I give it 3 stars cause I enjoyed the story, even if the plot wasn't too much or exciting.
It's true that it can get a bit repetitive for some people, but I personally didn't mind it, I enjoyed reading about her little adventures around the forest and all the things she had to do to survive. I wouldn't read it again and not sure if I'd recommend it to someone else unless they're looking for something similar to this, but I give it 3 stars cause I enjoyed the story, even if the plot wasn't too much or exciting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Murder
mikhe's review against another edition
4.0
The first thing I want to say about this book that it's amazing as an audiobook.
Amy McFadden really brings Jess alive for me. And also, when a book gets exciting i read so fast that i miss a lot because I just want to know how it goes, and when you instead listen to it, it has you in its claws!
I think the plott summary is good in it's self. This is a book about being smart, trying to survive and don't give up even though everything goes to hell.
It's bloody, raw, sad and non forgivning. Just like the place Jess is in.
Amy McFadden really brings Jess alive for me. And also, when a book gets exciting i read so fast that i miss a lot because I just want to know how it goes, and when you instead listen to it, it has you in its claws!
I think the plott summary is good in it's self. This is a book about being smart, trying to survive and don't give up even though everything goes to hell.
It's bloody, raw, sad and non forgivning. Just like the place Jess is in.