Review by catlock68 -- Stranded In The Wild
1 posts
[Following is a volunteer review of "Stranded In The Wild" by Gary Rodriguez.]
Four teenagers arrive at Camp Arrowhead to spend the summer. Savannah, better known as Savi, is a level-headed, even-tempered girl. She soon makes friends with Jade, who enters the camp in an unorthodox manner. Adding to the cast of characters is Connor who immediately alienates the girls with his obnoxious, show-off attitude. Rounding out the foursome is Rico. Rico and Connor are pitted against each other from the beginning. A conflict during a football game ends in a scuffle when Connor uses a racial slur with Rico.
A white water rafting trip is planned which will include Levels I, II, and III. The four campers find themselves assigned to the same raft. Rico is not happy when he finds out Connor is part of the group. They are not allowed to change the arrangements and plan to just enjoy their trip. They have an experienced guide, Doug, who will navigate them through the courses. He gives them explicit directions in case he was incapacitated and could no longer lead. And as fate would have it, he is ejected from the raft and disappears. The campers are now left on their own. With much difficulty they manage to land in a remote wooded area that is twenty-five to thirty miles from camp. Jade is injured and they must now wait for her to heal while they make plans for rescue.
Unfortunately, the dense woods keep rescue crews on the water and in the air from seeing the stranded campers. The group decides to head to the camp using the compass that Savi brought with her. The journey will be full of peril with wild animals all around. They are particularly frightened with thoughts of Vexel, an animal that they have been warned is extremely dangerous. Along the way, they are faced with life and death choices and serious injuries to each teen. They meet up with Luke, a young man searching for Vexel because the monstrous animal had killed his father. Luke draws maps of safe areas in which to shelter at night and provides food for them. The teens must learn to work as a team to gather food, find shelter, and keep their eyes peeled for danger.
Even though Stranded in the Wild is meant for young readers, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is fast-paced and keeps one's attention riveted to the story. The evolution of each teenager is heartening. Although two of the group gravitate toward leadership roles early on, each person learns who they are and what is really important in life.
I found myself rooting for the teens as they faced each new problem and wondering how they were going to get out of each situation. The end of the story had me holding my breath to make sure they were able to escape. I would highly recommend this book to young readers as well as adults. It is a heartwarming story that is about hope in the midst of danger. There is no profanity and few typos. I must admit I had a little tear in my eye at the conclusion because I had learned to care about these teens.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Stranded In The Wild
View: on Bookshelves |
Four teenagers arrive at Camp Arrowhead to spend the summer. Savannah, better known as Savi, is a level-headed, even-tempered girl. She soon makes friends with Jade, who enters the camp in an unorthodox manner. Adding to the cast of characters is Connor who immediately alienates the girls with his obnoxious, show-off attitude. Rounding out the foursome is Rico. Rico and Connor are pitted against each other from the beginning. A conflict during a football game ends in a scuffle when Connor uses a racial slur with Rico.
A white water rafting trip is planned which will include Levels I, II, and III. The four campers find themselves assigned to the same raft. Rico is not happy when he finds out Connor is part of the group. They are not allowed to change the arrangements and plan to just enjoy their trip. They have an experienced guide, Doug, who will navigate them through the courses. He gives them explicit directions in case he was incapacitated and could no longer lead. And as fate would have it, he is ejected from the raft and disappears. The campers are now left on their own. With much difficulty they manage to land in a remote wooded area that is twenty-five to thirty miles from camp. Jade is injured and they must now wait for her to heal while they make plans for rescue.
Unfortunately, the dense woods keep rescue crews on the water and in the air from seeing the stranded campers. The group decides to head to the camp using the compass that Savi brought with her. The journey will be full of peril with wild animals all around. They are particularly frightened with thoughts of Vexel, an animal that they have been warned is extremely dangerous. Along the way, they are faced with life and death choices and serious injuries to each teen. They meet up with Luke, a young man searching for Vexel because the monstrous animal had killed his father. Luke draws maps of safe areas in which to shelter at night and provides food for them. The teens must learn to work as a team to gather food, find shelter, and keep their eyes peeled for danger.
Even though Stranded in the Wild is meant for young readers, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is fast-paced and keeps one's attention riveted to the story. The evolution of each teenager is heartening. Although two of the group gravitate toward leadership roles early on, each person learns who they are and what is really important in life.
I found myself rooting for the teens as they faced each new problem and wondering how they were going to get out of each situation. The end of the story had me holding my breath to make sure they were able to escape. I would highly recommend this book to young readers as well as adults. It is a heartwarming story that is about hope in the midst of danger. There is no profanity and few typos. I must admit I had a little tear in my eye at the conclusion because I had learned to care about these teens.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Stranded In The Wild
View: on Bookshelves |
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