Review | Stranded

Summary: Stranded

Ava loves nature and wishes she could spend more time in the woods instead of her family’s Manhattan apartment. Fortune seems to smile on her when her auntie Raven, who is estranged from her mom, allows her to come spend the summer in the Adirondacks with her. A summer stay turns into a year-long stay with Ava’s parent’s permission. However, a miscommunication leads to Ava being stuck at the cottage in the winter and having to survive on her own before help comes.

The Good

I liked so many things about this story. First off, this book is pegged as a My Side of the Mountain retelling but can be totally enjoyed by readers — like me — who’ve yet to read the classic. I also loved seeing a Black female lead in a survival story, figuring out how to survive and also what in the world to do with her braids and her hair in a moment of crisis.

Survival stories that involve kids being left in deserted places can be difficult to pull off in a believable way, but this one works because Ava spends a lot of time with her aunt learning how to hunt, live off the ground, grow and harvest food, and everything — almost like she was preparing to be left behind. Sometimes, Ava’s monologues and thoughts in the first part of the book sound contrived, but I don’t think kids will notice as much. When the plot picks up speed, the action will keep readers invested.

This is a short, fast-paced story that was hard to put down, especially after Ava is abandoned in the second half. I loved reading about the ingenious ways she tries to stay alive by foraging, getting food from neighbors, and even hunting animals! There’s also an interesting subplot about Ava’s mom and auntie and their fractured relationship. Definitely an enjoyable read.