IN SHORT: This young Adult Adventure Book is engrossing but not for the faint of heart.

REVIEW

Jess hasn’t seen her survivalist, off-the-grid dad in over a decade, but after a car crash kills her mother and leaves Jess injured, she’s forced to move to his cabin in the Canadian wilderness. Just as Jess begins to get to know him, a secret from his past resurfaces, leaving her father dead and Jess stranded and alone.

Winter is coming. The cabin has burned to the ground. Jess knows if she doesn’t act fast, the cold will kill her before she has time to worry about food. But each day brings a new struggle. It seems the wild is out to destroy her, but Jess is still alive, and she’s determined to survive. Because she knows who killed her father. She knows they’ll be back. And she wants revenge.

I Am Still Alive is a survival story showcasing the resiliency of human nature — physically, mentally, and emotionally. The author does not shy away from the pain, hunger, thirst, desperation, guilt, grief, and anguish that Jess endures. Each page is filled with keen emotion, and while it’s handled extraordinarily well, it also makes for a sometimes agonizing read.

I really enjoyed the story overall, though, and quickly found myself so engrossed I couldn’t put it down. I Am Still Alive is a well-written, thought-provoking, suspenseful young adult adventure book. Be warned, however: this is not a comfortable read, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. 

A similar young adult survival story to read is Be Not Far from Me.

RATING

Rated: Moderate. Profanity includes 2 uses of moderate language, 5 uses of mild language, and around 7 uses of the name of Deity. Violence and gore give the book its rating. There are a lot of instances of animal hunting and field dressing, sometimes described in detail. The main character witnesses a bloody murder. A grave is dug up weeks after the man’s death, and some gory details are given. Jess relives the story of how her mother died. Reference is made to a man’s crude, derogatory language toward women. One scene features a character’s negative viewpoint about religion.

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