Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

On his way to visit his father in the Canadian oil fields, the small plane carrying 13-year-old Brian veers off course and crashes. Up until that point, his parents' divorce was the biggest problem the "city slicker" boy had endured. Now, he must figure out how to survive.

I chose this one off The Great American Read list for the library's book discussion group. I'd never read it, and I had to do the audiobook because HELLO PETER COYOTE!

It's short - it's a juvenile book that checks in at about 200 pages and 3 hours of audio - but I was surprised by how quickly the ending snuck up on me. I got so used to survival mode that, like Brian, I maybe forgot that rescue was an option.

The Cay by Theodore Taylor

A boy and his mother flee the Carribean at the start of World War II, but their boat is hit by German submarines. Phillip ends up injured and afloat with an elderly black man - the start of their survival adventure.

This 1969 children's book was recommended to me by a former librarian who cited it as a forgotten favorite. I read online it has been criticized as racist - and while there are spots of racism, they're included to show how Phillip grows and learns. How the experience allows him to overcome perceived differences and learn what even his mother didn't know.

The book moves quickly - despite the fact it covers quite a bit of time, it's only 140 pages. To keep kids interested and engaged it's dramatic but doesn't dwell overlong on the machinations of life marooned on the island. I found it interesting and well told. 

The Mountain by Paul Yoon

Six short stories make up this small collection, a pocket-sized bit of literature: A homeless woman goes to work in a camera factory. A nurse steals morphine from her patients. A woman discovers a plane crash and the pilot's body. A hotel maid wanders away for a day's adventure.

I read until the end, but I can't say I necessarily enjoyed this one. The stories are all very dark, mostly sad, and without much resolution. I don't usually mind that much, but I really wanted there to be something here that shone a light of hope, in the end.

It's beautifully written, and the characters are heartbreakingly real. Just very, very sad.

The Martian by Andy Weir

This is a tale of raw, basic survival in a rough terrain. One man, abandoned on Mars.

We read this for the library's book discussion, and many readers were surprised by how much they liked it. It's more about science than about science-fiction. There aren't ray guns and alien life forms; instead it's about one human surviving because he knows how to do advanced chemistry.

Mark Watney isn't about to give up, despite insurmountable odds. Not enough water? Chemistry! Not enough food? Botany! No communication? Rocks!

I have seen the Matt Damon movie, and it's very good. It's not quite the same, but honestly both stand up pretty well on their own (or even in comparison).

I highly recommend this one, even if you're not into advanced science and especially if you don't enjoy sci-fi. It's a captivating story, and you don't have to understand every formula to understand what a creative thinker the character (hell - the author!) is to persevere in these situations.

Zietoun by Dave Eggers

It's easy for the rest of the world to forget the utter devastation that Hurrican Katrina brought to New Orleans in 2005, but for those who experienced it first hand it's unforgettable. For those affected by the inadequate supplies, ineffective government response, and inexcusable military force in the wake of the incredible storm, it's still a part of their lives even a decade later.

This nonfiction narrative novel follows the dramatic story of one Syrian immigrant man separated from his family and called to help where he could during the aftermath. Abdulrahman Zeitoun and his wife, Kathy, own several rental buildings in New Orleans and a successful, well-known painting and contracting company. Kathy and their four children evacuate before the storm hits, but her husband stays behind to manage their buildings and minimize damage.

For days after the storm, Zeitoun travels the neighborhood in a canoe, helping residents who did not evacuate, feeding pets left behind, and helping wherever possible. He's proud of the work he's doing, believing that maybe God called for him to be there. And then he's arrested.

This story is interesting, informative, and horrifying - but also, I found  the narrative drags a bit in the middle section (I listened to the audiobook on CD and it took a very long time for me to get through that section of the book). 

We chose this title as a book discussion at the library, and the group talked quite a bit about how they viewed Zeitoun after reading the book, and then again in light of more recent news stories concerning him. After you read the book, research a bit to determine for yourself.

The Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Park

When an earthquake and tsunami hit an illegal high school party in Malibu, it decimates the house and the attendees. Later, a few kids cling to a chunk of debris floating in the ocean - including one very unpopular girl. What's worse: being lost at sea, or being shunned by the cool kids WHILE you're lost at sea?

Denver and Abigail used to be best friends, but now Abigail's popular and Denver is a pariah (we don't find out why until later, but it's easy to see it's the typical high school falling out). While the group drifts at sea, it's Denver's practical skills that allow their survival, but even that isn't enough to win over Abigail. It's hard to ignore someone in such a small space and under such harsh conditions, but Abigail's sure making the most of it.

It's a good book, and it moves quickly despite the harrowing situation. There's a bit of a "moral" but it's not too preachy. The characters are recognizable as the typical high school clique but still have depth and interest.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

In a primitive world changed by a flu pandemic, a band of minstrels and actors wander the American midwest performing Shakespeare to the survivors. As the novel's timeline flashes back and forth - before and after the Georgia Flu - we see the interconnectedness of the survivors, whose stories link back to a celebrity actor, Arthur Leander.

This book was on a lot of best of 2015 lists and was a finalist for the National Book Award. The author went on record saying she doesn't consider it sci-fi because there's no technology and gadgets involved. She says it's literary fiction.

While the "no technology" is technically accurate and the traveling symphony-and-Shakespeare troupe offers a bit of high-brow flair, I think it's cutting a pretty fine line to say this post-apocalypse novel isn't really in the sci-fi genre. The book is at heart a look at the invisible links between people, man's ability to adapt to survive, and a look at what the world could be like without "modern technology."

I enjoyed the book. The shifting perspectives keep the narrative moving along without getting bogged down in the minutia of survival, plus allow some dramatic tension as story threads cut out and return again later. I was pleasantly surprised a couple times as the connections back to Arthur were revealed.

Plus, now I know that living in the airport may be the best option, post-plague.

Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan

When a cruise ship disaster wipes away a young woman's entire life, a wealthy, grieving father offers her the chance to be reborn by assuming his daughter's identity. But the desire to avenge her former life and make the guilty pay consumes her new existence.

This book is extremely compelling - it moves quickly, and there's a lot of engrossing drama. Love! Revenge! Attraction! Intrigue! It will sweep you away, and you'll want to know what happens next.

My only complaint was that the girls "died" at age 14, so all the love and romance they experienced was before that. Kids these days grow up fast (OMG did I really just say that?) ... but I've still got problems with this: when adult-Libby keeps getting all hung up on the taste and touch of Grey, she's remembering from when she was 14. That less-than-a-weeklong shipboard romance must have been seriously off the hook?!

Anyway ... this is a super-soapy, fun drama of revenge and insanity: Just how far will she go to reveal the truth and rain hell on the liars? Wow.

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

In the second of the Red Rising trilogy, class rebellion is nearer to erupting as red-hiding-as-gold Darrow negotiates the political and social intrigue of the ruling class.

This book is all about tactical planning - political, social, and in battle. There are crosses and double-crosses, friends who turn out to be enemies and enemies who aren't what they seem either, and lots of literal and figurative backstabbing.

While Darrow believes every person should be free, he can't let that be know. And now that he's lived among the ruling class for a few years - and enjoyed the fruits of that class' position on the hierarchy - does he still have the drive his wife Eo's death once lit within him?

I could NOT put this book down. It's all scheming and doing, running and fighting, leading and inspiring - action from start to finish. I'm totally recommending this series to my teenage nephew as his next read (and I cannot wait for Morning Star).

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Darrow's part of a hard-working clan who spend their difficult, short lives mining underground on Mars in order to make the planet above hospitable for future colonization.

So he's shocked to discover everything he knows is a lie - for one, that Mars aboveground and many, many other planets and moons have been successfully inhabited for a very long time - when he's given an opportunity to join the rebellion and try to change things.

Comparisons to the Hunger Games series is inevitable - a "game" between young people that leads to the victor's eventual success in politics and society. But this book stands on its own - I didn't feel it was reactionary or derivative of Suzanne Collins' series. It's a great action-adventure story, full of strategy and twists, espionage and doubletalk. It's easy to forget (as it is for the competitors) that there's more to life on Mars than what's happening inside the game.

The book ends in a place that made me say "REALLY? Really!" and the countdown for the second in the series has begun ("Golden Son" has a January release date).

Nation by Terry Pratchett

The big wave took everything Mau has ever known - his Nation (a tropical island) has been swept away, along with all its inhabitants. The young man lived only because he was on the water when it happened.

The same wave killed everyone aboard a large sailing ship - except one properly raised "princess" ill-equipped for primitive survival. Against the odds and a language barrier, together they survive, grieve, grow, learn to communicate, and build a new Nation with the refugees who appear one by one on the island.

As with any Pratchett book, there's a lesson, some philosophical questions to ponder, and a lot of just really funny gags. This one pokes fun of monarchy and manners, introduces us to the tree-climbing octopus, and introduces a new brand of Robinson Crusoe.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

The bus ride to school takes a fateful turn in this gripping, completely engrossing apocalypse story. Boulder-sized hail and a deadly bus crash are just the beginning, and a group of kids (kindergarten through high school) are forced to persevere during an epic crisis.

Fortunately, they're trapped inside a superstore. As they find ways to be safe, stay well, and keep busy, the kids form a community - complete with romances, rivalries, and disagreements.

I loved this book, until I got to the very end: This book has NO conclusion. Perhaps they're planning on a series. Even with that plan, there needs to be some resolution at the end in order to make a stand-alone story. I needed something! Instead, there's action-action-action ... blank page. 

Catching Fire

by Susanne Collins

The second book in the Hunger Games trilogy was riveting; I had it read in 24 hours and that includes taking time out for an all day event. Katniss is a survivor , but now she has to see how that will change her life beyond the extra food she expects. Will she be the new mentor for District 12's tribute in the 75th Games? Added to that is the fact that it is a Quarter Quell which always means there is a dramatic twist to the whole event. Behind it all is the realization that "the girl who was on fire" has ignited a rebellious spark throughout the nation of Panem.

Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

OK. I get it. This is worth the hype. It's well written, alludes to other great works in literary history, and captivates the reader. On a Wednesday night, knowing I had to work in the morning, I still settled into the plot until 1:30 a.m.

Katniss Everdeen has been a survivor for years. Unfortunately, the only real challenge in that has been starvation in the past. That all changes the day she becomes her district's female tribute for the annual Hunger Games. She knows that now she must use all her best skills to hunt other teens while they hunt her and the entire nation watches.

Ice

by Linda Howard

I enjoy Linda Howard's writing. Years ago, I got caught up in her tales for the romance aspect. As she has progressed toward the mystery genre, I've followed happily along. This time, the story wrapped me up and I enjoyed finishing a book in a day. Since I was studying for class, I can't remember the last time I had the time to do that.

Howard will captivate you with a story about a woman who lives on a mountain, and must be rescued before the big ice storm rolls in. When her rescuer arrives, he finds her held captive by two homicidal drug addicts. The woman shows more gumption than expected as the two battle to survive against the elements and addicts. Although, Howard includes romance in this story, it really doesn't add to the plot. Luckily, the romance is limited enough that the rest of the plot overrides it and makes the book rounded enough to satisfy both mystery and romance fans. A savvy reader might even pick up some survival tips.