I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall

I picked up I Am Still Alive a few weeks ago on a whim at Barnes and Noble. I'm always on the lookout for young adult books that I think will be a good fit for my classroom library, and this one seemed like a likely option. The summary on the back of the book promised an exciting, suspenseful survival story, and as I have an inordinate fondness for Gary Paulson's Hatchet, I thought I might end up liking this one too. Hoping to find something both interesting for myself and for a finicky pack of eighth graders, I dove in.

The story follows a teenager named Jess who is sent to live with her father in the remote Canadian wilderness after her mother dies in a tragic car accident. Jess has never really known her father; he walked out on her and her mother when she was just a baby, and she is nursing a large amount of resentment towards him. Their reunion in his forest cabin is unavoidably tense, but they begin to form a fragile understanding with each other during Jess' first few weeks there. He begins teaching her some basic survival skills and she starts getting used to living without modern conveniences.

Before very long though, Jess' life is thrown into chaos once again when some men from her father's mysterious past arrive at the cabin. They murder her father and burn the cabin to the ground, leaving Jess alone in the woods with only a dog for a companion. With winter quickly approaching and no way to contact anyone for help, she must figure out how to stay alive in the most inhospitable environment imaginable and find a way back to civilization.

I am pleased to say that I truly enjoyed this novel. It was action-packed, very suspenseful, and full of dangerous twists and turns. There were a few truly shocking moments in there too, which had me cringing (in a good way) while I read. The mystery surrounding Jess' father and his shady background was well done, with information being released at a good pace. Jess' character was similarly well written, with her growth over the course of the novel clear to see. I was very pleased with how tough she became throughout the story; I was definitely getting a "girl power" vibe as I read, which I think is a fantastic thing for young adult readers.

I moved through this novel very quickly, and when I finished reading it, I brought it into my classroom library. In plugging it to my students, I described it as, Hatchet...but with murder! That's really the perfect description too - the blend of survival and criminal intrigue makes for an exciting page-turner that will hook just about anyone. I Am Still Alive is a fun, addictive read featuring a tough-as-nails heroine and a fast-paced plot. I'm happy to have picked it up and even happier to be able to bring it to my classroom. 


Challenge Tally
Finally in 2019: 38/6 Books Read - Complete!

Total Books Read in 2019: 59