The Stranded by Sarah Daniels ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

In the near future, refugees fled Europe to escape a viral disease. When they reached the shores of America, they were quarantined and not allowed to come ashore. These floating refugee ships are not much more than floating prisons. How long will the people on these ships stand for this treatment? The residents of the ship Arkadia are about to take matters into their own hands.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

January 2023; Sourcebooks Fire; 978-1728258126
audio, ebook, print (464 pages); young adult dystopian

I didn't realize that this was a young adult novel. I was looking for new books to recommend to my post-apocalyptic book club. I enjoy pandemic fiction so I thought I would give it a chance. If I had realized that it was YA, I probably wouldn't have selected it.

The Stranded is a pretty typical young adult dystopian novel. I don't really feel like there was anything groundbreaking or overly original about the story. I appreciated that the author included more adults in leadership roles, though the teens didn't really feel like teens - they felt more like they were in their 20s. 

It is billed as Snowpiercer meets The Hunger Games. I haven't read Snowpiercer but The Stranded didn't suck me in or have the wow factor like I found while reading book 1 of The Hunger Games.

It's not as violent as The Hunger Games. The Commander in charge of ship security (or maybe he is just charged with keeping order) underestimates the teens on the ship. Since he doesn't view them as a threat, they have more ability to help the rebel cause. The author drew on history of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia to develop those in charge. Anyone working with the Federation (the U.S. has split up and the Federation States is what is left) are seen as collaborators. There is high-tech surveillance but informants are still used. 

I'm sure that teens will enjoy this novel. It is the first half of a duology. Book 2, The Exhile, came out this summer so you won't have to wait for the conclusion. I'm not planning on reading it as I don't really care what happens. 

Buy The Stranded at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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