Bodeen, S.A. The Raft. Feiwel&Friends/Macmillan
Child Pub Gr 231p $16.99 978-0-312-65010-0 2012 jr/sr VG-BN Realistic
fiction
A routine
airplane trip becomes an elemental battle for survival in Bodeen’s dramatic
novel. No one knows Robie took a last-minute
flight from Honolulu to her home on the Midway Atoll. When a storm knocks her flight from the sky,
Robie must survive until rescue arrives.
But if no
one knows she was on the
plane, will anyone be looking for her?
Fifteen-year-old Robie lives with her research scientist parents on remote Midway Atoll. When the island’s isolation becomes overwhelming, Robie grabs a ride on the supply flight to Honolulu to vacation with her aunt and enjoy civilization. Robie is having a great visit when her aunt’s job calls her away. Living alone turns out to more challenging than Robie thought it would be, so she takes the first available flight to Midway, even though her parents and her aunt have no idea she is going home.
Unfortunately, a storm hits mid-flight. The engine dies, and the copilot, Max, makes an emergency landing. Robie finds herself in a raft, with injured Max, a bag of Skittles, and no sign of help. Robie deals with one calamity after another, from shark attacks to a dwindling (make that non-existent) water supply. How far will Robie go to survive?
As Robie’s mental state slowly erodes and her chances of survival grow increasingly slim, a surprise twist in the plot reveals a disturbing dimension to Robie’s story.
Readers, even reluctant readers, will recognize Robie’s authentic voice. She is an imperfect teen facing overwhelming choices and situations. She does what is necessary to survive, but still makes mistakes or behaves childishly at times. The plot moves along briskly and readers will be swept up in the drama of Robie’s tale.
Survival-Fiction, Adventure --Hilary Welliver
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