Where She Fell
by Kaitlin Ward
Publisher: Point
Publication Date: October 30, 2018
WHERE SHE FELL is about a deep hole in a swamp, near a relatively small town. And the girl who falls into it. Our not-exactly-a-hero Eliza is that girl, and she only reason she survives is because she is an aspiring geologist with a passion for caves. Hers is the type of nerdy knowledge that saves lives, and she certainly wouldn’t have lived another hour if she had listened to her friends’ unspoken judgments and chosen a less nerdy career path. But she does live another hour – she lives beyond another day, she survives. But not alone. There exists within the tunnels and caverns of the world she’s stumbled into a colony of humans, humans who have fallen in at separate times, and at separate locations – leading Eliza to realize the cave system is bigger than one single state. The colony’s resident geologist (what a coincidence!), Mary, enlists Eliza to help her with her work and unwillingly allows Eliza to uncover the colony’s secrets – even Mary’s own lies – one…by…one. If Eliza was an outcast above ground, she is an alien below – and she has to consider who her topside friends are, and what the colony leaders’ intentions will lead to.
I loved WHERE SHE FELL. A story about an imperfect introvert is always refreshing, and story about an imperfect introvert stuck underground for a few weeks is even better. Eliza stays herself, the whole time, and she “rises to the occasion” in a unique, realistic way. She nearly has a breakdown multiple times, and doesn’t think of herself as the hero – which is why I don’t, either. She is amazingly courageous, yes, but I don’t think she’s a hero. I don’t think she’s some far-off standard of awesomeness. I think she is herself, and even in a life or death situation, that is the best you can be. Eliza’s topside friends don’t appreciate her very much, but I think it was a slight mistake on the writer’s part to have Eliza completely ditch them after coming to her philosophical and spiritual breakthroughs. They could’ve still been in her life, just…less. But however overwhelming her topside friends were, her colony friends made up for it: Alice, Eleanor, Grayson, and Mary were all bringers of peace and understanding in a time of turmoil and rejection. Also Grayson was hot as hell. Overall, WHERE SHE FELL is a very good, darkly whimsical book.
I Am Still Alive
by Kate Marshall
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 24, 2018
I AM STILL ALIVE is a masterfully constructed novel following the life of teenage girl Jess after a series of disastrous events started by the murder of her father leave her stranded alone in the Canadian wilderness. Jess must survive in a foreign land with nothing except a few tools and an ever faithful dog at her side. But Jess is also focused on surviving so that she can enact a revenge plot against the murderer of her father. A survival story plus a revenge plot plus a strong female protagonist. What’s not to like?
With her debut novel, author Kate Marshall is sure to have created a thriller novel that sets the tone for the rest of her career. Jess’s rollercoaster ride of trials and errors kept me fascinated throughout the entirety of the book, and oftentimes I became so entranced with the intricately woven story that I would forget it wasn’t real. The emotions Jess goes through are reflected on the reader, leaving me at times breathless, and at other times, heartbroken. I recommend I AM STILL ALIVE to readers teenaged and older, due to graphic content.
Notes From My Captivity
by Kathy Parks
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: July 10, 2018
In Kathy Parks’ NOTES FROM MY CAPTIVITY, aspiring journalist Adrienne Cahill embarks on a journey into the Siberian wilderness with her stepfather Dan to search for the Osinovs: a family of Russian hermits Dan has been researching for years. Adrienne and the rest of the world believe Dan has made up this family, and she sets out on the trip with the goal of proving him wrong in an article that will earn her a scholarship to Emory’s journalism program. However, when she finds herself being held hostage in the Osinovs' home, she is forced to give in to Dan’s theories and use her skills as a journalist to find her way home. Adrienne’s voice as a storyteller and reporter was both snarky and sincere, and Parks seamlessly transitioned between suspense and humor throughout the story. The best parts of the novel were the elements of magical realism woven throughout, which heightened my experience of Adrienne’s story and surprisingly beautiful relationship with the Osinovs. Ultimately, this novel is not only about the power our experiences have in shaping our stories, but also our own roles in the way we choose to tell those stories. In short: NOTES FROM MY CAPTIVITY’s unique plot and style make it a worthwhile read.
