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March 2023 Book of the Month

Category: Library, Monthly Book Reviews, News

The Stranded – Sarah Daniels

The Stranded is a gripping dystopian book set in a believable near future.  The Arcadia was once a luxury cruise ship but is now a refugee camp floating off the coast of the Federated States (a leftover piece of the now fractured United States).  Its inhabitants, fleeing Europe after a mysterious virus and war have wreaked havoc, have been forbidden from landing on shore for more than 40 years.  This, despite the fact that there hasn’t been a single case of the virus in years.

The story is narrated through three alternative points of view.  We meet Esther, a hardworking medical student, who stands a chance to make it to the mainland, if she graduates at the top of her class.  Then there’s Nik, a member of the resistance and Hadley, the terrifying and ruthless commander of the Coalies, the ship’s security force.  I was most interested in Esther’s perspective.  She is determined to get off the ship but when she accidentally finds herself in the middle of an illegal leaflet drop, she gets pulled into the rebellion and finds out that all is not as it seemed with her family and friends.

This is a plot driven and compulsive read.  I found myself racing through the pages to get to the end.  Those last few chapters are frenetic and whilst it’s quickly obvious that this isn’t a standalone book, I was satisfied with ending.  I’m looking forward to the sequel, coming out in July.

Available to borrow in the Dystopian section.  For fans of Teri Terry, The Hunger Games and other dystopian classics.

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