User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
This wasn’t what I thought. I enjoyed some parts but when they put the kitten in a bag and bashed it dead against the truck door…. Nope.
And the end? After all that time …..
Whatever! On to the next
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Rating: really liked it
Oh I really liked this one. A LOT. I could not put it down. The verse format made it easy to read and understand. I loved Maddie's story of survival. This would be a strong fit for those who loved Hatchet, I Survived series, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and for reluctant readers. I loved all the love for libraries/books/librarians!
The reason this isn't a complete 5 stars was I would have loved to know why the evacuation happened, what the world was like before (we got some vague hints), and a bit more at the end... However this will not stop me from recommending this book to readers.
Rating: really liked it
I am conflicted about this book. Is it a 3 stars read or a 4? I am sad that it wasn't a 5 stars read because the way it introduced itself in the first few chapters, I was confident this was going to be one of the best books I've read this year, but alas that didn't happen. Though, this is the most unique book I've read in the post apocalyptic genre. Imagine a story being told in free verse. One poem continues itself into another, building a detailed world of intrigue.
Alone starts so strong with it’s dystopian descriptions. As a reader we truly feel how alone the character is, feel the changing of seasons with her, her need for survival and her lone adventures. However, there was no build up to a "conflict", there was as the character says herself no saving grace or plot development like the one we are accustomed to seeing in fiction...the character was truly alone and thats it. She is alone and we get to read about how alone she is in beautiful albeit same poetic ways.
I can still bathe
in the light of the moon
as it rises huge
and orange in the east
and in the
expanse of constellations
that spill across the sky
on a clear, cold night.
I can still marvel
at a hawk
soaring overhead
with a snake in its talons.
I am still here
The lack of a plot tension left me with so many unanswered questions. How was she left alone? What was the political conspiracy that led to the abandonment of phones and homes? What happened to her parents? Who were the looters? There was so much potential to explore further into this world. It feels like a missed opportunity. While the end was emotional and heart-breaking, I feel unsatiated and need more to chew on. Overall, it is still a book I enjoyed reading!
Rating: really liked it
I know Megan's work well, so I was unsurprised to find that the verse in this book is utterly gorgeous--simple, understated free verse that is, at the same time, incredibly powerful. The story follows young Maddie, who is accidentally left behind when her town and the surrounding area is mysteriously and suddenly evacuated (her divorced parents each think she is with the other due to an unfortunately-timed lie). Maddie is left completely alone with only her neighbor's trusty rottweiler George to keep her company for
four years! During that time, she has to scrounge for food and water and learn to survive in a world without power or running water (especially difficult due to the extreme weather in Colorado). Plus, she's forced to deal with wild animals, looters, and natural disasters--all on her own. Of course, the biggest challenge of all might be the unending loneliness that threatens to swallow her hope of rescue alive.
This book is a modern retelling of
Island of the Blue Dolphins, and fans of that book will find that it's faithful to the original in many significant ways. I loved seeing each and every nod to O'Dell's classic. (I read it with a literature class that I taught at my homeschool co-op just a couple of years ago, so it was fresh in my mind. Teachers who want to pair this book with the classic will have lots of wonderful material to work with.)
This beautiful story of survival, inner strength, and hope will delight readers of all ages!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the author for review purposes, and since I am personal friends with Megan, I can't claim to be completely impartial on this one. Still, all opinions are my own (and, of course, no other compensation was given).***
Rating: really liked it
I spent a week reading all of the Goodreads Choice Awards finalists in the Middle Grade category, complete with my entire thoughts on each book, and which books I think should have won and in what order. You can check out my vlog here: https://youtu.be/d7or1qfinfo
Rating: really liked it
I had a lot of problems with this book, one of the most consistent is that the book itself is fairly bland. Maddie just goes through motions. No big realizations or development.
Only two big moments of anger that potentionally leads to character development, but both of them are so self-centered it makes no difference.
ONE moment of real anger and it's directed at a "model home" that makes her angry because her parents are happily divorced? Like... that was never brought up? Just that she dwelled on the double meaning of 'model' and got upset like who the FUCK gets THAT upset about "my parents can be happily divorced and still be a model family" when HER ENTIRE FUCKING WORLD IS SHATTERED?!! WHO CARES? How are we supposed to read this? Like somehow the "the only good family is a married family" people caused the chaos she's in? Holy fuck what difference does any of that make in the grand scheme of "something huge happened that has altered life for everyone." Why is THIS the only time of true outrage Maddie has?!
And the other, she reads a poem that makes her consider her parents are dead. But I feel like so much potential was lost. The book mostly focuses on WHAT she does to survive, and that's great to add realism, but... she just goes through the motions.
She spends a lot of time being (realistically!) afraid, but like... none of that truly makes for any meaningful character development. She never thinks "screw being afraid look what I've accomplished!" She never really dwelled on the meaning on life.
She prays like, three time, and they're all very typical prayers like "Come save me." Later, she reflects on a friend's bar mitzvah about how G-d can send answers to prayers in subtle ways that a person who is too fixated on G-d might ignore... but... through the Christian perspective? The meaning of that story is just lost. So it makes no sense to include it?
Numerous times she dwells on the Island of the Blue Dolphins, which is fitting since this is a very near re-telling, but... she has no meaningful changes or personal strengths. It's telling us what she does over and over and over and over again. She has no meaningful change. No meaningful discoveries. No meaningful EMPTHAY for the countless millions of people who literally have to live this this in the here and now because of wars and conflict.
Thankfully the read was quick. I just found the entire thing disappointing. It definitely read like it was written by an older woman who has kids, instead of as an adult who remembers what it was like to BE a kid. This really reads like "white person suffering about losing white people things" and that's about it.
Rating: really liked it
I love both survival stories and verse novels, so any story that combines both is a winner with me. Dusti Bowling’s The Canyon’s Edge was my top book of 2020 because of this combination of survival story told in verse. If you’re a lover of verse novels too then you need to read Megan E. Freeman’s latest book, Alone. It’s a story of a girl trying to survive on her own after everyone else in her town disappears.
Maddie is just your average 12 year old. She wants to hang out with her friends and is frustrated at having to spend her weeks between two separate houses. Maddie organises a sleepover with two of her friends at her grandparent’s vacant house. She gives her mum and dad two separate stories so that they won’t suspect anything. However, an unexpected event occurs that leaves Maddie abandoned and alone. Her whole town has been evacuated, leaving houses empty and personal belongings strewn across roads and footpaths. The bits of information that Maddie can gather make no sense, and there is no one around to ask what happened. Maddie’s only companion is George, her neighbour’s Rottweiler. They explore as far as they are able to, finding food, water and other essential supplies. What they don’t find are other humans. Without power for heating and cooking, Maddie must rely on other means to help her survive. The library becomes vital for helping her learn new skills and for keeping her sane. Maddie holds on to the hope that someone will come for her, but as the months go by, Maddie has to cope with changing seasons and wild weather that make survival hard.
Alone is an absolutely amazing read! It is a tense, gripping and, at times, terrifying story of survival against the odds. I was really torn reading this book, because the pace races along which kept me turning the pages, but Megan’s writing is just so stunning that I wanted to savour her words. There were quite a few times when I was holding my breath while I was turning pages, because I was generally concerned for the life of this fictional character. There were also parts where I wanted to throw the book across the room because something didn’t seem fair.
Maddie is the kind of character we all wish we could be. You hope that, if you were put in her shoes, you could find ways to survive. She is incredibly resilient, even when faced with terrifying circumstances, including a tornado. Maddie is used to relying on technology to answer her questions, but when the power goes out, she has to rely on information in books. She raids her local library to find stories to read as an escape, but also nonfiction books to teach her how to light a fires. Those who have control over the funding of libraries should be given this book to prove how vital physical libraries are. Maddie has grown and matured so much by the end of the story that I wonder how she would cope returning to normal society. Maddie’s relationship with George is adorable. They have each other’s back and keep each other warm when the weather changes.
The main reason I love verse novels is because they so perfectly capture the raw emotion of the characters. This is what makes Alone so stunning. In just a handful of words, Megan captures Maddie’s despair, loneliness or horror. We know how she feels, what she’s thinking and what she fears. Alone is an emotional- rollercoaster that leaves you feeling exhausted but satisfied.
Alone is one of my top reads of 2021. I will be recommending it to both the kids and teachers at my school. It’s a book that will spread like wildfire between the kids and is perfect for those teachers who ‘don’t have much time for reading.’ It would be a great read aloud or class set for Years 7-9.
Rating: really liked it
I am generally not a huge fan of novels in verse, but I inhaled this book in one sitting, my heart in my throat, and then sobbed at the end. This story of 12-year-old Maddie, who wakes up one morning to discover that her entire town has been evacuated and she's been left behind, is harrowing, poignant, and thought-provoking. The language is gorgeous, and the spareness of the text on the page highlights Maddie's sense of loneliness and isolation. I have to throw in a shout-out to George, the best dog ever! It still warms my heart to think of him. I think this book will appeal to both MG readers and older readers, and might be a great recommendation for reluctant readers because it's such a fast and unintimidating read. The spare prose conveys such a wealth of emotions, many of them very intense and heavy. And the ending is perfection. I loved everything about this book.
Rating: really liked it
I've been waiting for a book like this since I was 10 years old -- a modern-day survival story written in verse starring a moody and courageous heroine and her trusty canine companion? H'OKAY. YES. GIMME IT.
Highly readable and perfectly paced, I binged it on an airplane without ever even stopping to check the time. I can't wait to booktalk this one to bookworms and reluctant readers alike, even those who think they don't like poetry. Age-wise, there are a handful of mild curse words scattered throughout and one pretty grim scene involving a kitten as well as some references to boys, kissing, and some philosophical/existential wrestling with the concept of god/life/death -- all of which I was frankly glad to see; this is an unflinching tale of isolation and survival that behaves accordingly and doesn't talk down to its upper-tween audience.
I have a few quibbles towards the end (more information about the imminent threat would have been nice and CAN WE GET A GEORGE UPDATE????) but all in all this was the kind of book that reminds me why I'll always come back to kid/YA lit.
Rating: really liked it
[parental divorce discussed, physical injury & illness, food and water scarcity, fire, flood, hurricane, and animal death including the murder of a kitten and mentions of animal dead bodies (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
I was fortunate to read an ARC of ALONE, Megan E. Freeman's debut. This novel-in-verse tells the story of Maddie, a 12-year-old who is mistakenly left behind when her Colorado town is evacuated due to an imminent threat. Left to her own devices, Maddie carves out an existence for herself and her only companion, her neighbor's Rottweiler, George. Together, Maddie and George find a way to survive as they wait for someone to come and rescue them. But as the seasons come and go, Maddie has to wrestle with the fact that there is no rescue, there is no one coming. At turns harrowing, inspiring, uplifting, and downright heartbreaking this is a tale for our times, for so many of us can now relate to the experience of isolation and loneliness and the imperative to survive.
This book will be a wonderful addition to any MG library, and I look forward to readers discovering Maddie as she braves the unexpected.
Rating: really liked it
A cautionary tale about what could happen if you disobey your parents. After lying to her parents about her whereabouts, Madi finds herself entirely alone after her town (and possibly the entire state) is evacuated due to imminent danger. With no way to contact her family (phones aren't working) and no access to current news, she is now on her own. Can a twelve year old survive on her own? For how long? What is the imminent danger that she heard about in her first few days alone? And will she ever she her parents and family again? Find out the answers to these questions in this novel in verse that is almost impossible to put down.
Tweens and young teens who are looking for an adventure survival story will love this story about Madi.
Rating: really liked it
I generally enjoy survival stories, and I enjoy novels in verse, but I wasn't sure how the two would work together. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reader copy of this story, and I was absolutely blown away. I fell in love with Maddie (and her rescue dog George) and ended up reading this book in one sitting. The plot moved along at a brisk clip but there was still plenty of time to contemplate Maddie's fear, loneliness, heartache, and hope, and readers won't be able to resist putting themselves in Maddie's shoes and rooting for her survival. This book is a must-have for teachers and librarians!
Rating: really liked it
Read in one sitting. Fantastic.
Rating: really liked it
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I never thought a middle-grade novel would be gripping, but “Alone” had me at the edge of my seat.
Firstly, I love the style of writing! The author narrates the story in free-verse, which makes it so entertaining to read. Similarly, I loved how Maddie matures as she survives. She goes through so much, and you can slowly see her perception changing of the world, her family, and her friends. Maddie goes through a multitude of emotions from fear, anxiety, survival, and hope. Similarly, George is also a fantastic companion for Maddie, and I was rooting for them throughout the story.
Moreover, the story is never boring at any point. Initially, you would feel that there would not be much for Maddie to experience. But the author tells the story in such a dynamic manner that tests the character’s determination. When you feel things cannot get any worse, a new dilemma encounters Maddie. The author paced it beautifully! Many moments stood out in the story for me. For instance, I loved when Maddie finds a paradox between facing the nightmare or the reality, or when she prays to God to connect her to her family. Some moments were also eerie and suspenseful, like when she goes to Emma’s house or when the animals attack her.
Perhaps the only minor criticism I have of the tale is the rushed ending. While I enjoyed the end, I was a bit disappointed for not getting a detailed explanation of the events. I won’t spoil the ending, but I would have liked it had the author drawn out the last few scenes.
Apart from that, “Alone” is a gripping, middle-grade survival novel that I feel a reader of any age would enjoy.
