'Hatchet for a New Generation'? Why Yes, Yes It Is.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Jane Solis is done—done with the mental hospital she's been confined to since she tried to kill herself last year, done with pretending she's cured, done with life.  This time, her suicide will be successful.  Not to mention special.  She'll wait to swallow her toxic mix of pills until she's on the plane headed home to New Jersey, then just fade out while soaring above the clouds.  It's fool-proof.  Perfect.  

Before Jane gets the chance to put her plan into action, however, the plane hits some serious turbulence.  As the aircraft takes a nosedive, everything goes black.  When Jane wakes up, she crawls out of the wreckage into a wilderness covered in snow.  She's horrified to find she's one of only two survivors—the other is a cocky Canadian ski instructor named Paul—and that they're stranded in Montana's remote Bob Marshall Wilderness.  As the weather worsens, it becomes clear that help won't be coming.  Their survival is up to them—and suddenly, unexpectedly, Jane realizes how much she wants to live.  But will her new-found determination be enough to save her, let alone both her and Paul?  As the days wear on, that's looking less and less likely ...

The back cover blurb calls Survive, a debut novel by Alex Morel, "Hatchet for a new generation."  I'd have to agree.  It's a gritty survival story that pits two determined teens against a storm-ravaged wilderness that's ready and willing to claim both their lives.  Exciting and unexpectedly heart-breaking, Survive tells a tense, action-packed tale about a girl who's facing her imminent death even as she's finally learning to live.  Although the story and prose are sparer than I would have liked, I still enjoyed this quick, compelling read.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of The Raft by S.A. Bodeen and a little of Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, sexual innuendo, and intense situations

 To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of Survive from the generous folks at Razorbill.  Thank you!