(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Tom Calloway's not a big fan of spending more time than necessary with his classmates.  Normally, going on a long trip to do an ecological project in a foreign country with a whole group of them would not be his thing.  Too bad he didn't really get a choice.  It's ironic, then, that his plane crashes on the way to Costa Rica.  Only 19 people survive, all teens like Tom.  

After realizing they are stranded in the middle of a rainforest, with no signs of civilization anywhere, and that help is not on its way, the students have to figure out how to survive.  Everything in the unfamiliar jungle is a threat—from insects to prowling beasts to the unforgiving sun to the strange plant life.  As the classmates argue over who should lead them, who can be relied on to make wise decisions, and who can't be trusted at all, it soon becomes apparent that their worst enemies might not be lurking in the jungle, but hiding within themselves.  With danger all around, can Tom and his classmates find their way to safety?  Or will the teens be picked off one by one until no one's left to tell their tale?

I'm a big LOST fan, so when I saw the cover of When We Were Lost, a YA novel by Kevin Wignall, it definitely caught my eye.  I admit to being a little disappointed when I realized there's no woo-woo in the book's plot; it's a straight-up survival story.  Still, it tells an exciting, action-packed tale that kept me turning pages.  As far as characters go, there are too many to really get to know any of them well.  I wanted more depth and development from them.  Although the book's plot is engaging, I felt like there was a little something missing from it as well.  Overall, though, I enjoyed this quick, entertaining read.

(Readalikes:  Um, nothing is really coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

You probably thought you were done with BBB book reviews until 2020.  No such luck!  I stayed up way too late last night/this morning to finish How to Walk Away by Katherine Center.  Her newest, Things You Save in a Fire, was one of my favorite reads of 2019, so now I'm reading her backlist.  Isn't it great when you find a new author to love and they've got a bunch of already-written books for you to explore?  

How to Walk Away concerns Margaret Jacobsen, a 28-year-old Texan on the cusp of making all her dreams come true.  With the ink still drying on her shiny new MBA, she's poised to land a dream job.  She's purchased a new condo and is waiting patiently for the marriage proposal she knows is coming from her boyfriend, Chip.  Then, irony of ironies, the woman who hates to fly is involved in a small plane crash that leaves her with third-degree burns on her upper body and paralysis below the knees.  Devastated, but determined, she plans to make a quick recovery, then resume the life-of-dreams she knows is still possible.

As Margaret struggles with treatments, especially physical therapy under the merciless hand of Ian Moffat, she's plagued by feelings of doubt, depression, and grief.  While everything in her perfect Before life slowly falls apart, leaving only her bleak Now, Margaret can't even think about how things might look After.  Soon, the only bright spots in her day are visits from her long-estranged sister and her Scottish PT who never cracks a smile.  As the weeks wear on, Margaret starts to understand that she may never walk again.  Also that her crush on Ian remains quite unrequited.  With nothing else to look forward to in life, what is Margaret going to do?  Is hope another Before thing that has deserted Margaret?  Will she find something to live for or will she keep her date with her suicide calendar?

Despite its grim subject matter, How to Walk Away is actually a warm, humorous, upbeat book.  Margaret's voice is engaging, even while she deals with the terror of her new normal.  She's self-deprecating and funny, but also brave, loyal, and resolute.  It's impossible not to root for her.  The love story at the center of the novel is sweet.  With its themes of appreciating what you can do, serving others as a way to steer your focus away from yourself, and looking to the future—however bleak it might seem—with hope and courage, How to Walk Away is an empowering novel that's entertaining, fun, and moving.  I loved it.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find