DISCLAIMER: The Stranded was sent to me for free in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to The Write Reads Tours and Penguin Books for having me on this tour.
Blurb
Welcome to the Arcadia.
Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States – a leftover piece of a fractured USA.
For forty years, residents of the Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall. It is a world of extreme haves and have nots, gangs, and make-shift shelters.
Esther is a loyal citizen, working flat-out to have the rare chance to live a normal life as a medic on dry land. Nik is a rebel, planning something big to liberate the Arcadia once and for all.
When events throw them both together, their lives, and the lives of everyone on the ship, will change forever . . .
Review
The Arcadia and its residents are restless. Desperate for change aboard a dark and dangerous cruise ship, the rebels will stop at nothing to seek the change they’ve been craving. The chance to be back on land. Whilst the other residents hope for the same, they live quiet lives while they wait for their day to leave the ship. When those two worlds collide, will both sides get the change in their lives they’re wanting? Or will it result in further destruction and devastation?
The Stranded had me hooked from the first page. We’re introduced to our main characters when an illegal leaflet drop takes place outside the ship’s cafe. Esther, being the loyal citizen she is, goes into complete panic. If she were to even look at these leaflets, she could end up arrested or dead if the Coalies (Police) were to catch her.
In truth, Esther wasn’t my favourite at first, she was the furthest from free-spirited you can get and it took a while for me to warm to her character. In the beginning, it seemed that she lived a fairly sheltered life aboard the ship and the only change she wanted was to be off it. It was easy to understand her need to keep herself out of trouble and look out for her family given the circumstances. However, I did enjoy her development far more once her world started gradually falling apart. There was a more fiery and determined side to her that really shone as the book progressed.
Nik felt like your typical rebellious teen that got to act on those instincts due to his position on the ship. The rebel gangs are dangerous, but they look out for each other as a family would. Nik, beneath the bravado, is somewhat kind and empathetic. He may be rough around the edges, but he’s fiercely protective of those he cares about. This is particularly evident in his friendship with Esther’s sister, May.
Finally, there’s Hadley, the only other character outside of those mentioned above with his own point of view in the book. No one could say that he isn’t a fantastic villain. He’s brutal and enjoys the pain of others. There’s not a shred of humanity left in him. He’ll stop at nothing to bring misery to every resident on the Arcadia. You often find with books and TV shows that the villain ends up having at least one redeeming quality or moment – Hadley has none.
The side characters were also brilliant – Esther’s sister, May, and Enid are a couple of my favourites. Every character has their own personality that draws you in. Whilst the world aboard the ship may be small, it was built so well that you could feel as though you were on it. I felt this made it much easier to engage with the story and characters.
Overall, The Stranded is a strong YA Dystopian novel that is full of action from the start. I highly recommend giving it a read and would rate it 4/5 stars.
About the Author
Sarah Daniels is an ex-archaeologist who escaped academia and now writes stories from her home in rural Lincolnshire. Her work has been published in various online magazines and has been nominated for best British and Irish Flash Fiction and Best Small Fictions.
If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations:
Website: http://www.sarahdanielsbooks.com
Instagram: @sarahdanielsbooks
TikTok: @sarahdanielsbooks
Twitter: @sarahdanbooks
