Alone

Maddie and her two best friends, Emma and Ashanti, have a great plan. Maddie, who splits time between parents, tells Mom she’s staying with Dad and Dad she’s staying with Mom. Emma and Ashanti tell their parents they are staying at each other’s houses. The three girls will have a stay-up-late, eat-junk-food fest at Maddie’s grandparents’ empty apartment. What could go wrong? Ashanti gets sick, and she and Emma bail on Maddie. She’s already at the apartment with junk food so decides to enjoy herself, but during the night something happens. The town (in Colorado) is evacuated and Maddie is left behind. The town loses power. She is all alone and will be for a long time.

Author Megan E. Freeman has written a very compelling middle-grade survivor story, surprisingly written in lyrical verse, that will carry readers racing through. Maddie is a terrific character, and her learning curve in this story is astounding. Readers will be fascinated with all she has to face and the decisions, both good and bad, that she makes and how they affect her life, and they will be rooting for her every step of the way. Don’t miss this one.