S.A. Bodeen (The Compound) returns with an edgy book that tests her characters' ability to survive in a desperate situation. In The Raft, she combines the physical danger of being lost at sea with the psychological perils of being terrified and convinced of impending death.
At 15, Robie is already an experienced traveler. Her parents work on the Pacific Island of Midway, and she often visits her aunt Jillian in Hawaii. After a stressful visit with her aunt, she boards the cargo plane in Honolulu that delivers goods to Midway. A powerful storm hits midflight. The copilot, Max, tells Robie to put on her life jacket while he inflates a raft, and the plane goes down.
Robie surfaces alone in the middle of the sea. A flare explodes, and she finds Max and the raft. It's dark, there are sharks and the raft has a leak. There's also no drinking water and no food except for a bag of Skittles, and the pair don't know in which direction to head. Robie's only survival tips come from what she's learned from living on Midway, watching reality shows and a small booklet tucked into a waterproof pouch labeled "Coastal Commander."
There are few survival books with girls as main characters, and The Raft will appeal to both boys and girls. Quick pacing, short sentences that convey urgency, and the author's ability to show Robie's sense of isolation and terror will keep readers glued to the pages until the finish. --René Kirkpatrick, blogger and bookseller at Mockingbird Books