Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: May 28th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Source: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this Xpresso Book Tours. This did NOT affect my honest review.
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
My Rating:
Synopsis: An epic YA adventure story about two friends lost in the Canadian wilderness from Danika Stone, the author of All the Feels. Vale loves to hike, but kind of hates her classmates. Ash is okay with his classmates, but kind of hates the outdoors. So, needless to say they are both fairly certain that the overnight nature hike with their PE class is going to be a hellish experience. But when they get separated from the group during a storm, they have worse things to worry about than bullies and blisters. Lost in the Canadian wilderness with limited supplies, caught in dangerous weather conditions, and surrounded by deadly wildlife, it’s going to take every bit of strength, skill, and luck they can muster to survive.
My Review
Switchback is a fast-paced survival story of two best friends lost in the Canadian wilderness during a school trip gone horribly wrong.Vale is studious, kind, and is bullied. Ash is the class clown, a gamer, and has many friends, but Vale is his best friend. When they are forced to go on a class camping trip as part of their physical education class, they certainly didn't plan on getting separated from the group and getting lost in the mountains. Although their friendship grows and solidifies on this adventure, it was very awkward at times. I thought their dialogue although believable, fit more middle school aged teens than high school aged teens. (This opinion is based off the middle school and high school teens I work with as a Teen Librarian at a public library. I am not an expert, and every teen is different!) Overall, it was a nice change of pace to read a young adult survival book with a focus on friendship rather than romance.
From the weather and landscape to the wild animals, Stone does a great job at setting the scene with right amount of detailed descriptions of the wilderness. I was easily transported to the camping trip Vale and Ash are on, and was on edge of my seat during their times of struggle. They did not have it easy once separated from the group, and with each new obstacle they came across it had me hoping they would make it through to the other side unscathed.
Bottom Line: Switchback was a fun and easy read and is perfect for readers that enjoy survival stories. It also has aro-ace representation!
The Author
Danika Stone is an author, artist, and educator who discovered a passion for writing fiction while in the throes of her Masters thesis. A self-declared bibliophile, Danika now writes novels for both teens: INTERNET FAMOUS (Macmillan, 2017) and ALL THE FEELS (Macmillan, 2016); and adults THE DARK DIVIDE (Stonehouse, 2018) and EDGE OF WILD (Stonehouse, 2016).
Ms. Stone’s work has received both recognition and literary praise. In 2017, Chapters included EDGE OF WILD in “Our Favourite Canadian Fiction”, and INTERNET FAMOUS was nominated for the R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature (2018) as well as selected as one of Fierce Reads’ “9 Perfect Summertime Reads” (2017). EDGE OF WILD (previously entitled TATHAGATA) was a quarter-finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel of the Year Award (2013), a finalist in the Horatio Nelson Fiction Prize (2015), and took second place in the Publish or Perish contest (2015). ALL THE FEELS was selected for Swoon Reads’ fourth list (2015) and was nominated for YALSA’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (2016), and for CYBILS’ Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards (2016).
When not writing, Danika can be found hiking in the Rockies, planning grand adventures, and spending far too much time online. She lives with her husband, three sons, and a houseful of imaginary characters in a windy corner of Alberta, Canada.
Ms. Stone is represented by Morty Mint of Mint Literary Agency.
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