To Stay Alive by Skila Brown
304 pages – ages 12+Published by Candlewick on October 11, 2016
Synopsis
It was 1846, and Mary Ann Graves was 19 when her father and her entire family decided to move west. Her 21-year-old sister (and her husband) were coming as well.
They had to go from Illinois all the way to California. They would see most of the country as they traveled through the land.
They met up with several other families when they were traveling, including the Reed family, and the Donner family.
All they need to do is make it through the infamous Rocky Mountains before it snows…
To Stay Alive by Skila Brown – Our Review
This was a slightly disturbing book. It is a historical fiction of the infamous Donner Party, and for the most part it was telling the story of their journey westward.
The novel-in-verse format is interesting, and makes it a rather fast read. It was odd reading the part where they started eating the dead flesh (which honestly, didn’t bother me – some consider it a valid survival technique (when there is nothing else, of course)).
It was the part where they started killing the weaker travelers for food that grossed me out a little, but it is part of history and needs to be told.
That aside, the book was very good, and I enjoyed reading about the journey westward. Ms. Brown’s poems stir an emotional impact with the reader, while still telling of the lives of the families going west.
I liked that she included an Epilogue, Author’s Note, and a list of the members of the Donner Party, with facts as to what happened afterward, during, and other such things.
All-in-all, a very compelling read with solid writing and having it in verse makes the story even more surreal. I’d just recommend for a more mature kid-reader.
I give this book five out of five bookworms.