I Am Still Alive

by Kate Alice Marshall

Overview

"This tense wire of a novel thrums with suspense. . . . [this book] just might be the highlight of your summer.”–The New York Times

Cheryl Strayed's Wild meets The Revenant in this heart-pounding story of survival and revenge in the unforgiving wilderness.

After: Jess is alone. Her cabin has burned to the ground. She knows if she doesn’t act fast, the cold will kill her before she has time to worry about food. But she is still alive—for now.
 
Before: Jess hadn’t seen her survivalist, off-the-grid dad in over a decade. But after a car crash killed her mother and left her injured, she was forced to move to his cabin in the remote Canadian wilderness. Just as Jess was beginning to get to know him, a secret from his past paid them a visit, leaving her father dead and Jess stranded.
 
After: With only her father’s dog for company, Jess must forage and hunt for food, build shelter, and keep herself warm. Some days it feels like the wild is out to destroy her, but she’s stronger than she ever imagined.

Jess will survive. She has to. She knows who killed her father…and she wants revenge.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780425290989
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	07/24/2018
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	276,579
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.56(h) x 1.13(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kate Alice Marshall started writing before she could hold a pen properly, and never stopped. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with a chaotic menagerie of pets and family members, and ventures out in the summer to kayak and camp along the Puget Sound. Visit her online at katemarshallbooks.com and follow her on Twitter @kmarshallarts.

Editorial Reviews

Kate Alice Marshall's I Am Still Alive may be the grand poobah of this season's young adult thriller category, giving suspense pros like Lois Duncan and Stephen King a run for their (abundant) money. This tense wire of a novel thrums with suspense, but also unexpectedly poignant moments…Marshall metes out the bad news gracefully. One has the sense that she knows her audience well; I Am Still Alive is bound to appeal to the same tragedy-thirsty teenagers who made The Fault in Our Stars a phenomenon.

The New York Times Book Review - Elisabeth Egan

07/16/2018
Marshall’s striking first novel follows two parts of 16-year-old Jess Cooper’s life: before and after her father is murdered and she’s left to fend for herself in the Canadian wilderness. After her mother dies in a car crash that leaves Jess with a bad foot, she travels from Seattle to Canada to live with her father, who left them years before. He lives in a remote cabin in the woods and attempts to teach Jess survival skills, but she resents him, and they agree that she’ll stay there one year and then decide whether to return home. But she soon discovers that her dad is mixed up with some bad guys, and when they show up to collect their loot, they kill him, leaving her alone with his dog, Bo. To stay alive, Jess must summon great physical and mental strength; she learns to hunt, fish, build fire, and find shelter, but any mistake could be fatal. Marshall builds tension steadily as winter approaches and Jess plots her revenge. The diary format and Marshall’s immersive descriptions will hook readers into this exhilarating survival story. Ages 12–up. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Raves for I Am Still Alive:

"This tense wire of a novel thrums with suspense. . . . [this book] just might be the highlight of your summer.”–The New York Times

“An expertly conceived plot plus a true heroine (and her dog) make for an original, engrossing, and twisty survival story that I tore through compulsively. You won’t regret the hours that disappear when you read this one.” –Nancy Werlin, National Book Award honoree and New York Times bestselling author
 
“I couldn’t set this book down—the words actually made me shiver. It’s Hatchet meets The Revenant, infused with fierce, undaunted girl power.” –S.A. Bodeen, award-winning author of The Raft

“If Hatchet was your favorite book in grade school, but you wish it was filled with much more girl power, then I Am Still Alive is the book you've been waiting for.”–Bustle

"A gripping adventure."–The Wall Street Journal

* "A taut, gripping page-turner with a strong female hero to root for."–Kirkus, starred review

* "With masterful pacing, rich characterization, a dynamic voice, and a thrilling blend of wilderness survival and revenge, this is an engrossing read from a writer to watch."–Booklist, starred review

"A gripping tale of endurance and discovery of inner strength."–School Library Journal

"[A] striking first novel. Marshall’s immersive descriptions will hook readers into this exhilarating survival story."–Publishers Weekly

"Marshall’s thrilling tale is also a deeply moving story about coming to terms with imperfections (both in oneself and in others) and about finding true resourcefulness and inner strength.”–BookPage

From the Publisher

06/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—Already devastated from the car accident that killed her mother and left her leg badly damaged, Jess Cooper is off to Northern Canada to live with a father she barely knows in a completely isolated cabin. Being in seclusion is part choice and part necessity due to her father's secretive involvement with a dangerous group. When men unexpectedly show up, Jess must hide in the woods and watch in shock as they murder her father, burn the cabin, and leave what they think is an abandoned scene. The only other person who knows about Jess is thousands of miles away. With the sole companionship of her father's dog and a few supplies salvaged from the fire, Jess sets out to do the only thing she can—survive. Chapters alternate between past and present, keeping readers engaged while building suspense. Jess shows strength in adversity, first from the death of her mother and then from her own will to live. Jess battles her father, the strange men, nature, and herself throughout Marshall's tension-filled adventure. Scenes of gun violence happen on page. Readers who enjoy postapocalyptic books will be rewarded if they try this more realistic novel. VERDICT A gripping tale of endurance and discovery of inner strength. A strong purchase.—Carrie Finberg, South Park High School, PA

School Library Journal

★ 2018-05-15
Still battered from the car crash that took her mother's life, Jess is sent to live in the remote Canadian wilderness with Carl, the father she barely remembers— and then he's murdered.Carl's lessons in living off the grid (no phone, electricity, or running water) and hesitant attempts at connecting with Jess end abruptly when associates from his unsavory past arrive to collect money he doesn't have. Hiding with Carl's dog, Bo, Jess watches her dad ask for more time. Instead, Raph, the leader, shoots Carl. Burying him with the mysterious crate he's safeguarded for them, they burn the cabin and fly off. Only Carl's friend Griff, who flew her in, knows Jess is there, but he won't return for a year. With brains and ingenuity compensating for her physical weakness, Jess finds shelter, makes fire, and feeds and protects herself and Bo. Yet small mistakes, moments of inattention, nearly prove lethal. Raph might return for the crate, and winter's approaching. To obtain ammunition for Carl's rifle, Jess makes a desperate but pivotal decision. Presumably white, as are other characters, Jess is believable, her setbacks realistic, her successes earned. She is on a solitary journey—a quest not for treasure but for survival—that demands all her strength, each day a test of endurance, patience, and hope.A taut, gripping page-turner with a strong female hero to root for. (Thriller. 12-17)

Kirkus Reviews

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