Not If I Save You First

by Ally Carter

Overview

Maddie thought she and Logan would be friends forever. But when your dad is a Secret Service agent and your best friend is the president's son, sometimes life has other plans. Before she knows it, Maddie's dad is dragging her to a cabin in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness.

No phone.
No Iinternet.
And not a single word from Logan.

Maddie tells herself it's okay. After all, she's the most popular girl for twenty miles in any direction. She has wood to cut and weapons to bedazzle. Her life is full.
Until Logan shows up six years later . . .
And Maddie wants to kill him.

But before that can happen, an assailant appears out of nowhere, knocking Maddie off a cliff and dragging Logan to some unknown fate. Maddie knows she could turn back- and get help. But the weather is turning and the terrain will only get more treacherous, the animals more deadly.

Maddie still really wants to kill Logan.
But she has to save him first.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338134162
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/27/2018
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	405,809
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Ally Carter is the New York Times bestselling author of the Gallagher Girls, Heist Society, and Embassy Row series. Not If I Save You First is her first standalone novel. Her books have been published all over the world, in over 20 languages. She grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and has never caused an international incident (to her knowledge). You can visit her online at allycarter.com.

Editorial Reviews

01/08/2018
The son of the U.S. president and the daughter of a Secret Service agent wind up in a fight for their lives in this tense romantic thriller from Carter (the Embassy Row series). When they were young, Maddie Manchester was Logan’s only friend amid the isolation and strict protocols of the White House. But after her father was shot during an attempted abduction of the first lady, Maddie and her father moved to the wilderness of Alaska. For years, Maddie wrote Logan letters, but they went unanswered. So she’s furious when Logan’s antics get him sent to their tiny Alaskan cabin after six years of silence—she barely knows this suddenly tall (and handsome) boy. When Logan is kidnapped, Maddie—using her finely honed survival skills—sets out to rescue him so she can kill (or kiss) him herself. The characters are dynamic and engaging: Maddie’s hypercompetence and all-business attitude contrast deliciously with Logan’s jokey sarcasm. The teens’ childhood friendship evolves into a sweet romance, and the fast-paced thrills will keep readers up late. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Not If I Save You First:* "Gripping and smart, this book will appeal to readers looking for a thrill-ride with some darker twists." — Booklist, starred review"A tightly plotted thriller helmed by a firecracker that never loses her spark." — Kirkus ReviewsPraise for All Fall Down (Embassy Row Book One):A New York Times Bestseller"Carter knows how to construct a gripping thriller." — Publishers Weekly"Action packed and meticulously plotted, All Fall Down keeps readers guessing." — Booklist"With its intrigue and clever plot twists, this series opener will leave readers hungering for more." — School Library Journal"Will appeal not only to psychological-thriller fans, but to those who want a little glamour, some A-list social politics, and a bit of high school nastiness mixed in with their suspense." — Kirkus Reviews"Grace is a fighter, and she will stop at nothing to find out what happened to her mother. Readers will love this first book in what promises to be an exciting, thrilling mystery series." — Voice of Youth Advocates"An amazing book." — The Guardian

From the Publisher

03/01/2018
Gr 7–10—Logan is the only child of the First Family. Maddie is his best friend and daughter of the man at the head of the president's security. Right before a dinner for some dignitaries from Russia, the teens meet up in a secret hallway and find two men hurriedly walking through speaking Russian. The men end up pushing a food cart covered in a table cloth that's hiding the First Lady, who has been kidnapped. Logan activates his secret security button, and the hallway is immediately filled with people, shouting and gunfire. The remainder of the book is the result of this event, six years later. Writing from a remote cabin in Alaska, Maddie hopes to hear back from Logan. Meanwhile, Logan is still in Washington, D.C., trying to get out from the shadow of his family name. That is hard to do when your dad is currently still in office. Things with Russia haven't improved, so Logan's shenanigans could put him in a dangerous situation. He's transported to Alaska so that Maddie's dad can keep an eye on him. City boy Logan doesn't know how to respond to survivalist Maddie and they quickly discover that even remote Alaska is not far enough to run away from the Russian threat. The chemistry and relationship buildup between these two friends is real and believable. Maddie's skills in the wilderness are unmatched. Through trying to survive and escape, Maddie and Logan are able to reconnect and heal some old wounds while outsmarting all the other adults. The quick pace and witty dialogue will keep teens engaged. VERDICT Recommended where survival and mystery stories are popular and where Carter has a following.—Jessica Lorentz Smith, Bend Senior High School, OR

School Library Journal

2018-01-22
Estranged best friends must come together to survive man-made threats in the harsh Alaskan wilderness.Maddie and Logan, both white, were best friends at age 10. Maddie's father's job was to keep the president safe, and as the president's son, that meant Logan too. But when Russians attempt an attack on Logan and the first lady, everything changes. Maddie's father decides they must move somewhere with no phones, no internet, no access. Soon Maddie and Logan are thousands of miles apart, she in rural Alaska and he in the White House. For six years there's no contact; Maddie spends two years writing to him with no response. She becomes skilled in the ways of the wilderness, her anger at Logan building. His perspective highlights a privileged, reckless life, leading the president to administer a unique punishment: staying with Maddie and her father in Alaska. But Logan brings dangerous baggage with him, and with her father away for the night, it's up to Maddie to keep them both safe. Maddie's grit, humor, and cleverness make her an engaging action hero. Logan's less dynamic, hyperfocused on ensuring Maddie's safety when she's not the one who needs saving. Fans of survivalist fiction will be impressed by the well-researched, immersive Alaskan landscape and all its beauty and brutality.A tightly plotted thriller helmed by a firecracker that never loses her spark. (Thriller. 14-17)

Kirkus Reviews