While this is a book meant for middle-graders, if you’re sensitive to the death of animals, including pets, be wary of going into it. Therefore, I cannot comment on the comparison. I vaguely remember reading that book in third or fourth grade, but I don’t recall anything of what it’s about. I’ve heard that this is a retelling of Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins. I won’t go into details because spoilers, but that part of the story was really unsatisfying. One complaint that I had is that when we find out what was behind the evacuation, it’s sort of a half-assed explanation that doesn’t make much sense. Most of what she did was right, and it was nice reading a sensible survival story made for middle-graders. In a situation where most people (including many adults) would panic and shut-down, Maddie started collecting food, water, and supplies. So much so that I honestly had a hard time believing that she was just twelve-years-old. Going into the book with pre-existing survival knowledge, I was impressed by the steps that Maddie took to keep herself and her canine companion alive. I’m not ashamed of the fact that I’m a bit of a prepper (and grew up on books like Hatchet). The thing that struck me hardest about this novel was that Maddie appears to be more prepared and sensible than most adults that I know.
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