this was a good read, it worked as a young adult book. The characters were good and I enjoyed the story.

A somewhat interesting if unoriginal story. I’ve seen the concept before in other books with much better execution.

The structure was mostly annoying. The majority of the book comprised of flashbacks that were irritatingly interrupted again and again until I wanted the little kids to die just so the protagonist could tell his story without pause. Then the only impactful action occurred 3/4 through the book by which point the book had doomed itself by not leaving enough time to adequately resolve the conflict.

There was a noticeable lack of female characters. And the 2 that did exist spent the entirety of their time moping or crying due to or with their male significant other. I found it extremely odd that the older sister displayed zero qualities an older sister would have. Why was it that the protagonist, aka the younger brother, was the one in charge and she simply let him be? This was another odd aspect of the book. The protagonist seemed to be the leader simply for his ability to give rousing (and cliche) speeches that inspired bravery and large amounts of unrealism in the others.

There were a lot of touchy-feely moments. Now I’m all for genuine emotions, don’t get me wrong, but this was to such an extent that it came across as sickly sweet and cringe-inducing. There were far too many “a good man doing his manly duty” vibes and patriotic Americanism.

There were also some extremely odd and disturbing moments towards the end like when the protagonist objectified a naked woman and when his father laughed at him for freaking out over burnt human bodies. Like WHAT?! Not to mention the father was literally excited to be murdering people. The book wasn’t that bad until that point and that was an immediate turn off.

Thanks to the publisher for an e-ARC of this novel.

Reminiscent of Gregg Hurwitz's novel, The Rains, Sheltered follows a group of kids and teens who are trying to survive in the midst of a war like no other. I think this will be a popular YA title. It moved quickly, demonstrated empowered young adults, and had a lot of action.

THERE WILL BE SOME SPOILERS UNDER THIS SECTION: i made a netgalley account the other day and saw this short novel there that u can just read without even requesting. it has 13 chapters plus epilogue, each chapter is short and told by james, this is a middle grade novel (i dont really read middle grade but i like survival,apocalyptic books and this was a short book so i decided to read it) it was easy and fast to read and follow, and i like james and his family and the kids. james is 13 if im not mistaken but he sounds older for his age, which is understandable by the fact that he had to grow up a bit fast during the war to survive and even before that he has strict parents (and his dad is a veteran,so he teaches james and emily survival stuff and scenarios and guns and hunting etc) it didnt bother me that james sounded older than he was. there were a few intense scenes in the book too and violent/killing/bloody scenes which is normal for this type of book since it deals with war and apocalypse/survival scenario.. but since its middle grade maybe if a kid reads this book its better if they have an adult reading with them. we also get to know why and how the war came to be and who are the terrorists.Overall i enjoyed this book and i would recommend it for people who like me like apocalypse/survival stories and are looking for somethin easy and fast to read. there will be SPOILERS UNDER THIS SECTION:








SPOILERS: james perpective alternating between present and past (he tells what happened to him on The day and after as a bed time story to the little kids he has saved and found). i like the alternating parts. and there was a walking dead reference which i liked too. it was sad when his dog keela dies protecting him from those men looting in his house, and when we find out that his mim died tryin to go back for him. i was relieved and happy that his sister emily and dan found him and then when we find his dad as one of the prisoners too, the epilogue makes it look like there could be a sequel.. when they release the prisoners in the camp and the conditions they lived in and the state they were in was a bit intense.. there were a few intense,sad and gruesome/bloody scenes (like when they are killin the terrorists and or terrorists killing them) or when keela dies etc..

This book started off brilliantly. I loved the use of story telling to inform the readers of key moments in the main characters past. Unfortunately towards the end it got a little bit too violent for me and more about the action and fighting. If that’s what you enjoy then no doubt you will like this book, for me personally I preferred the moral discussions and questions of what’s right and wrong in a terrible situation that was prominent in the first half.

This book is a middlegrade novel, however I would say it leans a little more towards YA for the depth of emotion as well as the graphic description of war that the kids have to view as well as participate in. When you wake up in the morning to an alarm, you have no idea whatsoever that it will change your entire life! James is surviving day to day, upset that his father left, angry at his mom for her strict rules, and wondering why in they world his father made a bunker in the back yard for the family...just in case. But just in case of what?? On this fateful morning, James finds out what the 'just in case' will be. The destruction that has come upon his home is severe, and James has to figure out how to survive. In his survival mode, he finds others kids who are trying to learn to survive in their new world as well. Can James be the leader that he knows his dad would expect him to be? I really enjoyed the story.

It has been two years since what has come to be known as The Day, the moment when an attack on the United States rocked the country to its foundations. Thirteen-year-old James is the leader of The Risers, a rag-tag team of young people who survived the initial onslaught and its aftermath and are prepared to do whatever it takes to recover their nation and rise from the ashes of the decimation war has brought. Though it may seem unlikely, the unwavering spirit of these fledgling soldiers is the only chance they have to recover their home from those who stole it from them.

Written for a middle-grade audience, this is a story about what happens to young James when he is left alone as his nation is attacked from within. The son of a former Marine, James has learned survival techniques that he must rely upon if he has any hope of finding his family again. This story unfolds in two pieces: the first is told in the past tense, a kind of Storytime to raise the spirits of the young wards James and his cohort have taken in. Because it is a retelling, the reader learns how James became the leader of The Risers without fear for James’ life. However, the second part of the narrative takes place very much in the present tense, filled with tactical battle sequences to liberate the friends and family suffering in a nearby prison camp.

At once a story of survival, hope, and how one boy becomes a leader by striving to be better than his rivals, this is a compelling examination of what could happen in the aftermath of a widespread terror attack on the United States. The final sequence of the story is riveting, a detailed account of a tactical infiltration orchestrated by James and his companions. Similar to video games like Ghost Recon, in order to overcome a much greater, more highly trained force, James and The Risers must approach carefully to avoid capture or worse.

Written by a former Marine and combat veteran, this story encapsulates the realities of war from two distinct sides. Though there is limited character development outside of James himself, that is not really the focus of this story; rather, it is a tale that highlights the strengths of humans from all walks of life and what can happen when they work together. Middle grade readers with an interest in survival and teamwork will appreciate both the pacing of this story and its uplifting message.

Reviewed from an ARC from NetGalley. I am always on the hunt for good MG dystopian fiction. It's a category that this age group is ready for, but little exists to satisfy their thirst. Sheltered premise sounded promising, but that is where my praise for this title ends.

This is mis-categorized as middle grade. The author notes that America's "enemies" have infiltrated the country from the inside, naming several countries by name, while providing no details about the source of the actual conflict. This creates the potential for MG readers to draw incorrect conclusions that these countries and their people are "bad." The author spends little to no time drawing a clear enough line between fiction and reality.

As far as the setting, there is no background given for the conflict other than several references to America's enemies and Americans themselves destroying the country from the inside. Part of the draw of any good dystopian story is a well-executed premise that distances itself from reality just enough to present as fiction while drawing on the realities of our world. It is not clear that creating such a world was ever attempted. There is little to no backstory, and I found my self asking "why is this happening" for the first half of the novel.

I am pretty liberal with what I will recommend to MG readers where content is concerned. The author continuously makes references inappropriate for this age group. A reference to sex, as well as multiple near-curses that read worse than if the author would have used a milder swear word.

The violence in the story is expected, given the context, but the author is also careless with its use in the story. In one chapter, the main character describes the extensive training his father gave him to help him survive, including firearms. However in another chapter, when James seeks safety in the family's fallout shelter, he quiet literally plays with bus as if they were toys. A boy who has been properly trained to operate a firearm would never do this, and it is a problematic scene in which to engage young readers.

James, the 12 year-old narrator, speaks as though he is an experienced soldier who has seen multiple tours of duty rather than a child who is learning to adapt to the changing world around him. He frequently gives inspirational speeches read like campy hoorah rants from a made-for-TV movie. In one scene. he pleads with his father to seek justice rather than vengeance, and in the next, he literally calls for spilling the blood of the enemy.

There are some lighthearted, and even funny, moments, but the tonal shifts are so drastic that they are ineffective.

The author is a veteran and I am grateful for his service to our country, but I would not recommend this title for middle grade libraries, classrooms, or readers.

My Son and I read this together, it was a really neat book, Not something either of us would pick. We did find the book to drag out a little book. The book was quite fast paced but did drag a bit at the end.