I can certainly see an audience for this one. Kids need compelling stories that don't wight them down with complex vocabulary. This one is perhaps overly simplified though. Some of the sentence structure is a bit awkward, simply in the name of not using big words. And the story details don't always make sense. It's exciting enough for a simple read but won't hold up to repeat reads.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Note: part of the Orca Anchor series of hi-lo novels written at a 1.9 reading level.
High tension, teen situation written for low level readers. Dyslexia friendly novella. Information on the book states text, don't and even the paper color will make it easier to read. I can't testify to this with the digital copy I received.
Story was unique in Yukon setting and interesting. High drama, difficult family situation with triggers for teen readers in similar situations. Overall, a good book by this well known author.

Quick exciting story

Matt is 15 years old and lives near Dawson City in Yukon Territory, Canada with his foster mother who is a drunk and his abusive foster father.

He runs trap lines with his foster father and hates hurting animals. He is planning on leaving the foster home soon when he turns 16 years old.

One day while he's checking the trap lines he finds a huge gold nugget but must figure out how to hide it from his foster father and escape.

This was a quick easy read aimed towards readers that need extra help with reading. It was fast paced and sure to keep the interest of a pre-teen or teen reader or even adult readers that need a bit of help with reading. I know I enjoyed the story itself and I read just fine.

I received this book from Orca Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

This book was a very thrilling young adult read for me. This book follows a 15-year-old boy named Matt who is sick and tired of living with a bad quality of life with his drunk foster mom and his abusive foster father. Matt is a sweetheart he hates having to hurt animals and he's forced to do so to make money from animal furs for his foster father.
One day, Matt discovers a giant golden nugget.
Then his paranoia kicks in with the amount of money he could get from this, and finally leave this unlovable home. He doesn't know where to hide the nugget so the foster father can't steal it from him. Soon his paranoid thoughts aren't irrational, It's like a game of cat and mouse, and to beat each other at their own game. All Matt wants to do is leave, find his own place one day, and make a better life for himself elsewhere.

I give this Young Adult Novel a rating of 4/5 stars because
I have many questions about the ending?

TW: Foster abuse

At the age of 16, a young man living with a step-father really doesn’t have a life of his own. Dan, the foster father, is a trapper and makes a living selling beaver pelts to clothing companies. Matt is nearly his size and is required to keep half of the trap lines going each day. Dan has the time to check the traps down to the minute and checks the backpack of pelts that the young man carries every time they check the traps.

A trapped beaver has a broken leg and cannot get into the beaver lodge. The young man takes pity on the animal and releases it. He checks the lodge and discovers a heavy fist-sized hunk of gold nugget. How can he keep this from his foster father? The nugget is the ticket to his freedom!

Dan tracks his foster son’s footsteps in Dawson and gets wind of the nugget. He bullies the young man to get the nugget. The situation turns desperate. How can the young man protect his windfall and leave the abusive foster dad?

This is a fast-moving and well-written drama of a young man at life’s crossroads. Sigmund Brower writes a compelling, believable page-turner that is short but very believable.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

“Trapped” by Sigmund Brouwer is at heart a story of survival. As part of the Orca Anchor series of novels, this is a hi-lo book, meaning that while it has a lower reading level, its subject matter is of high interest to a teen audience. Short and to the point, the action never ceases. This helps make it an engaging book, suitable for teen readers that are struggling to read, or have difficulty staying focused on longer novels.

I really like how, in the front matter, the publisher mentions the material and font choices for the paperback version. It further shows their dedication to creating a book that is highly accessible for the target audience.

The plot, centered around a teenager who is struggling in an abusive foster home, is a classic coming-of-age story that is relatable to many people. Very Canadian at heart, the focus is on hunting and trapping beavers. While not overly graphic, these details might turn off some readers from the book.

I highly recommend this novella for teen readers looking for a short and engaging book, that is something they can read for fun and leisure.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book on NetGalley and have provided an honest review.*

The Quick Cut: a teen boy plans his escape from his abusive foster parents after finding a large piece of gold in the Yukon area where they live.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Orca Book Publishers for providing the ARC for an honest review.

Everyone has dreams or goals for their own lives. Some are simple and easy to achieve while others are complex and take multiple steps to reach. If your only goal was to get away from your foster parents, what would you do? This is the situation for Matt.

Matt lives in an isolated cabin on the Yukon River with his foster parents. Abusive and mean, they verbally wound him as they use him for child labor for trapping animals. It's while checking the traps that he finds a large lump of gold - providing the potential funds he needs to escape his foster parents and start a better life. Except his parents are cunning folks who will stop at nothing to take it for themselves. How can he smuggle out the gold without them finding out?

This story is really more of a novella at 77 pages. However, just because it's short doesn't mean it should be skipped! This book is a fast paced romp that pulls you into the action and suspense without waiting too long to get going. So if you are not much of a reader or want something short - this is the perfect story for you!

I love to read, so this was an hour read for me. For somebody else who isn't as voracious a reader, this could be an afternoon. If you want a story that can highlight the joys of reading - this is a perfect fit!

Matt is relatable and smart. His foster parents quickly establish themselves as horrible people who you want to see fail. While the story could easily be expanded to tell more of the plot, you won't feel shorted by where it ends. It stops at the perfect place to put a smile on your face and let you imagine what could happen next.

An exciting thrill of an action story that will excite readers of any level.

My rating: 5 out of 5

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Trapped in exchange for an honest review!

I think this was a really good use of hi-lo storytelling to deliver a unique story that has the potential to both be interesting and digestible by teen readers. It is fairly short (intentionally, most hi-lo books are) so I don't think it'll really stick with me for long, but it was a fast, unique read.

Matt is counting down the days until he turns sixteen.

He's been living with his foster parents in Yukon River Valley in their isolated cabin. His plan is to leave and never come back. He is done with the harsh lifestyle and helping his abusive foster dad, Dan, run the traplines so he can make money selling animal furs. He can't wait to start a new life on his own in the city. But when Matt discovers a big and valuable gold nugget, everything changes. What seems like a dream come true and an easy way out quickly turns into a nightmare that will test Matt's wilderness survival skills to the fullest.

Almost sixteen year old Matt is in a bad foster care situation, but a surprising discovery on while checking the traps with is abusive step father gives Matt hope that he might be able to break free from this abusive foster home. This fast paced survival story will especially appeal to readers who have an interest in hunting and trapping,