The message of this book is so forceful that it touches your heart.

I was quite surprised while reading. I was expecting a dark and desperate thriller. And although there was a lot of this, the subplot or the true message that the author wanted to make known was not really expected, but how well received it was.

Apart from the anguish you feel for each of the characters, seeing how they must survive on this island, with all its dangers and discomforts. When you know the reality of them, especially one of them. Anguish turns into indignation and a desire for justice.

A book that should be read carefully.

TW: sexual assault, violence, gore, body horror briefly, rape, use of alcohol and drugs

I enjoyed the first half of this book! It was a survival story and had a thriller aspect to it. Then we got to the reveal and it got very preachy very fast. It made almost no sense why the character would do this in a situation where people would literally die because they messed around with stuff. It felt like I was watching The Breakfast Club but on a deserted island. Overall, I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have wanted to.

TW: rape

Hmm, mixed feelings on this one. The first 3/4 of the book was excellent. The writing is strong and descriptive, the characters each have their own personalities and back stories and motivations, and the plot pulls you right in. It was fast-enough paced but not breakneck, and you’re always wondering what the next sketchy thing that’s going to happen is, and trying to figure out along with the MC who the culprit is! However, the story then took a swerve and became extremely preachy - about a very important topic (sexual assault) - but it completely changed the tone of the book. It became political, and suddenly the way that all the characters’ personalities had been developed was clearly just a way to present different opinions on rape (what constitutes rape, victim blaming, how ruining a man’s life is valued more than taking a woman’s claim seriously, etc.) in a trial-like format. The author takes a very strong stance and it reads like a barely-disguised rant. She literally includes statistics provided by the “investigative reporter” who happened to research the topic recently enough to quote percentages on men who are convicted and sent to prison. Obviously I agree with the author’s intent - it’s important to have these discussions and yes, the way that sexual assault is viewed and handled in our country is terrible, but this FICTIONAL novel felt extremely disjointed as a result of how strongly she came on and I think the points she was making would’ve been better served by a less overbearing delivery. Also just the fact that the last quarter of the novel became about something entirely different and then the original plot of the book just gets neatly wrapped up on the last page. Like what? Nah. It just wasn’t handled that well to me. It’s a shame because I think this could’ve been really excellent.

3.5 rounded up to 4/5 stars because the majority of the book was great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Seven teens, a plane crash, and a fight for survival.
When seven teens are stranded on an island after their plane crashes, their first thought is survival. With the fear of never being found, supplies dwindling, and people not pulling their weight, tension is at an all time high. As if their situation wasn't bad enough already, strange things start happening to each of them. The group quickly realizes they are being targeted and that it has to be someone who was on the plane. A horrible secret from the party that happened the night prior surfaces and it becomes clear someone is seeking justice. In order to survive, they must find the answers. Who was hurt that night and who allowed it to happen?
I was really looking forward to this one and unfortunately, it wasn't what I'd hoped for. I'm not a big fan of third person narration and feel that it can be tricky to pull off; I didn't feel like the third person POV was executed well with this story. I felt bored through the bulk of this novel, with most of the action happening in the second half/last quarter of the book. Some of the transitions seemed to happen at odd moments and the ending felt kind of rushed. The narrator, Justis Bolding, did a great job voicing the characters. This one just wasn't for me.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and Edelweiss. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I received a free e-arc through Netgalley, this in no way affected this review.

This book felt like waiting for something to happen and it never happened. A big chunk of the book felt like setting the scene, but this could have been done a lot faster.

The characters felt a bit too two-dimensional for my taste, especially in the beginning where it was really hard to tell them apart. This changed a little bit towards the end, but still left me wanting more.

I did like the writing style, which made the book a decent, fast read. But it also made the ending seem a bit rushed, like all of this build-up was for nothing.

I liked the mystery aspect of the book and didn’t find out who did it until it was revealed, so that was fun.

I usually love a YA book with a strong mission and important message to tell. No Accident presents itself as a gritty survival story with 7 teens stranded on an island. And the first half of the novel delivers well on these themes. However, we slowly discover that there's more going on within the delicate hierarchy of the high school group. The novel takes a turn as it begins to explore themes of sexism, harassment and justice. Though the author does a good job of addressing these issues for young readers, I found the "secrets" of the group to be predictable (which might be the point, to an extent). Overall though the shift of focus in the second half of the novel seemed forced, rushed, and left me wanting more on the survival of the island.

Interesting topic and good story building, however I was expecting more of a survival story. Once we learn true reason behind mysterious events happening on the island we are left with no further story or resolution. The ending felt very rushed and cut short. I feel like this book is missing an epilogue.

After a plane crashes into a deserted island, seven teens must try to survive. Strange things start happening on the island and create tension among the teens. What seems to be an accident might be something more, and it all started at a party the night before the plane crash.

While I did not finish this book, that does not mean it is a bad story. My interest initially peaked while reading the description of the book. It reminded me of Lord of the Flies. When I first read Lord of the Flies, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story, so I thought the same would happen with No Accidents. Unfortunately, this was not the case. I do not enjoy reading books focusing primarily on social drama, such as these teens and the party. I also found it hard to settle into the story through the protagonist's perspective. Regardless, I did not think the book was bad, just not of personal interest. However, I have already informed students in my library of the story and they cannot wait to read it! For them, the more drama and suspense in the book, the faster they devour the story. So, in that sense, the review is written on their behalf of them. They cannot wait to get their hands on the book, meaning I will certainly be ordering a copy.

Unfortunately this one isn't going to work for me. While the topic is important, I was shocked to learn that's what it was really about. I was expecting a true survivalist story with the island as the focus, not rape culture. It kind of gives you whiplash to know that that is what is introduced in the second half. This is a trigger warning topic for me and I am glad that I read reviews ahead of time. Laura is a talented author as displayed through the accolades of her other works but this one just wasn't for me because of the content and the age range.

This book just wasn’t for me. I felt like the pacing was a little too slow and I never found myself eager to pick the book back up. It wasn’t the writing that I didn’t care for but the development of the story.

This was a well written tale of suspense and danger. The author did a good job of developing the characters and plot points to lead you through the many disasters. If I had one critism it would be the ending felt unresolved. Maybe an epilogue of what happens next would help with closure. I was very pleased with the education that was given about how different it is to be a woman than a man in situations.

This novel is like a modern-day Lord of the Flies on steroids! A group of teens--both boys and girls--are traveling home from a basketball/cheerleading event when they crash in the Gulf of Mexico. They swim to a nearby island and attempt to make do with what limited resources they have, working together even as they are terrified they won't be rescued as it was a parent's private plane. But soon they realize that one of them may be sabotaging their time as odd things begin to happen that can't be explained. That's all you need...go on this adventure but heed the trigger warnings at the beginning as this is not for the squeamish! But oh, so relevant and captivating!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Before I get into my full review I want to say that the content and trigger warning at the beginning of this book is extremely important. While it might not seem like it at first sexual assault and domestic abuse place a central role to the plot of this story. The author/publisher has included several pages of information and helpline advice, but I would still be sure to disclose the warning with anyone thinking about reading this book.

No Accident by Laura Bates is pitched as The Wilds meets One of Us Is Lying and I certainly can see the similarities. Survival stories always catch my attention and No Accident was no exception. I simply wish it had been executed a little better.

A quick and easy read No Accident has good pacing and overall narrative structure, but it's downfall is the lack of characterization and a little bit of a rushed ending. None of the characters in this novel feel fully fleshed out. Some of them feel very stereotypical of the role they play in high school social hierarchy, but the biggest struggle for me as a reader was the main protagonist of the novel. Hayley, who's POV we are with for the entirety of the novel feels entirely underdeveloped to me and seems to only exist as a tool to witness the narrative of the other characters on the island and to continue to push the story along. By the end of the story we knew virtually nothing about her and it made it hard to connect with her emotionally or care about the stakes at hand.

In addition the ending felt a little too open. I don't want to get into spoilers but several key parts of the initial conflict of this story suddenly seem to not be important any more or are brushed aside entirely. I didn't need the ending to be tied up with a neat bow, that would have defeated basically the moral of the story, but I did need a little more closure for this to feel satisfying.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Would recommend to others but in the end fell short of what I'd hoped for.

Thank you Sourebooks Fire and NetGalley for the ARC of No Accident by Laura Bates. Survival of the fittest rings true in this book. Seven kids are in a plane crash and end up on a deserted island with limited supplies the last thing they thought they needed to worry about was a killer. Someone else who was on the plane wants them dead. It all goes back to a party the night before the plane crash. Something happened and the truth needs to be faced if they want to survive!

I honestly could not get into this book. Not because it is bad, I really didn't mesh with the writing style. That said, this is an extremely personal thing and I am sure many people will love it. I hope this book finds it's readers!

*3.5*

This book was a punch in the gut for sure. It follows a group of teenagers stranded on a deserted island following a plane crash. And then something strange starts to happen, almost all of the boys and girls seem to live scary situations that have nothing to being stranded on an island.

This book follows very deeply the themes of misogyny and feminism and the double standards that happen between boys and girls, and it does so in a very original setting, being founding oneself stranded in a wild place with other people.

I think the pace of this book is really good, there's never a dull moment, even if of course the setting is the same all throughout the book. It was very interesting to read about this group of teenagers being very mature for their age (some of them at least) while navigating a very difficult and present situation, and at the same time dealing with very important and relevant topics.
Recently I kinda grew out of YA books, but this was very good, and I think its purpose was so very well written, and while I was of course not the right age target, I still enjoyed this very well-crafted novel of survival and feminism.

I could not get into this one no matter how hard I tried. Dnf at 30%. I did not like the characters or the dialogue and the chapters were mega long.

“The plot to me was very interesting and the twists and turns in this book really kept the reader on their toes.

Definitely a book I will think about every now and then and that I will recommend to all sorts of readers.” - Sanna G.

Spoilers ahead:


I feel like this book started off really well and even brought in the concept of rape well, but then I think that that concept took over and spiraled, but not in the best way. I feel like the author justified a character’s choices because of what happened to her, which went out of control…almost resulting in death for 2 characters. In the end, after all of that, it isn’t even reported because of what it would do to her reputation AND an emotionally abusive boyfriend is going to be given no consequences. I understand not every story gets a happy ending, but this one just didn’t sit right with me, especially for a middle grade/ya audience who are becoming desensitized to violence, sexual assault, etc.

Seven teens end up in a terrifying situation after their plane crashes on a deserted island. When the fear kicks in that they may not be saved, they must work together to survive. However, it might not be as simple as it seems when strange and dangerous things start to happen around their camp. Can they learn who is behind all these acts and what they want before it’s too late?

This novel touched on issues so much more serious than I expected. There were some repetitive points of the story line that slowed me down a bit. However, overall, the mystery woven behind the action and thrill kept me wanting more! I think the message could have been reached in different ways without the shallow character lines but I do understand the application to teens and how they respond to serious material needing to be addressed.