Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC of this book for my honest opinion

What would you do if you were on a cruise ship when a virus and war happened and there is nowhere to go now? Do you make your society out of the levels on the ships? How do you keep people in line and make a way for the young ones to grow up with a future to someday be able to be on land again.

I thought this book was good from the start of the book to the end. There were a few times that I thought it slowed down but for me it allowed me the time to stop and really be able to process everything that just happened so fast. This book you will see the POV from 3 different characters with 3 different roles to play in this new world order. Esther, who is a smart 16-year-old, has her mind set on being a medical cadet so she can get a place in a medical school on land, she follows all the rules. Nik, who is a young adult who is a rebel, wants things to change and isn’t scared to ruffle a few feathers to get the action going to get off this ship which he considers is a prison. Hadley is in charge of keeping all the residents in line, he uses drones and soldiers to get this point across, and that point is you step out of line or else.

I thought Esther was a great character however, I really didn’t see much character development from her until around the end of the book. Nik’s character did have the most development from the way he was seeing and thinking about things. I didn’t like Hadley at all, and I can think of a lot of different ways he could have managed that ship. The plot for the book reminded me a lot of hunger games/divergent, where they have their group of people who are wanting something different, but they don’t know how to get it and things always go off course. The plot was a little slow in some parts then bam you’re in the thick of it and left wondering what will happen next. However, with all the action, drama, tragic heartbreaking scenes, with evil governments, social issues, and truly evil people, will draw you in and leave you wanting to know what happens next. Oh, I must know what happens next because of that ending!!
I will be picking up book 2 when it comes out that is for sure.

I want to thank Netgalley and Sarah Daniels for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I loved the first half of this book. I was in it. The story was fast-paced, I was invested in all the characters, and I was really excited for the plot and to see where it was going. But half way through something was lost and I wasn't really sure what the overall goal was of the Coalies and then what Esther/Nik were fighting for. Because of that I felt a bit lost, but was still excited to see where things went. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, and again I think that was partly because I just didn't know if the goals had been met.

**Did not finish, review based on first 52%**

I was really excited to read this book based on the synopsis alone. I love post-apocalyptic dystopians, and The Stranded by Sarah Daniels is just that, set forty years after an apocalyptic war left passengers stranded on their luxury cruise liner. Now it floats off the coast of what is left of the United States (now the Federated States) hoping to one day dock and let its passengers off. Told from multiple points of view, the story unfolds with a sense of urgency as it follows Esther, a hopeful one day medic, and Nik, the son of a rebel.

What I enjoyed
I liked the setting, everything that happened up to where I stopped reading occurred on the boat. This luxury cruise liner is their home. The main characters have never been on dry land or another boat even. As a result, food and all resources are scarce. Nik and Esther were born on the boat, but to two very different classes which are divided by ticketed passengers and refugees. Refugees had no rooms, slept in the halls, and led a failed rebellion. Now they live in the lowest parts of the ship, planning another rebellion. Exciting right?

Where I wanted more
I struggled with this one. There is so much happening and with the multiple POV as the reader we get a lot of info that the other characters aren't privy to. Where this failed for me is the delivery. This is a long book, full of details that slow the plot down. That sense of urgency I felt on page one did not carry through the rest of the book. I found myself dreading reading because it became a chore. This was why I finally decided to abandon ship *pun intended*

Overall, The Stranded is well written, exciting at parts, and the plot itself is intriguing. I could see myself going back and attempting to read this one at another time, but not right now. If you are a fan of detail heavy plots and multiple POV, you may enjoy this one more than I did.

I loved the premise of this one - in a dystopian future, refugees from a war waged with an infectious agent have been trapped on a formerly luxurious cruise ship for multiple generations. Extremely original, as well as timely, given the current pandemic. The story was fairly action-packed and well-paced. I did find the multiple viewpoints a bit confusing at times, and the ending of the book ending in a massive cliffhanger felt rushed. Overall, a solid 4-star read for me, and I'll be looking forward to picking up the sequel.

Immediately after reading I ordered this title for my middle school library. We had fallen off the dystopian genre for a while, but I think The Stranded will increase interest. So many students have a strong attraction to stories with weight to them. The haves and have-nots will resonate in a way that hits home - especially since so many middle-class students can understand the concept of a cruise ship - which is really a strong metaphor and not too complicated for a middle school student to grasp.

A fun concept that just didn't work for me in the end.

The Stranded takes place on a Luxury Cruise Liner that has been at sea for forty years following a deadly virus sweeping the world. As the passengers become restless the bones of an uprising begin to form. Following multiple POV's you get a sense of the current state of society and how life works on the ship.

I think I had realistic expectations for The Stranded going in. I assumed it would be a faced paced YA thriller, with a dash of dystopian nostalgia. Unfortunately the characters felt flat and the story felt lengthy and slow.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

The Stranded
by Sarah Daniels
Pub Date: 03 Jan 2023

The premise of this book sounded intriguing...for forty years people have been stranded on a ship due to a virus. The world building and character development however just didn't fully deliver. We have three main narrators: Esther, a medic in training, Nic, the son of a rebellion leader, and Hadley, "the evil guy"...I was just hoping for more overall, even though the last part of the book did pick up the pace with the suspense and an ending that leaves you wanting to know more. I would be willing to take a chance on the next book.

3 stars

It’s been a while since I found a good dystopian that hooked me from the beginning. THE STRANDED by Sarah Daniels delivered so many things that I look forward to in these kinds of books — an apocalyptic event, bleak and hopeless atmosphere, and the threat of revolution, all set within a perfectly oppressive and claustrophobic former cruise ship floating in the middle of the ocean.⁣
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The Arcadia has been afloat for 40 something years after an event forced people to either board, or stay aboard, cruise ships. Supplies are brought from land through by the Federated States, which was once a part of the former United States. Every year, a small handful of ship residents are able to relocate to land for work or school, much like Ester and her sister, but residents aboard the ship have had enough. With the threat of revolution in the air, Esther’s chances for finally getting off the ship are threatened. ⁣
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The story switches between the POV’s of Esther, Nik, and Hadley, and while each one is fighting for something different, their causes eventually force them together. I really enjoyed getting inside each of their heads and seeing not only what drives them, but also their weaknesses and the thing that would prevent them from wanting to leave the ship. There’s action, danger, and intrigue as the ship is thrown into chaos, and residents lives are in danger, Esther’s and Nik’s included. ⁣
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Bottom line — a great first installment that delivers plenty of adventure and intrigue, while also giving the reader plenty to think about. I can’t wait to see how the story continues in THE EXILED. Thanks so much to @netgalley and @sourcebooksfire for the digital arc!

This was such an unexpected wild ride. I found the premise and setting so refreshing. It really made me think what it would be like to be stranded on a cruise ship for extended amounts of time. I feel like I would get cabin fever easily. So, I don’t know how these characters survived decades aboard one especially in such disrepair. This book follows multiple characters POVs with one viewpoint being the main villain of the story. I really enjoyed seeing the ship through the eyes of such different characters. I do wish there was just a little more backstory of the world and some of the side characters. However, this is a first book in a series so I’m hopeful that we will find out answers as we go along. This book ended on a cliffhanger. I can’t wait for book two!

Title: The Stranded
Author: Sarah Daniels
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

Welcome to the Arcadia.

Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States - a leftover piece of a fractured USA.

For forty years, residents of the Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall. It is a world of extreme haves and have nots, gangs and make-shift shelters.

Esther is a loyal citizen, working flat-out to have the rare chance to live a normal life as a medic on dry land. Nik is a rebel, planning something big to liberate the Arcadia once and for all.

When events throw them both together, their lives, and the lives of everyone on the ship, will change forever . . .

I enjoyed this dystopian read—not sure I’ve read anything with a setting quite like this. Esther is more than a bit naïve—sometimes willfully so—so focused on her pie-in-the-sky dreams of the future that she closes her eyes against reality. The setting and the tangle of rules and micro-cultures on the ship were the most fascinating parts of this story for me, but I liked the main characters, too. Lots of action here, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

Sarah Daniels is from the UK. The Stranded is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.)

When a global pandemic broke out that turned into a war, the passengers on the cruise ship Arcadia were not allowed to make landfall. Forty years later, the ship remains in the water near the Federated States—part of what was once the United States—and the refugees and their descendants still live onboard amid corrupt leadership and law enforcement. Esther is focused on one thing—excelling at her medical studies so she can earn a coveted spot in a medical school on land. Nik is part of the rebellion trying to liberate the ship. When the two of them are unexpectedly brought together, they realize that they will have to risk their lives to try saving the people they love.

The premise of the book is imaginative and compelling, and I enjoyed the descriptions of the ship itself and the ways it’s transformed in the past forty years. Unfortunately, I felt that the development of the story didn’t live up to its potential. I never got a clear understanding of how life on the ship operated, what exactly was at stake, why anyone wanted to go on land when the Federated States were painted to be the enemy, and what the exact goal of the rebellion was. Though I understood liberation as the ultimate goal, I don’t feel that it was clearly explained what liberation would entail, what it would mean for passengers, what would happen to the enemy after they were defeated, and what would happen next. It felt as though there was more action than plot in a book that needed plot to make complete sense.

Perhaps some of my confusion will be cleared up in the next book in this series, but I don’t feel invested enough at this point to continue reading. I would recommend this to readers who love action-packed YA stories and don’t need a strong plot to hold their attention, but the lacking character development left me wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.

We know that today isn't an era for Dystopian anymore, but The Stranded is a book that you Will love no matter it's an era For Dystopian story or not.

The story is thrilling since the first chapters, a little spark of romance is enough.

Definitely worth to read

Wow! Esther, Nik, & Hadley’s Stories Weave Together In This Dystopian Story Of Survival. The Arcadia Cruise Ship Braces For Impending Doom At The Hands Of The Federated States After Nearly 44 Years At Sea, But A Rebel Coalition Is Ready To Fight Back. Reminiscent Of The Hunger Games Series, The Book Captures Your Attention From The Start.


This is book one of what appears to be a duet concluding in book two, The Exiled, which picks up six months later.

ABOUT THE STRANDED:

The Stranded is reminiscent of The Hunger Games series. It also brings to mind Edward Everett Hale’s classic The Man Without a Country, the story about an Army officer, Philip Nolan, found guilty of involvement in the Aaron Burr conspiracy and sentenced to live out his life on a ship, never to touch the shores of his homeland again. Finally, it draws on recent history to paint the picture of a world in chaos following biological war in Europe and the release of a highly deadly and contagious virus. It portrays a new Federated States government splintering off from the United States, largely due to concerns about mass illegal immigration over the southern border in the wake of the virus.

The Hunger Games Fans will find a number of similarities in The Stranded. Although there are no games here, some of the personalities and triangles found in The Hunger Games ring familiar here. Like Katniss Everdeen, Esther Crossland (the heroine) is sixteen when the story opens. Esther’s older sister May is probably a closer match to Katniss, though, and Esther is more like Katniss’s little sister, Prim. Seventeen-year-old May is bold, and Esther has been sheltered. President Snow is the evil mind and authoritarian hand that oppresses the masses in The Hunger Games. Here, Commander Hadley plays that role but with a twist. He reports to a panel of ruthless admirals and is a puppet for the Federated States. He, too, is a victim, although his innocence has long been lost.

In The Hunger Games, there is a love triangle with Katniss, her boyfriend Gale Hawthorne, and her fellow Hunger Games participant Peeta Mellark. Esther’s boyfriend Alex seems to be a mishmash of both Peeta and Gale. Like Katniss, Esther has a difficult time with forgiveness. What is different here is the addition of May’s boyfriend to the mix. He is probably more like a Gale figure, but he is deeply rooted in the rebellion. The direction of this triangle is predictable, but there is a lot of self-righteousness and judgment when in actuality there is a lot of blame to go around.

Book one marks the culmination of the rebellion’s planning as the Federated States begin to issue clearance orders and time is running out for the passengers of the Arcadia.

IN THIS BOOK:

This dystopian story opens in October of the year 2094. Europe is a wasteland following the wars that broke out in 2050. Missiles carrying biological warheads wiped out millions on the continent in just a week, and worldwide panic broke out. There is a vaccine and a regular supply of boosters, but apparently being vaccinated isn’t enough to satisfy those that still fear the spread of the virus.

Ten cruise ships had taken off from European shores just as war broke out, and nearly forty-four years later, they have yet to reach shore. The ships couldn’t return to Europe and had banked on being taken in by the new Federated States across the Atlantic, but that was a bad call. They ran out of fuel and have been anchored off the 600-mile shoreline since. The fear on shore is that they have brought the virus with them, but it has been many years since a single person on board tested positive.

With no way out, the passengers are subjects of the Federated States. But the young country has its own problems. There are fights with the remnants of the United States and a problem with protecting their southern border. They have a hard time attending to their own citizens, so there is resentment about the fact that precious resources are diverted to passengers living aboard the cruise ships. They are viewed as leeches.

Maine, just beyond the borders of the Federated States, is the closest possibility of freedom, but the Federated States are more interested in controlling the ships and their passengers than helping them find safe harbor. They dangle a shed of hope to passengers by offering a few spots into medical school on shore and the opportunity for military cadets to graduate and go ashore to fight for the federation on the brutal southern border. Only about five hundred have been permitted ashore over the decades. Other than those coveted spots, most who leave end up imprisoned in work camps or executed, but since news is prohibited, those are only rumors.

There are as many as ten thousand passengers aboard each ship, many of which are not accounted for. Ships are surrounded by flotillas of refugees, and gangs rule the lower levels. The black market thrives thanks to sparse provisions. There is a healthy fear of the security forces on board, as there is no such thing as a trial, and judgment is fast and harsh. A rebellion has been brewing for years, and there is a new urgency as news of an effort to clear the ships has begun circulating. Rumor has it that many have died aboard the Oceania, and those remaining have been sent to forced labor camps. The rebel forces in the Arcadia have a plan.

Esther Crossland, sixteen, has the promise of a bright future. She is one of the lucky ones. She comes from a good family that stays out of trouble. Her older sister May, seventeen, is a cadet and about to graduate. The idea of May leaving devastates Esther, but they have planned for it for years. May will earn a place in the Federated States and escape imprisonment on the Arcadia cruise ship where the sisters were both born. Esther hopes to follow, graduating from the medic program and earning a slot in medical school. Her boyfriend Alex is top of their class, and Esther is currently number two. She has known him since she was twelve, and he has become her anchor. There isn’t anything that he won’t do for her. They hope to be placed together after graduation, and there is even discussion of marriage. Esther loves him, but at sixteen, she is more focused on graduating than planning a future. She feels stifled by her parents, all her movements restricted in an effort to keep her away from trouble. They don’t want anything to interfere with her chances of earning freedom, but it feels unfair compared to May’s comings and goings.

Nikhil Lall, seventeen, has been working in the engine room for five years now, ever since his father was taken away. That was when everything changed. His godfather watches out for him, but it doesn’t replace the sense of loss. Nik still has hope that his father is alive, but his mother says otherwise. She has stepped up in his father’s absence. Today, she is more rebel leader than mother to Nik. He resents it, but he does believe in the cause. He has always understood his assignment, but the idea of letting May go fills him with anger. May has her own role to fulfill, and they will both play their parts, but it doesn’t mean that he has to like it.

Commander Hadley has spent seventeen years working as the head of Arcadia’s security forces. He is still paying for the mistake he made with Celeste, and his hatred for the ship-bound leaches is unabated. Desperate to reach dry land and escape Admiral Janek’s watchful eyes, Hadley’s prayers appear to be on the verge of being answered.

As the Federated States roll out a clearance program to finally resolve the issue of the ships anchored off-shore, the rebel coalition is forced into action. There are politics involved on both sides of the battle, and loyalties are tested. The book ends somewhat abruptly as the story begins to shift.

The Stranded continues in book two, The Exiled.

Wow! Esther, Nik, and Hadley’s stories weave together in this dystopian story of survival. The book captures your attention from the start. Esther is just trying to stay out of trouble and earn her ticket to freedom. Nik is working behind the scenes to help his mother and other leaders pull off a rebellion. Commander Hadley represents all that is wrong with the Federated States. He makes his own rules where he can and takes pleasure in his cruelty. The interesting twist is that he is also a victim of the powerful Federated States, yet he has let his feelings turn him into a monster. Their collected stories tell the dangers of living aboard the Arcadia – dangers that make the rebellion a necessity. Everyone, including the Federated State officers stationed there, desperately wants off the ship.

A few issues merit mention. *Spoilers* First, it is difficult to accept that the Federated States chose to keep the ships anchored offshore rather than attempt to find them safe harbor on the shores of a country with welcoming arms. Certainly, there would have been chaos in the early years after the biological war, but as the vaccines and boosters rolled out, it is hard to conceive that there were no countries concerned about the humanitarian conditions of the shipbound refugees. Indeed, we know that Maine’s government would allow them entry, but the Federated States stand in their way. Giving them fuel and the option to leave seems like a very simple solution to the problem. In the decades that have passed, it might be expected that other countries would have organized and perhaps sent fresh cruise ships to pick up the stranded. It makes sense that the Federated States would be disorganized as a new country, but their fixation on controlling the stranded as well as the level of cruelty employed feels off. Then again, this is a dystopian story so it goes with the territory. Next, the progression of Alex’s character didn’t feel authentic. Alex’s POV is not written here, but if it were, his story would likely be quite compelling. At sixteen he is too confident and self-assured given his circumstances, but his heart seems in the right place despite his naïveté. I find it hard to hold a desperate sixteen-year-old with so much to lose accountable when he has little information to go on. The other characters all share the blame. There are a couple of minor incidents that attempt to paint Alex not just naïve but evil, but it just didn’t ring true. It is minor enough that all could still be explained easily from his POV. I had hoped for that, but it looks like that might not be the direction of book two, unfortunately. I also don’t see Nik moving on so easily, so I suspect I will be disappointed. There is still room for Corp to have pulled off something behind the scenes and reveal a big surprise for Nik, so my fingers are crossed.

Esther, Nik, and Hadley battle it out as the Arcadia braces for impending doom. The Federated States has decided to get rid of the problem that has plagued them for nearly forty-four years, but the rebellion won’t go down without a fight for their freedom. The brutal battle isn’t without casualties, and both sides will need to reorganize going forward. Reminiscent of The Hunger Games, the story keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story is well-written and plot-driven. The characters are engaging and three-dimensional, although Alex’s character doesn’t quite feel authentic in a few spots. The self-righteousness also gets old. The story is told in first person in Esther’s POV for thirty-two chapters and Nik’s POV for twenty-two chapters. It is told in third person in Hadley’s POV for fifteen chapters. I rate this book 4.5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This a a fun twist on the teens saving lives at the end of the world genre. The cruise ship Arcadia has been at sea for years, despite many promises of letting the refugees get to land. Esther and May come from a "good" family with a decent cabin, and have a real shot at life on land. There's a sketchy love interest or two, some fascinating technology (bots, drones, and com gloves) and the Neaths, the below decks gangs. For fans of Hunger Games or Maze Runner, this is a fresh and fun take.

This book is perfect for fans of Lian Tanner's Ice Breaker and many of the classic YA dystopian series of my teenage years (Maze Runner, Hunger Games, etc.). Like many other reviewers, I thought that this story was a really interesting way of looking at what happens during pandemics to people on ships, much like beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the story was well written, but it did seem to drag a little in the middle. The characters were likeable, and showed growth over the course of the story. I'm excited to share this book with teens in my library.

4 1/2 stars

The Stranded was a book that I could easily envision as a movie or miniseries. There was a great deal of buildup - - which did at times feel like it was excessive. However, as the story really kicked in, I could feel the necessity of that world building and the detail the author had gone into to set the groundwork for each of these characters. From my perspective, it enriched the story as a whole.

The premise of this book likely comes from some of the stories we heard during our recent Covid pandemic where people were "stranded" on cruise ships in isolation for weeks because of potential virus exposure. The Stranded takes that image and expands on it. What if that happened and the people were never let off the ships? Instead, it's forty plus years later when this story picks up and the inhabitants of the ship are primarily children and grandchildren of the original passengers. Life on the ship, known as the Acadia, is harsh and closely monitored. Freedoms are few and hope has dwindled. But there is a rebel group with a plan if they can just complete the final steps.

This book is told from three points of view: Ester, Nik and Hadley. Each of them is critical in the building of this story. Esther, a sixteen year old medical student, seems to be weak and easily thrown by the events occurring around her. She's naive and only focused on her immediate "world" and how everything impacts it. Her boyfriend, Alex is pushing for a future that she isn't sure that she wants but she can't bring herself to give him an answer one way or the other. Nik is the son of a man who was taken away years ago as a criminal. He has a role with the rebel resistance and his mother is determined that nothing and no-one will deter him from that path. Nik is driven to fulfill his goals and has an unrelenting crush on Esther's sister, May. Then there's Hadley. He's the definitive villain in this tale. He's harsh, cruel and has no qualms about who he hurts. His only goal is to get off the boat and "redeem" himself to the higher ups in his government. Throughout his story, you learn a bit about his past and come to understand more about why he's so bitter and driven.

The Stranded was a creative storyline that was well-developed and entertaining. I'd have to say it was a unique YA dystopian that wasn't like anything I've read in a while. I'm pleased to see there is another book in the works to be released later this year and eagerly await it. I look forward to seeing what other adventures lay ahead for these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

3.5*

I enjoy post-apocalyptic/dystopian books so I was looking forward to reading this one. It was slow going at first, but once we got to know all the characters the story solidified and I really became engaged. It's a little gritty and tough to take at times, and definitely had a melancholic feel to it. But the story kept me intrigued, until I hit 71%. From there I skipped to the end, and then jumped back and skimmed through the rest. While I understand why the author did what she did, I didn't like it. It gave me that same feeling I had at the end of the Hunger Games and Divergent series. While I couldn't get past those books, and they kind of still haunt me to this day, I will give the next book in this series a try. I'm not sure what's to come for thes characters, but I want to find out.

What I enjoyed about this book: alternating storylines, strong female characters, fast-paced plot, the unique setting.

What I did not like: There were times I felt lost while reading. this could be due to some of the futuristic technology and lack of detail of it or maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention while reading.

I cruise a lot so I found the cruise ship setting to be intriguing. The thought of being confined to a cruise ship forever due to a pandemic was interesting. The author did a great job of including the different groups that would/could ultimately be formed in a situation such as this.

This book sounded so good from the description but after a few chapters I discovered it's not the YA book for me. It begins slightly clunky without much character development and that carries through during the book. If you like darker YA and apocalypses you might like this read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

Imagine if you had to fight for your freedom when all the rules were meant to suppress you. The Stranded is set in a dystopian culture of norms that obliterate freedom. At what lengths would you go to get it back.