The Stranded is a great thriller, filled with strong use of multiple POVs (nice use of a villain voice!), solid pacing, and dystopian themes that are well executed. I kind of secretly love YA books that have teens coming into their ow, realizing the word is a messy and scary place but also one they are a part of, one they can have a say in and a word maybe they can take back. I was reminded of my love for the hunger games and also perhaps for the 90s buffy/scream movie type vibes that this evoked in me.
So appreciative of the chance to read this book from Sarah Daniels, I think many dystopian fans will be pleased with the action suspene thriller!

This was book grabbed my attention from page 1, however I did feel like it got a bit boring in the middle of the book. The ending also didn't make a ton of sense but everything leading up to it was page turning. I gave this book 3.75 out of 5 stars.

So…that was fun. And timely.

The world is hit by war. Europe is attacked with a virus that devastates the continent. Some people happened to be embarking on pleasure cruises just as the war broke out. People flooded the ships if they could, just to get out.

Now it is decades later and these ships are still at sea. People have been born and spent their entire lives on board. Anchored off the East coast of was once the US (there have been some changes that I hope are further explored in the series), the virus keeps the people stranded on ships.

Due to the ways people entered the ships, there is a definite cast system. Those who were first class passenger get the best of everything. Those who were paying guests come next. Those who were taken aboard to save their lives just before the ships left are treated the worst.

So a civilization has developed, while on land they argue about letting the people off of the ships. Kind of timely. When rebellions start, things get ugly. Everyone must choose a side.

I can’t wait to see what happens next!

This one took me a while to get in to. I liked hearing the different POV's and I always love a good dystopian novel. I struggled a little bit with all the new terms and information that was given up front, but overall enjoyed the story line. In this novel, an old cruise ship has turned into a refuge for Americans after the US was torn by war and a virus. The members of the ship have been at sea for 40 years. Two of the characters are sisters who are both trying to get off the ship and return to land. Another point of view is from that of the corrupt and evil head of security on the ship. I enjoyed this read but didn't find myself as sucked in to it as I was hoping. Still enjoyable. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Have you been waiting for the next resurgence of YA distopian fiction. Wait no longer, The Stranded is here for you. While a different story all together, The Stranded took me back to the days when I first read The Hunger Games. It has all the plot beats of a good YA distopian story: deeply devoted sisters, a burgeoning love triangle, betrayal, death, despair. Additionally, the setting taking place on a ship drew me in immediately. Suffice it to say, I had a lot of fun reading The Stranded.
Although I was thoroughly entertained, this book does fall into some common pitfalls. If you’ve read YA distopian fiction in the past, you may find some of the plot beats predictable. Even though I could see some of the story developments coming, it didn’t bother me or ruin my enjoyment of the book. Additionally, The Stranded is told from several perspectives, none of which are very distant from another. This wasn’t too much of an issue for me at the beginning of the book, but as the story progressed it got to the point where I had to ensure I read the chapter heading every time to know who’s point of view I was getting. I didn’t particularly enjoy reading Hadley’s perspective. I think his backstory is intended to make him a complexly dark character but he read kind of flat to me. I found it strange that his chapters were the only ones told in 3rd person whereas every other chapter was told in first. As he’s the antagonist, my guess is that this was meant to distance the audience from his character. Unfortunately, I found the transition a bit jarring. I would have preferred to get chapters from Alex’s perspective instead to get a clearer insight into his choices as a character.
Despite some hiccups with the writing, I think this is a really strong first novel by Daniels and I can’t wait for the second book in this duology.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book had so much potential, I thought it was a clever, interesting, engaging story. I do like dystopian novels, so I did like this... but I feel the ending was a little flat and stunted. It was moving along great, then it ust ended; I didn't feel there was enough closure. If it wasn't for that, I would definitely give this book a 4+ rating, maybe even a 5.

Finally, a story so gripping and exhilarating that I was drawn back to the days of the powerful YA dystopian universe the likes of Divergent and the Hunger Games produced. The Stranded is told through the eyes of a teen part of a rebellion, a teen that thinks she will escape the floating prison she was born to, and of course, a villain.

The Arcadia is a cruise ship that was caught out in the Atlantic when missile attacks occurred in Europe, releasing a deadly virus. It is now 40 years later, and we are introduced to Esther and Alex, medics in training that will have the opportunity to leave the ship for University training. That is all Esther has wanted to do; get off the ship. Her older sister, May is graduating and leaving the ship to train on land, where only a select elite live. She has a secret though; one that Nik, a son of the rebellion, helps her keep and vows to keep her family safe.

Hadley had his chance to get off the ship, but when tables were turned against him, he was sentenced to keep the peace onboard for what seems like an eternity. His fury churns and eats him from the inside out. He is determined to end his sentence and get off the ship, no matter the cost.

I did not want to put this down. Sarah Daniels has given us a wonderful world of politics and intrigue in her first novel. This is a tale that will snare not only Young Adults but Adults, as well. Her ability to bring the feels, and I mean all the feels, was extraordinary! When the end drew near, I wanted more! I am definitely looking forward to the next chapter in Esther and Nik's perilous journey.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley for the digital ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

An apocalyptic war and virus are the background for this YA novel set on a cruise ship that has been stranded for decades. I enjoyed the suspense and characters in this one looking forward to the next.

First of all - that cover! It's chilling and I love it!

This YA Dystopian action packed novel was gripping! I was totally invested and read this one in 24 hours, even though it topped out at just under 500 pages.

For being a debut novel, I think this story was really well planned out and creative. Not a boring moment in all those pages.

It's described as a Hunger Games / Station Eleven mashup although I didn't get either of those vibes. It certainly did stand out as a great dystopian action thriller nonetheless.

It's hard for me to imagine such a large floating mega-ship that could carry thousands of people and how these ships could get stranded off the coast of land and be kept there for so long by people living on land, afraid that people on the boat would bring more cases of a deadly virus to land. But once I conceded to let that just be reality, I really enjoyed the story and can't wait to see what happens in Book 2, out later this year.

The Stranded
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 1/3/23
Author: Sarah Daniels
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 464
GR: 3.89

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: I loved the premise of this story. Apocalyptic war with a deadly virus on board a cruise line. In a way, it built upon Covid, magnified. Being an avid cruiser myself, it gives you pause. The story opens up directly into the plot of conflict. The story is narrated by Esther, Nik, and Hadley, through their perspectives, in an alternating POV. This story does have some darker content, but it is geared more towards a younger reader. I did enjoy the story, although I felt it was a little long. The story primarily focuses on 3 characters, Esther, Nik, and Hadley (there are others, but these are focused). Esther is a naive teenager training to become a medic on the ship with hopes of medical school once on land. Nik is strong and rebellious in nature while questioning the status of things, also desperate to escape. Lastly, Hadley, the not so nice leader, is in charge, using drones and soldiers to keep all passengers inline. This is a slow burn thriller and it takes awhile to get “heated” up. The characters were developed well with depth, mystery, and were intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, creative, and keeps you engaged. The only con is the length of the book. If you love Hunger Games or Divergent, then I would recommend this book! Out today!!

Summary:
Welcome aboard The Arcadia, a luxury cruise ship departing from Liverpool just as a virus and war destroys all of Europe. The passengers as well as others fleeing Europe jump aboard and sail to the coast of The Federated States, a small piece of the now defunct USA. The Federated States will not let the passengers disembark, for FORTY years. The once luxurious cruise ship becomes a dilapidated, floating refugee camp with well to do passengers living well and the poor living on the lowermost decks of the ship in squalor. There are rare opportunities to earn your way off the ship, through a military training program or a medical training program. We meet Esther, a sixteen-year-old in the medical training program with dreams to finish in the top three of her class and graduate her way to life on land. Nik is a young leader of a rebellion group hoping to successfully get all the passengers to land. These two lives collide changing the course of the Arcadia.

Review:
This is the author’s debut novel, and it is a believable, young adult dystopia. The story is set in a dark future, with Europe gone and the fear of the long dormant virus keeping thousands of people stranded on ships off the coast of the Federated States. The premise of the story is fascinating and all too believable. The futuristic sci-fi tech is well done. The details of life on the ship make the reader feel like they are a passenger. This book leaves the reader thinking; What would it be like to literally grow up on a ship? To never feel land beneath your feet? To graduate and leave your family? This thriller is told from multiple POVs, but Esther’s story is the most compelling. Esther is a teenage heroine struggling with the social and class issues, government and teenage romance all within the ship. This is a fast-paced, thrilling YA novel. 4/5

Note: This book contains violence.
Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book took me a little to get into, but by about halfway through I was fully invested. I think that this book would be good for fans of dystopian novels. I really enjoyed the setting of an old cruise ship. I also liked that this was told from multiple perspectives including the perspective of the villain.

I felt like the ending left this open to a possible sequel which I would certainly check out as well.

Overall, this is a solid debut even though I didn't love it enough to become a favorite.

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

This is one of my favorite tropes, any remote setting is but with The Stranded, there’s a few more tasty elements thrown in.

A refugee camp is aboard what was once a luxury cruise ship, the Arcadia has been floating in the ocean just off the coast of what is now called the Federated States for the last forty years. Each level a community that varies in a very classist style.

The premise is very catchy, a virus that has swept the nation forces this group of people to live aboard a ship for many years; bringing with it the need for enforcers of rules that are hard to follow and those that would break them for freedoms sake. The lack of positive virus testing is a bone of contention amongst the refugees and added to the story; Why can’t they land if there has been no viral activity in years?

There’s three POV and I like the way this showed a look at each main element of the story. The added insight into each area made for a richer reading experience.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed and feel there’s a sequel in the making!

My thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for this gifted copy for review.

This is a non-stop actioner that your Grade 7’s and up will devour. It is 2094. The Arcadia is one of a group of former cruise ships that have been anchored off the coast of the former United States for 40 years, after a world-wide pandemic and a destructive war. They have never been given access to land. Entire societies have grown up on each ship, and a totalitarian government on land is starting to use its power to clamp down on possibility of rebellion on the ships. Esther and May are twins, both with an opportunity to leave the ship for further education on the mainland. May has been drawn into the underground rebellion on the ship, and Esther finds herself accidentally pulled in, too, as she comes to realize that nothing, and no one, is what it seems. There are multiple point of view narrators here, including the sadistic leader of the government forces on the ship, which adds to the tension in the novel. This is a banger of a book! When I was reading it during silent reading in my classroom, and gasped at a particularly dramatic scene, my class was totally intrigued. This is a must-get for intermediate/secondary libraries. There is some very nasty violence, but I have found that my students have a much higher tolerance for that than I do. You could totally tie this in to conversations around refugee ships like The St Louis, who were refused access to North American ports. Thanks to @NetGalley and @sourcebooksfire for the e-arc. #Bookstagram #NetGalley #TheStranded #AvivaAndFriendsRecos @sarahdanielsbooks

During an apocalyptic war, many people fled their homes after viruses were unleashed. Some chose to quarantine on cruise ships and seek refuge off the coast of, what is now known as, The Federated States. Now, there are whole generations of people who do not know what life is like on land. Enter, Esther whose one goal is to become a medic and attend school away from the gangs and military control of her cruise ship home. However, when she encounters Nik, her whole life changes.

The premise of this book really appealed to me, post-apocalyptic comparison to Snowpiercer! I really liked the strong characters and the world building of the future. I struggle with YA at times due to the big themes mixed with juvenile thoughts and responses but that really is the nature of YA. I flew through this book and look forward to seeing what comes next!

I really enjoyed this book. I have been on numerous cruises and I couldn't even imagine living on one for any extended time period.
The setting was a character in itself. I loved the description of the "neath" people
Some of the characters, I wish had more back story....I really thought that Hadley would have met up with Celeste right at the end, but that wasn't the case.

The setting is perfect. I kept wanting to know more about the European conflict that set them all adrift. I hope that there is more to the story and we can find out more about the Federated States.

OVerall this is a great dystopian book told from a fresh perspective. Basically it was ripped from the headlines, if you followed the Diamond Princess' saga in Japan.

This one jumped out at me. Passengers of a cruise ship kept in quarantine on the ship for forty years, Covid gone to horrific levels. They say, “The Hunger Games meets Station Eleven.” Don’t try to set my expectations high or anything.

With The Stranded, Sarah Daniels is plunging into the uber-competitive market of YA. There are some big names and fabulous authors in this genre. It is one where an author can easily get swallowed up. A new author here needs to stand out to be the next one.

I have had some great experiences with YA books. I have also had some blasé experiences with YA books. On the occasions when I venture into the genre, I am looking for something different and special. A book that will whisk me away into a new world, a place I could return to again and again.

Daniels can write, her story works. In my opinion, she ticked off all of the boxes for a good YA book. The ardent fans should appreciate The Stranded. I was looking for more. The stars of this genre don’t tick off the boxes, they create new boxes that the readers didn’t even know needed ticking. They create something that goes above and beyond, the best ones give you that Calgon moment. I was not taken away.

*3 Stars

This book was so much fun and gave me all the Hunger Games/Divergent vibes except imagine this occurring on one large ship. The residents on the Arcadia have been on it for 40 years, after becoming a refugee camp and prohibited from ever making landfall. It has spent over 15,000 days floating along the coastline of the Federated States which is what is left over of the USA after disease and apocalyptic war has ravaged the states. A rebellions is planned and underway to free the residents of the ship and get them back on dry land. It was such a fun read, and played out in a way that I would love to see this adapted to film in some way. I also am hoping that there is a another book to follow. The ending could leave it as is if it wanted, but it also leaves room for more fun…..I would love to see where it goes.

I loved the premise of The Stranded, so I was really excited to get this chance to read it. Unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations.

The start of the book was not interesting enough to get me to care about the characters’ ambitions and lives. It felt like too much information was just being thrown at me, and far too quickly.

I also thought the characters themselves fell flat and lacked thorough character development, and the multiple POVs got confusing after a while.

However, even though I do think the idea could’ve been executed in a better way, I think the book still has the potential of being enjoyed by some young adults.

I usually struggle with books wi th this many character points of few, and I will say I personally did have a little bit of issue with that it this book needed the different perspectives to tell the full story. It has been a while since I have read a good dystopian book so I was so excited to finally have one to read.

I wish there would have been a little more backstory on the virus and the different ships as well as the federation, but since this is a series that could always come out in book two.

The beginning of this book did remind me of snowpiercer but I am glad that no one was eating bars put of bugs... at least not that we know of.
I am really excited to read more from this author and continue to read more of this series!