I really enjoyed this novel! In a dystopian future, a cruise ship is stranded at sea due to outbreak of a deadly virus (sound familiar?). Except it's stranded for decades! People have lived in this ship for a couple of generations by now, with children born there - but not taught how to swim, so they can't leave. A class society has emerged, with "ticket holders" living in the upper decks as an impoverished upper class and "neaths" living in the bowels of the ship as the rebellious lower class. Though previously a luxury vacation vessel, the ship has turned into something more akin to France before the French Revolution.

Most of the characters are teens and young adults, though in my mind this is a novel appealing to a broad audience. Sabotage and revolution are afoot, and our young heroes plot to overthrow the evil law enforcement commander and his army of drones, bots, and armed security forces. This novel is action packed.

I hope to read more from this author!

This YA thriller is very intense and leads a dynamic cast of teenagers. While the world has suffered a deadly virus, others have taken cover on the ship Arcadia to escape the war and virus ravaging mankind. After being out at sea for 40 years from the coast of Europe, some are wanting to anchor off the shores of the U.S. now known as Federated States, but no one is allowed to disembark.

Esther is a 16 year old medic wanting to set shore and become a doctor one day. Her friend, Nic, is also 16 years old and wants to start a rebellion demanding they let them go. The fear of the virus spreading onboard keeps the passengers from leaving their own freewill.

This is told through multiple POVs and gives a slight demonstration of our current situations and the recent bout we have had with a deadly virus. The cruise liner filled with viral infected people off the coast brings back bad memories of how far we have come. The war and tension that extends over the world now seems to be at the forefront of everyone's mind when you read this. There is always an antagonist that doesn't have the best interests of everyone in mind. You will see Evil vs Good and a lot of action-packed drama in this book. It is a Young Adult more geared to the older such as high school and not for everyone. As far as it compares Hunger Games...hmmm...maybe some dystopia features.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

This one had a lot of promise and I was so ready to jump back into the dystopian genre, but this was unfortunately a letdown.

The idea behind the book was great and well-timed. I loved that all these people were stuck on a cruise ship because of an illness and it was essentially it's own little world they were trying to escape. But I wasn't drawn into the story. There are three povs, which gave me a full view of everything happening around the ship, because there is a lot happening, but I still found myself bored. I didn't love any of the characters and I didn't find the plot sucking me in.

I tried really hard to love this one, but I couldn't. Maybe this will be an incredible book for someone else, but it wasn't for me.

Page turner!! This book had me from the very first sentence. It has an exciting story line and is filled with a host of memorable characters. It is such an interesting, creative story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I cannot wait for the the sequel to come out. Read this book...you won't regret it!!

I ended up really liking this one! Was longer than I thought and took me a while to get into but read the last 200 pages in one sitting and it was like an action movie! I think there could've been a better way to introduce why they were on the ship, etc. (maybe starting the book with a newspaper article?) but by about halfway through I started to figure it out. I think the characters are complex and I'm excited to see what happens next!

This was such an exciting read! The tension starts right from the beginning and doesn't really let up for the whole story. There is definitely a Hunger Games vibe-not in plot but the suspense that comes from fear of a dictatorship and constant surveillance.
I liked the different POVs, especially the villain's POV, which we don't always get in YA.
I'll admit there were some parts that kind of lost my interest and were a bit repetitive, but it picks up for sure.
If you like classic YA dystopia with an unusual setting I strongly recommend <i>The Stranded</i>.

I requested an advance copy of this book based on the description, a luxurious cruise ship becomes a refugee camp after an apocalyptic war, and thought it sounded fascinating. I didn’t pick up on a few things, though, that would have told me this book is not for me: it’s YA dystopian, a genre I’m generally sick of, it’s the first in a series, and it’s mostly a disaster plot.
The luxurious ship hasn’t had any luxury for a long time before the book begins, and it’s all grim and war and death and poverty. I didn’t connect with the characters nor care what happened to them, and I think it’s mostly because of my preferences as a reader right now.
If YA dystopia is your jam, or your child’s genre, definitely look into this one. It’s action-packed and high stakes. There’s a touch of romance but it’s very minor.
Not for me, but I can see the work that went into crafting this world and a good set up for a series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels, 464 pages. Sourcebooks Fire, 2023. $18.
Language: R (43 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
When a virus broke out in Europe over 40 years ago, the Arcadia was already planning on setting sail, but they were never allowed off the ship at their destination. Esther (16yo) was born here and is focused on passing her medic test and earning her way off the ship. Then a rebel gets shot, and Esther is the one taken and threatened to help him – or else – placing her in the middle of a rebellion she never wanted.
The points of view in this book take readers from rule-follower to rebel to antagonist, showing how the actions of each affects the whole. Everything is set into motion because of the risky plan executed in chapter one. As everything unravels, readers scramble to understand the whole plan – like the antagonist – while worrying about getting caught – like the rule-follower and rebel. It’s a bumpy ride aboard the Arcadia, and one that isn’t over yet.
The majority of the characters are European. Esther, May, and their family are implied White; Nik and his family are Indian. The mature content rating is for drug use. The violence rating is for gun and knife use, blood, brief description of torture, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have mixed thoughts on this book. It is such a fascinating idea and pretty well executed but I wish there weren't so many POVs and there was more focus on character development and the virus. Definitely give it a try!

Hunger Games: boat edition. I found it a little slow to start, albeit necessary to lay the foundation. I enjoyed the 3 POVs, especially Hadley’s, who was the ultimate villain. Once the action starts, it is pretty non-stop. I also enjoyed the choices the author made to depict various social classes. I had hoped the virus would play a larger role, but maybe it will become relevant in future books.

The Arcadia is a cruise ship carrying hundreds of passengers. The passengers and their ancestors have been stuck on the ship for over forty years. War and a pandemic forced The Stranded onto a destination free voyage. It is survival but at what cost? Teenagers Esther and Nik both hope to have found a path toward land. But will the brutal Federated States crush their aspirations?

There was a lot going on in here. The three POVs made me continually feel like I was missing something important from another’s perspective. The book also felt overlong and dragged a bit at times. Still, if you enjoy a young adult look at what could happen in a dystopian near future, The Stranded might be the perfect book for you. 3 stars.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Though I appreciate the advance copy of The Stranded, I struggled to connect with the characters and immerse myself in the story. Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

In a near-future dystopian world, residents of the cruise ship Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall for forty years. We follow several teens, one of whom is trying to work within the system to secure a better life, and another who is entrenched in the on-board rebel cause.

Billed as Snowpiercer meets The Hunger Games, The Stranded only sort of manages to stick the landing. Perhaps it would have been too on-the-nose to liken this to The 100, which sees a society trapped on a spaceship rather than a cruise ship, but I couldn't help wishing I hadn't gone into this thinking I might finally get a good comp for The Hunger Games. If your favorite part of The Hunger Games was the fighting against a dystopian backdrop, then sure, The Stranded has some action moments you might enjoy. But in the areas of thematic depth and round character development, where The Hunger Games excels, The Stranded leaves a lot to be desired.

I did enjoy the fast-paced, multi-POV tilt of this book, and the idea of this kind of dystopian near future so greatly impacted by a deadly virus was certainly interesting. I just wish it had lived up to my perception of its potential a bit more.

DNF and could not get into this story’s plot or characters. I got 11% into the book and just couldn’t read anymore.

I think this would make a great movie. It kind of reminded me of the tv show 1899 i liked this book the writing was good and held my interest and wanted more from this author. Characters could have been written better tho but it was a nice read

The quick cut: In a dystopian future ravaged by a virus, a ship named Arcadia is struggling with rebellions and keeping the peace.

A real review:
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing the arc for an honest review.

After living though COVID, I think we all have a better appreciation for life as we know it. However, have you ever imagined what the world would look like if COVID won? This is a world brought to life on the ship Arcadia.

Arcadia used to be a luxury cruise liner, but for forty years now it has become something else entirely. After the virus decimated Europe and changed life for everyone, the Arcadia has become a floating city very few can escape. People want to get back to the land, but aren't able of escaping the dangerous place the ship has become. Can they change their fate and escape?

When I read the description for this book, I definitely expected a different story than I got. So I'll admit my disappointment in a different story colored my impression. After living through quarantine, this story just felt to me like they were trying to pretend COVID didn't happen.

The part that frustrated me the most is that the world puts a big focus on the virus that ravaged the planet, but it never really plays into the plot. I'm sure it will eventually, especially since it's clear this is the start of a series. It definitely felt like the virus is a sword hanging over the head of the entire plot and you're just waiting for it to make it's inevitable entrance.

There are three narrators: Esther the doctor trainee, Nik the rebel, and Hadley the First Mate. Each one has its own perspective and they do work well together. I didn't particularly connect to any of them though. It felt like the characters needed more depth and the world building more clarity. It was easy to get confused in the process.

A book setup with a lot of potential that's missed.

My rating: 3 out of 5

Esther and May are sisters that have been raised aboard the Acadia, a huge ship that harbors tons of people that have been floating at sea since a virus outbreak over 40 years ago. The sisters each harboring secrets; May is part of a rebellion that aims to free the people from the shop and Esther becomes a part of it without even knowing. Will the sisters be able to work together with their allies and boyfriends to get to land? Or will the Acadia be as doomed as so many other ships that have tried and failed for freedom?

If I had read this book prior to 2020 I would have rolled my eyes. A virus that spreads and leaves people stuck out at sea with fear of them coming back to land to spread the virus sounds absurd. That same scenario happened in my lifetime. People did exactly what the government asked of them and followed all the guidelines no matter what they had to give up in the process. Throw that in with the year being 2094 and more technology, you have this book! It was an interesting ride, for sure!

The Stranded was a very compelling and propulsive dystopian novel, and I look forward to the sequel! At first, I didn't like the multiple viewpoints, but the structure grew on me, and I don't think you could tell this story from a single character's perspective. I do wish there was a bit more background and world-building, but overall I enjoyed this book a lot and I'd recommend it to fans of The Hunger Games. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access!

I enjoyed the story and the different characters' points of view. I was confused a few times forgetting who was narrating. I know some readers may also find this difficult to follow. I am looking forward to reading the next book (I really hope there is another book!).

The only thing that bothered me a little was some of the saying the characters would use. I was surprised they would know the common sayings (from now) yet they were being isolated on the ship. I would think they may have had their own sayings that the people on land wouldn't understand what they meant. I guess they still had contact with those who lived on land from them coming and going from the ship. I can't remember any specific examples, but when I came across one, I would always pause and think, how would they know that if they lived on the ship all their lives? Did their grandparents tell them about that or speak in that way? And so on.

I still enjoyed the story and recommend it for all libraries.

This is a YA book for YA readers. I feel like I would have absolutely loved this book as a teen but as an adult, it just didn’t work for me. And that’s fine! I found the pacing really strange. Some parts I flew through and some parts were so slow. It took awhile to really get into the story and know what was going on. I would be interested in reading future books by this author.