Wasn’t aware that it was a YA novel when I started it (I went into reading it without reading the synopsis) but I really enjoyed this book! It reminded me of the Hunger Games and I couldn’t put it down. I loved the setting of the book—a cruise ship that has held generations of passengers due to being stranded at sea when a virus hits Europe. Years go by as the passengers on the ship stay anchored right off the coast of the US (which is no longer the US). I especially loved how the author incorporated class systems into the ship and loved the floating flotilla.

I cannot wait for the next one! This copy was given to me thanks to NetGalley!

This is a debut YA book by Sarah Daniels and the premise just grabs you from the beginning. Forty years ago after a devastating war, the luxury cruise ship Arcadia becomes banished from Europe and all the occupants are now stuck. Anchored off the US coast which is now The Federated States. Not the same and under harsh rule and the occupants are not allowed to leave the ship.

This book is compared to both Divergent and The Hunger Games so how can it not be awesome?

Not so much a spoiler: It IS awesome. We have three alternating POVs: Sixteen year old Nik who is trying to help cause a rebellion: A act to liberate the Arcadia. Also sixteen year old Esther who is trying to just study and be a doctor. She gets dragged into the rebellion. And of course we have a POV of a baddie: Hadley. Boo!

In true expert YA fashion this one blends action, drama, evil governments, social issues. and high tension. Being older now I tend to gravitate towards more adult books so I am pretty picky about what few YA books I read and this one just checks the boxes! If I were to nitpick at all I would say it may have been too cumbersome with the three POVs. I think it would be paced better with less. But still a great book for a debut author. Highly recommended!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a cool concept, but I DNF because it wasn't drawing me in after 20%. If you need a good dose of secret plots and youth rebellion, this may be for you. Like another review stated, there is not much about daily life living aboard the ship, which is what I was interested in. It just jumps right in to shootings, arrests, and double-crossings. There are also multiple points of view which might annoy some people and made it harder to get attached to the characters.

I really wanted to love this one, but it didn't quite happen. Being stranded on a cruise ship is my actual nightmare so I was super excited about the premise but it never quite hooked me. I did enjoy the multiple points of view, particularly the villain's, but overall my feeling with this one is that I was left wanting more. I will keep it in mind for recommending to library patrons though, as I can see this book absolutely working for people who want slightly different things than I do out of book like this.

"The Stranded" is the story of a post-apocalyptic society set upon an old cruise ship, the Arcadia. Once upon a time, a virus outbreak shut down the world, and those on ships at sea were unable to return to their countries. Although the ships came to rest in port, they remained closed societies, where your only hope of getting off is becoming a medic or soldier for the nearby country.

The heart of the story belongs to two sisters--Esther, the medical student, and May, serving in the military unit--coming to a critical moment of adulthood on the ship. In addition, there's a mysterious protest afoot against the political regime in control of the ship, and its captain. Think Hunger Games meets a kind of Titanic.

What's good: The book is interesting! I enjoyed imagining the refitted old ship done up as the heart of a new society. The futurist tools deployed against a rotting shell of a ship make for a fascinating contrast.

What's iffier: It took me a little bit to identify and remember some of the alternating points of view at the start of the book. I felt at least one of the plot points was a bit obvious, but other parts were less so.

With gratitude to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book.

A brilliant YA dystopian book, a stellar debut for Sarah Daniels!

The story's background had me instantly intrigued. Thousands of people living their whole life in a stranded cruise ship, denied landfall to the Federated States (a fragment of the former USA) where they fled to after a catastrophic war in Europe released a deadly virus.

The background sets the tone about the conditions the ship residents face: discrimination, scorn, outright hatred from the government and the people of the Federated States. Their treatment gets worse and worse through the years. Not only they aren't allowed to set foot on land, but they are systematically opressed, imprisoned and killed. Sarah Daniels creates a world where the worst of humanity has surfaced and become the new normal.

As any self-respecting authoritarian regime, they allow some of the opressed people to cling on to hope for a better life. Esther trains to be a medic, dreaming of being one of the select few. So does her boyfriend Alex. Her sister, May, will be a cadet. Other people are scheming to rebel against the opression. One of them is Nik who knows brutality first-hand. Enid and Silas, the gang leaders of the ships' bowels.

Conflicting loyalties are a big theme of the book. What's worth risking and what's not. Who's worth risking everything for.

Most characters aren't black or white, but shades of gray. The rebellion's leaders aren't good people. You won't even like most of them. The "enemy of my enemy" mentality is prevalent out of necessity.

There is darkness and pain, but also hope and the power of sheer will.

The Stranded is an intriguing adventure, which is to be continue in Daniels' sequel book. I can't wait for it !

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC!

A great debut novel!
I love that it's a YA filled with action, rather than love triangles. The characters are all strongly written and give off their own vibes, rather than one character standing out a lot. If you loved Divergent, and The Hunger Games, you'll love this one!

Set 70+ years in the dystopian future, we open with a population of people living a threadbare existence on a cruise ship turned floating city. They are being held in indefinite quarantine because the “Federated States” are worried about a contagious virus. There are a lot of POV in this novel and for me at least, it’s difficult to remember who’s chapter you’re in. The author does a great job at revealing answers slowly which keeps you hooked.


I adore dystopian. Love the cruise ship component. Can’t wait to recommend this one when it’s out.

Besides fantasies, I am a sucker for dystopian novels, so I was excited to have had the opportunity to read this book as an advanced copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was first drawn to the premise. Set in the future, a catasphrophic virus breaks out in Europe leading survivors and escapees to fill up cruise ships seeking refuge. The ships sail across the Atlantic and end up anchored off the coast of what is now referred to as the Federated States (apparently the US had a little dismantling). Anyways, fast forward 40 years, and no one has been allowed to leave these ships except to go to labor/prison camps or in death. Esther has lived all her 16 years on the ship as has her older sister, May. Esther and May are some of the lucky ones, chosen to train as members of the Federated States. Once they complete their training, they will be allowed to leave the ship and continue their training on land; Esther’s path will take her to medical school.

Such a great setting! Literally 97% of the book takes place on this rusted, out of commission cruise ship, The Arcadia. In the belly of the ship, a rebellion grows with the goal to get off the ship and get to land. This book had so much potential and while I enjoyed the book and totally recommend it, I’m a little up and down on how I feel about a few different aspects of it.

While the setting is essential to the plot of the book, there feels to be a limited amount of character driven plot movement. May keeps her secrets, Nik is reckless, both cause Esther’s life to be turned upside and shaken up. Alex is a great character with such complexity. However, at the end of the book, I am left with some many questions about him. This is one of my issues. He was responsible for several moments that catapulted events, but we never really get clear explanations of certain aspects of him. Like the lifeboat. How did he get that? Who is he really? There is only the superficial level information, but I really want to see him under a microscope.

Hadley, I feel, was the only other complex and dynamic character in this story. We get his back story, and it really supports and develops his motivation for his behavior and decisions. However, is Celeste who I think she is? That wasn’t answered. What happened to Nik’s dad? That wasn’t answered. There were so many questions not answered that I am so thankful there will be a book 2, otherwise, this would be going much differently right now. This leads me right into the end of the book..

Ugh… really? There is no conclusion. What happens? I get there is another book coming, but this was a brick wall ending. We are in the midst of quite a bit and bam. Done!

I wasn't quite done talking about characters; apologies for the conclusion tangent. Back to characters real quick. I think for the most part we all hate when author’s kill big, important characters, but here there were some deaths that felt so casual, that I was like. Wait, hold up. We need to process this, and we weren’t able to. It was like, “Let’s kill this person real quick.” Part of me appreciated the fact that Daniels wasn’t so attached to characters that she wouldn’t kill them, but still! Another part of me was disappointed that I didn’t care more. When taking into account who died I feel like there should have been something more. I’m not sure what, but I just felt lacking.

For the first half of the book, I was a little up and down on interest and overall connection to the story. There were moments that felt a little slow, but I still loved how thoroughly the world on this ship was built. We have world building taking place in a very confined space, but I really felt that I could picture every level of the ship - from the upper deck to the flotilla. Great description and imagery. But when it came to the action, the peaks and valleys felt a little too stretched out. That is until you get to about the last third. Then, I really struggled to put the book down. This is part of why I’m frustrated with the ending. It was like it just ended. Daniels just decided to stop writing. My hope is that book 2 starts on a helicopter; as if no time has passed.

Although Esther annoyed me at times, I can appreciate the internal, moral dilemma that she was faced with. Everyone was keeping secrets from her and as a result, she wasn’t able to fully understand and comprehend what was happening to her. One moment she was struggling with the idea of getting married at 16 and the next she was being ‘kidnapped’ to save the life of her sister’s fellow rebel friend without having any idea of how anyone knew who she was. She always wanted to do what was right and what was best. She was so focused the red flags from both her sister and Alex were missed. The book really focuses on the determination and resourcefulness people can demonstrate when faced with adversity. Even putting differences aside to achieve a common goal.

What I liked:
- The setting and world creation - The ship's evolution from a ship to a city. The class system, the ‘dictatorship’, the gangs, the desperation created from poverty.
- Some of the characters - Hadley was a great and flawed antagonist. I did like Enid and Corps as well.
- The fast pace final push to the climax.
- The premise of the plot - so much potential and such a creative and fresh storyline with a definite look at social and political structures.

What left me a little disappointed:
- The other characters - While I liked them, I didn’t feel completely invested in them. I wasn’t overly moved when some died or got injured.
- The ending. Conclusions can be a make it or break it element for me. Kudos on a great cliffhanger ending resulting in so many questions. I will definitely be back for book 2, how can I not? I have so many questions. Like a lot, a lot!
- The moments between the peaks of action at times felt a little too long and slow moving.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until January 3, 2023 to read it for yourself, but it is one that you should put on your radar. The world building alone - the market, the neaths, the cafe, all of it drives the plot. I love character driven plots, but here is a very successful setting driven plot.. It’s a fun adventure. If you enjoy a good dystopian book add this one to your list so you don’t forget about it! And let’s begin talking about book 2!

With a society stuck aboard a ship after a plague and waiting for permission to leave, Daniels tackles the themes of revolution, how far to go for your future, and the willingness of those in power to keep the status quo. Not a happy book by any means, but one that will propel you to keep reading!

While I was a little leery about reading a dystopian novel about a global pandemic, this novel utilized the subject in a way that did not tap into COVID-fatigue at all; the context was fresh, inventive, and each character's voice was vibrant and engaging. While some chapters alternate first-person perspectives, the decision to put the villain's perspective into third-person was one that kept me invested and raised the sense of urgency within the novel. I will eagerly await the follow-up!

I start with the comment that I wanted to love this book. It sounded original and different. However, it fell flat for me. I wanted more world building. It took me a third of the book to realize that Hadley was an adult, though I will say that he was an excellent villain. As a matter of fact, he was really the only character that I really connected with.

This post apocalyptic/pandemic novel was very well written and very enjoyable. The writing was elevated, and the characters well rounded. This was more of a YA novel and I didn’t quite believe that a 16 year old revamped a huge ship engine or was becoming a doctor. But the story of rebellion was fun and I look forward to the sequel that I can anticipate coming. Good effort for a first novel.

Book received for free through NetGalley

The combination of a situation I could see, in all reality, happening and characters I immediately feel for combine into this real feeling dystopian that could easily continue past the end of the book. Glad I came across it.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Generations of people stuck on a cruise ship because they happened to be on board when the world went belly-up. Gangs and factions have formed, no one goes to the lower decks and somewhere a rebellion is forming. Some people are frustrated and want to leave the boat and take their chances on land. Others are determined that this will never happen and will go to any lengths to crush the rebels.

An interesting read with some good twists, definitely sets itself up for sequels.

This book was a little disappointing to me because I really thought the premise would interest me. Alas, I stopped about halfway through because I couldn't really get invested in the characters. I might try to pick it back up eventually but overall this book just wasn't for me.

The Arcadia is a ship that's been floating off the coast of the Federated States for the past 40 years. No one is allowed to leave the ship and there is strict enforcement of the rules to ensure everyone complies.

You are thrown right into the action of this book with not a lot of background information at the beginning. As the book progresses you learn more about the ship and the virus that led to the passengers being confined for the past 40 years. Once you learn more the story starts to piece together, and you get a better understanding of the plot.

The chapters alternate perspectives between several characters. You have Esther who is studying to become a medic, Nik who is part of a rebel group, and Hadley who is the leader of the government. I enjoyed that one of the perspectives you follow is from the villain of the story.

The pacing of the book was pretty steady throughout with a fast-paced ending that leaves you on a cliffhanger. There is mix of politics, rebellion and betrayal.

I'm usually a big fan of YA dystopian and miss the days when it was more popular. However, The Stranded didn't really keep my attention. The idea was interesting, but the execution wasn't the greatest. I wasn't a big fan of any of the characters except for Esther, so the parts that weren't in her POV were a little boring for me. I might give it another try at some point, maybe if there's a second book.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review. I really, really enjoyed this book.

YA dystopian story about a cruise ship that has been at sea for 40 years. (I'll leave it at that)

A real page-turner, the action-packed book had me on the edge of my seat! I couldn't wait to see what would happen next, this is a definite must-read book.

I thought "Stranded" had a very unique premise. The characters living on the ship and the struggle between classes (lower, upper, gangs, enforcers, etc) kept the plot moving along. It was a little hard at first to get into the numerous POVs in the book (2-3 first person views and 1 third person view), but it wasn't long before I could keep them all straight. I did appreciate that one of the POVs was from the antagonist on the ship. It was interesting to see things from both sides of the conflict in the story. I thought the world-building off of the ship on the mainland could have been more detailed, but I'm guessing that will get more fleshed out in the sequel. It took me awhile to get into it, but after finishing it, I do think I'll read the sequel when it comes out to see how the story progresses.