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.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy for me to read and review.

I haven’t read a lot of YA books, especially dystopian future ones, but I was drawn to the premises and the ship cover.

The story captivated me and the world came alive with the descriptive pages. I can see this becoming the next big YA series.

I had really high hopes for this one but I was a little let down. I still would recommend though to my audience!

The Stranded sets sail with a heart-racing YA dystopian novel where a ship has been forced to remain at sea for over 1,500 days after a virus ravages the mainland, leaving the cruise ship inhabitants to create their own hierarchy of survival.

I was really drawn to the description and concept of this book. It sounded almost like a Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Divergent hybrid set on sea. The interconnecting characters and storylines were really interesting as well, with a lot of it setting up a brand new, but familiar, world.

One of my main issues was that this book hits the ground running - but it doesn't tell you where it's heading. It took far too long to understand what was going on and what everything meant. I also didn't feel particularly connected to the characters, as points of view changed. It left me to wonder if this would have benefited by focusing on one character the entire way through. I also would have loved a preface explaining the virus, people, and situation leading us to this point.

The Stranded had a lot of promise, but it just wasn't the book for me. Sarah Daniels has a lot of promise though and I'm excited to see if she ever ventures into thrillers and horror because I would love to read it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with a copy for an honest review.

LOVED THIS ONE! I'm a big fan of YA and dystopian novels to begin with, so to have both genres in one was awesome. This book was well-written and the story was compelling. This novel also resonated with me because of its commentary on the treatment of refugees. The characters were fleshed out well enough for me to either despise them or root for them-which doesn't always happen. My only gripe is that the book ended very abruptly. I felt like there could have been a few pages of a conclusion.

All in all, I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Sarah Daniels, Sourcebooks Fire, and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this novel. This has a very interesting premise, though ultimately the writing style was not for me. Overall, a very solid YA novel; recommended for those who enjoy YA and particularly dystopian YA.

What the heck!?!! That was crazy! I haven’t ever read a book that set out on the sea! I’m so happy I read this book. The writing was so amazing!

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions expressed in this review are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This was an awesome book!! Sarah Daniels created such a compelling dystopian world that draws you in right away. The action in the book had me on the edge of my seat! I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The characters in the story are relatable and intriguing. I truly hope there will be a sequel.

I was actually quite looking forward to reading The Stranded based on the blurb—it’s been a while since I’ve done a YA dystopian novel, but those can always be a fun journey. However, I never found anything compelling in this novel. I found the world-building to be lackluster and unimaginative to the point that I was either confused about logistics or just thought it was lazy in handling details. And none of the characters really jumped off the page for me, which feels essential in this genre. A disappointment for something I had high hopes for.

A page turning, action packed, edgy debut dystopian novel by Sarah Daniels. This is one of those books that placed in the right hands can turn a non reading student into a reader.

It did take me a couple chapters to get into, as I navigated understanding a new world with “coalies,” “comgloves” and “neaths” on a massive ship that has been stuck off the coast of the “Federated States” for decades due to a virus that nearly wiped out all of Europe.

I really enjoyed how each chapter was told from alternating first person perspectives of the characters. The writing is layered and the connections between the characters slowly unravel as we learn more and more about them and their lives onboard the Arcadia.

I don’t normally read dystopian but I may have to reconsider after this one and I sure hope there’s a sequel.

Recommended for Grade 7 and up. Mild language, violence and themes.

Preorder now or find it in stores January 2023!

I grabbed this book as I was intrigued by the premise. 'Snowpeircer' on a ship is what I thought of and more or else held true, but with the standard YA tropes thrown in. The first half of the book did seem to drag a bit but that was mostly due to setup. Once the book gets going though, it's nonstop. Definitely a series incoming and I can't wait for the next one! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

3.5 stars

The premise of this grabbed my attention right away. I'm a fan of dystopian novels with viruses that wipe out the population. It feels so realistic, especially after the last couple of years. This has a lot of action and with three points of view, things are constantly in motion. There are the Coalies, aka the soldiers on board that keep the population in line, then the rebels who resist all the rules and are fighting for freedom. Tensions are high and I was kept on my toes as I rooted for Esther and Nik to make it off the ship.

I did think the rebel's plan was a bit simple and after all those years on the ship, you'd think they could come up with something more. For all that Hadley, the main villain, knows about the rebels, I also thought he would have suspected some people as being spies or guessed at their plan. The ending was chaotic and a bit hard to follow in a couple of places. With almost nothing wrapped up, I wonder if there are plans for a sequel?

This was a fun read and I flew through it with all the action and fast pacing. I think this would be a fun tv show and I hope to see more of the characters in a future book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the copy

As a fan of dystopian lit, I like the idea of this whole generation of people forced to live on a decommissioned cruise liner. I personally found going on a cruise a claustrophobic experience and I would not like to be stuck on one forever. I enjoyed the descriptions of imagined life stuck on the ship, but the actual story line stuck me a "sea" version of the show the 100 who grew up in space. The book overall was a enjoyable beach type light read and I would read a sequel to find out what happens when the boat folk reach land.

It’s 2094 and the Arcadia, a former cruise ship, has been stranded at sea for over 40 years after a virus sprung up and no country would let them back in. They are treated like filthy vermin by all of the “land dwellers” and have not touched land in generations. A team of guards from the fictional Federated States keeps the ship passengers living in fear. A large group of rebels starts plotting a way to break free. Two sisters, May and Esther, both get involved in different ways. Will they ever be able to be free?
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💭Thoughts💭
I really wanted to like this book a bit more than I did. It was definitely interesting and the world was very well fleshed out. However, it just fell short a little bit and some of the aspects of the future technology and the groups of different people weren’t fully explained, which led to some confusion.
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⌛️Favorite Moment⌛️
The end fight scene was really well done! My heart was pounding and I was really rooting for the rebels!
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🎉 Theme Ideas 🎉
Esther’s troubling boyfriend had a huge supply of meal ready kits. Try one out and see how you’d do if you had to rely on one of these to survive!