Perfect teacher book! Totally could be used with cross curriculum ties to both science and politics. Also, great action scenes and descriptions I’m going to highlight as mentor texts in writing class.
The best thing about Henry’s books is that she takes her research seriously—she experiences the things she wants to write about. That level of authenticity is present, even when the plots are pure escapist adventure. I mean a teen girl surviving the rugged Cascades like some kind of alternative Bear Grylls? But, who doesn’t want to read that? And there’s still a chance for our hero and Chance. This book is exactly what YA literature should be. Did I mention, it is classroom usable? April Henry proves herself again!

Gggaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Sooooooooooooo goooooooooooooood!

Okay. I'll try and reign it in now. But, I am genuinely blown away again by how great Henry's books are! The level of detail and accuracy is staggering. The surprises are truly delightful, even when they are creep-inducing. I hate all the awful people and I adore all the people I'm supposed to love. And, most importantly, I learn a ridiculous amount. I love love love that. So stinkin' much. And it's always good to revisit stuff I learned in a different April Henry book! Hee hee. Love Her.💟💟💟📚

Rating: 4.5 stars!

I ate this book up. April Henry always puts so much research into her books that I always walk away with some kind of fire/hiking/general safety fact that I can whip out in future conversations.

The main character, Milan is a firecracker! Shes a teenager with a lot of built up angst towards her life. Shipped off to boarding school, she feels like her mother is pushing her aside. Picked up by her mom for getting kicked out of her third boarding school, the plot starts to explode with action!

A plane crash, a fire, an animal attack, a pregnant housekeeper?!, and a battle of friend vs. foe. The multiple POVs helped fill in any potential plot gaps without giving away the reveal at the end.

This felt like one of the more "graphic" books that I've read from April in terms of the descriptions of the violence, but it wasnt over the top!

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Im honored!

Stay Dead by April Henry has a great main character. She has so much baggage and students will be able to relate to that aspect of her. Great plot with surprises!!

Milan's life has not been the same since her father, a senator, died in a car accident, and she blames herself. Since then, her mom took over his senate seat, and she has been sent to multiple boarding schools. After her latest school kicks her out, she boards a jet home to Portland, OR. Tragedy strikes yet again when the plane loses an engine and plummets into the Cascade Range. Milan is the sole survivor, and her mother's dying words make it clear that this was no accident and Milan is not safe. Milan must survive the wilderness and a killer...

In true April Henry fashion, you can learn a thing or two in this exciting novel. Subjects include fracking and wilderness survival. I really enjoyed this book, and I think my teen readers will too. The first two-thirds were excellent and engaging, but the final third felt a bit rushed.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Stay Dead. Though my library owns nearly every April Henry book, this was the first I have personally read. Let me just say, I now totally understand why her other books barely stay on our shelves! This was a fast-paced ride that mostly kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the different perspectives, though I wish the story of the dairy rancher were a little more tied to the rest of the story. I look forward to sharing Stay Dead with not only my fans of April Henry and my fans of mystery & suspense novels, but also my survival fans because I feel the survival/outdoor elements were also very well done.

I wasn't able to finish this one, but it seemed pretty procedural and flat to me. I talked with a colleague who had read it and they said that there was nothing stand-out about it so I stopped reading about 50 pages in.

What I took away from this book is that if I was ever in a plane crash or any kind of disaster that I was out in nature, I would have absolutely 0% of survival. Or maybe actually after reading this book, I’ll have a bit more of a chance because this character certainly showed us how to survive. After being kicked out of yet another boarding school, and still reeling from the death of her father, Milan finds herself stranded in the woods after a plane crash in the woods. Our journey to safety is both harrowing and inspiring and had me turning pages very quickly. I thought this was a great read.

April Henry is SO talented when it comes to YA thrillers with a unique component. I truly appreciate just HOW MUCH RESEARCH she puts into her stories to add believability (and credibility) to these crazy situations.

Milan has a clear gift when it comes to surviving. It seems a bit far-fetched for a teenager who learned along the way from her dad, but I think that her history coupled with utilizing fear as a motivator make it more plausible. The pacing, for me, is what drug the story down. There were several clear moments when I wanted things to move along and I just felt like the drag of getting the story right made it feel like I was slogging through a situation where Milan was clearly going to come out on top, so let's just go already.

I don't think the twists were really twists in this one (uh, hello, you were told who to/not to trust), and while I felt like the how the dual storylines of Milan and Lenny (the assassin) weren't that interesting, I was intrigued to see how the Janie (the farmer) was going to intertwine with one or both of the other women.

Overall: 3 stars (I liked it)

I'll tell my students about: parental death, language, violence/gore/murder

**Thank you to NetGalley & Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | Christy Ottaviano Books for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Rating 3.75


This one started out really strong, I was hooked from the beginning. The story progressed at a constant speed and the short chapters helped feel as though you were accomplishing a lot. I won’t say too much due to spoilers. While I did enjoy this one, it seemed like it would never end. The ending became too convoluted with twists and turns that were predictable and took away from the overall story. The pacing started to slow down at around 70% and from there the story started to drag and I found myself wanting to skim. What kept me reading was the main character. I felt like we went on an adventure together and I had to see how it ended. I wasn’t pleased with the ending but I also wasn’t mad at it. It was just whatever. Overall, I do believe teens will enjoy this one even if some parts will bore them.
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for my gifted copy on #netgalley All thoughts and opinions are my own.

April Henry did it again. Myself and my students love April Henry's books. I can't keep them on the shelves. This survival , mysterious thriller will definitely be added to my circulation. Honestly, I can see this book being made it a movie. It is fast paced and attention getting. I personally stayed up late to get as much as this page-turning adventure as I could.

Milan's senaor dad died in accident that leaves Milan wounded. Her mom became her father's successor as a senator. As Milan was expelled from her THIRD school, she boards the plane with her senator Mom and part of her mom's staff. They were heading home and the unexpected happens. This event leaves Milan racing to get help. Yet, who can she trust? Her story is intertwined with the story of her pursuer and the back story. This keeps the twists and turns coming. The grit that first got Milan in trouble ended up making her a heroine.

I'm so excited that NetGalley allowed me to read this advanced copy of this book.

This was an un-put-down able book for me! I really enjoyed the dual storyline of Lenny and Milan. Fast paced, smart and clever, this kept me captivated and I read it in two days. Despite working full-time and having a toddler!

Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Christy Ottaviano Books for the very enjoyable read!

Stay Dead was an engaging, fast read. It was full of twists, some predictable and some not. Milan is a likeable character and the plot was interesting. Even the protagonist, Lenny, was an interesting, engaging character. Fans of April Henry and mystery/suspense will enjoy Stay Dead.

Book:
STAY DEAD by April Henry (thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Books of Young Readers for the Arc: OUT May 28)

Review:
5⭐
STAY DEAD is a riveting novel that had me on the edge on my seat from the first few pages, which were mouth-gapingly crazy. STAY DEAD is a fast-paced tale of survival, and I found myself rooting for Milan as she faced obstacle after obstacle.
This book basically read itself. It's one of those ones that has you so engrossed that you almost forget that your reading as the book became more and more pulse-pounding, more and more shocking. That's one of the things I love about April Henry's books...her ability to tell a story so magnifyingly thrilling that everything is gripping, captivating, and easy-to-read. STAY DEAD was just that. This book is perfect for a mystery and suspense lover from the bold, tragic beginning to the multiple points of view that lent itself to the action-packed book with a shocking, never would have seen it coming, plot twist.

What I Liked About It:
*everything

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Christy Ottaviano Books for the copy of Stay Dead by April Henry. I’m not sure why I have never read any books by April Henry, but I’m going to start looking for more now. This is listed as a YA book but don’t let that deter you because this is an intelligent, well paced book and I was drawn right into the story. Milan, the main character, is only 16, but she’s smart and resourceful, and I was rooting for her from the first page. If you’re looking for a well-written and suspenseful read with a great ending, this is the book you’ve been waiting for.

In this story we are met with Milan who is your average kid dealing with the untimely death of her father and ever growing distance with her mother, It is a great story of grappling with loss and survival. It was a great book that was impossible to put down after starting. The story uses what seems to be three very different narratives that as the story beings to delve deeper you start to see the connections and they lead you down a heart pounding road with the characters. All three main characters really make you start to feel for them as you learn more about their lives. Plus, when the characters do something unusual- looking at Milan specifically- there is an explanation that is reasonable. In all the story is very face paced and has you shocked at most of the turns and really enjoying and loving the characters are the laid out in the novel.

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

April Henry's "Stay Dead" is a very engaging and fun YA survival book that also combines aspects of the mystery and thriller genres to keep you invested until the very end of the book. If you enjoy reading April Henry books, then you will definitely enjoy this one! It’s more centered around politics and environmentalism, which really helps this book stand out from other Henry books. The book is told through multiple perspectives, including that of Milan Mayhew, a senator's daughter caught in a web of danger and deception, as well as an assassin and a dairy/cow farmer.

The story kicks off with Milan being expelled from her third boarding school, setting the stage for a series of events that culminate in a plane crash on a snow-covered mountain. As Milan grapples with the aftermath of the crash and navigates the treacherous wilderness, she uncovers shocking secrets about her family's past and finds herself targeted by a relentless assassin.

I really liked the multiple viewpoints of the book, which really helps add depth and complexity to the story, especially with the assassin’s perspective. This really helped the “bad guy” in the book be more than just one-dimensional, be more than just evil for the sake of being evil. This usually happens in YA thrillers where the villain is lacking character development, so I really enjoyed this aspect in the book. Also, the farmer perspective was also interesting as you try to figure out how exactly the farmer is tied in to the other characters and the plot.

Some of the plot twists were a bit predictable, but I really enjoyed the Milan vs Assassin moments throughout the book as they were filled with tension and suspense, making you wonder who would come out alive. The pacing is fast, and the writing flows smoothly, making it difficult to put the book down once you start. I will note though that the book doesn’t have too much “survival” aspect to it, as in Milan isn’t trapped in the mountains for too long, so if you were expecting the entire book to be centered around survival, do be aware that the genre shifts from survival to mystery/thriller relatively early in the book.

"Stay Dead" is a testament to Henry's talent for crafting gripping thrillers that appeal to a wide audience. With its fast-paced plot, compelling characters, and unpredictable twists, this book is sure to be a hit among fans of survival books as well as thrillers. I definitely recommend this book for fans of April Henry; she never misses when it comes to her YA books!