Friday, October 21, 2022

96 Miles

2022-23 Maud Hart Lovelace nominee

by J.L. Esplin

Libby 245 pages (tablet) 457 pages (phone)

Published: 2020

Genre: realistic suspense, survival

 

Wow! This book was so good! Set in the near future, the protagonist's father has gone out of town for work. When the power goes out (everywhere), John and his brother Stew are well prepared. Their father is a strong believer in preparedness and self-reliance. But when thieves come and steal their water, food, generator, and everything else of value, the two boys must find a way to survive.  


I'm too distracted to blog well, but this is Esplin's first novel. I look forward to reading more of her work! The epilog, author's note, and acknowledgements just made this book all the more rewarding. I love the themes of siblings, survival, what would you do? and more. 


I confess that I would love to know more about HOW the power went out. Was it world-wide? What's the bigger geopolitical story? But for your average middle schooler, there's enough here to keep one turning pages!

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