Alone

It was supposed to be just a fun secret, one night Maddie and her friends could share without parents or siblings.  When her friends back out at the last minute, Maddie decides to go ahead and sleep in her grandparents' vacation apartment alone.  

The next morning she wakes up in a ghost town.  The clues of a swift evacuation are everywhere:  cars, suitcases, even cell phones abandoned.  Maddie is alone.  It could be weeks or even months before anyone knows she is missing.  She doesn't know what prompted the sudden evacuation, but she told each parent she was staying at the other's house.  What if they don't end up at the same evacuation center?

She soon realizes she needs to work out a plan to survive.  With the help of her neighbor's Rottweiler, George, she begins collecting supplies.  As the months pass, Maddie realizes she may be alone for longer than she thought.  She can scavenge food and water, and the local library becomes her sanctuary, but the greatest challenge of all will be loneliness.  Can Maddie keep her hope alive as she faces wild animals, looters, and natural disasters?

Megan E. Freeman's new novel is a heartwrenching tale of survival and hope.  I could not put this book down!  Maddie goes through realistic periods of despair and hope and grows into a strong independent young woman by the end.  Readers will be engrossed in her story and curious about what caused the evacuation in the first place.  Now I want a sequel that shows what was happening on the outside and Maddie learns to be with people again after years on her own.  There is one scene of animal cruelty that is necessary to the plot, but it's something to be aware of for more sensitive readers.  This book is definitely a conversation starter, and I would recommend teachers and parents read it with kids and engage in discussion.