Nowhere on Earth by Nick Lake

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Hodder Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781444940459.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Themes: Adventure, Coming of age, Survival, Alaska, Family relations, Dance. The blurb says it all, to add to it would include spoilers:
It starts with a plane crash.
There are survivors: a teenage girl and her little brother. They are running from something. But what?
Then the men arrive. They are hunting the girl and boy. And -
And that's all we can tell you . . .
(Publisher)
Nowhere on earth is an exciting page turner which will engross any fan of the survival genre as Emily, her brother Aidan and the pilot Bob, try to overcome the perils of the cold in Alaska after their plane crash. The big question for the reader is: why are they being chased by men in black who are hunting them with guns?
Readers will love the action and adventure - it's another book that would make a fantastic movie. Emily is a wonderful heroine who manages to survive using the skills that her parents have given her, even though they are ones that she didn't want - all she wanted was to dance. The novel is not just a survival story, though; it explores some big philosophical questions like the nature of love in families and the future being what an individual makes of it. Between the adrenaline rushes of the chase there are poignant moments especially when Emily's parents track her down in the wilderness and she realises how much they love her.
Readers who liked Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter will enjoy this.
Pat Pledger

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