I have to admire an author that can take me on a journey using verse. The word selection, the sentence structure, the punctuation, everything about the story has to be carefully selected by the author so they can lead their reader on a magical journey. Set in Colorado, Megan introduces us to 12-year-old Maddie, who thought she was going to pull a fast-one on her parents but unfortunately, in the long-run Maddie ends up paying the price for what she did. Alone, is a fantastic book about a world in which Maddie finds herself alone in, which had plenty of emotions as Maddie tries to survive on her own.
I think we all have done something like this before but now, it was Maddie’s turn to try it. She was telling her mom that she was staying at her dad’s house and then, telling her dad that she was staying at her mom’s house. Her friends are telling similar lies. Goal: sleepover at Maddie’s grandparent’s empty apartment. Sounds like a great time but her friends get caught lying. Maddie is by herself at her grandparents’ empty house. There’s noise outside the apartment during the night, but she’s technically not there so she stays hidden. In the morning, with her phone charged, alerts and warnings pop up on her screen. Imminent threat? Alert? When no one picks up or returns her calls, Maddie races home. What is happening? Why isn’t anyone picking up their phone or returning Maddie’s phone calls?
Dang! What Maddie found is not good! Cell phones abandoned and individual houses look like people left in a hurry? What was so urgent? Maddie found the neighbor’s dog George, so at least she has someone to talk to but everyone, and I mean everyone is gone. Eventually, Maddie has to start looking for food and supplies. Searching in other people’s houses Maddie finds other pets that were left behind, some alive and some dead, they have been trapped in their houses. The two of them seem to be making it but for how much longer? When Maddie has a question, the internet is no longer an option nor can someone provide the answer for her so Maddie takes her questions to the library. Maddie looks up her questions at the library and while she’s there, Maddie begins to bring back books with her to read. I liked reading about her experiences with the library.
It’s Colorado and the days are getting shorter. Oh, I hate winter and just thinking about Maddie and winter, gave me the chills. There’s also no electricity so Maddie has this to consider. Would she be better off just packing some stuff and traveling to another city? A year has passed and Maddie still wonders “when” they will be coming back for her. I wonder, “if” they will be coming back.
I thought Maddie’s actions were typical for someone her age and I was happy to see that she didn’t get depressed or angry about her situation. She addressed it a few times but she knew that she couldn’t just sit around and wait for someone to come rescue her. She had to actively try to get food and supplies for herself and her dog so they could stay alive till someone came. For more than 3 years, Maddie fought the elements, from the weather, to food, to emotional, and onto physical factors. From snow and horrible rain storms, to fighting for food and hunting for it, to anger and being scared, and also enduring physical pain and exhaustion. I still had some questions at the end of the book about the whole emergency situation, why Maddie was left alone so long and I really felt that the ending was rushed but I really enjoyed this book and the author use of verse to do so. 4.25 stars.
“If a birthday falls in the forest
but there’s no one there to celebrate
do we still get older?”
“Loneliness and insanity
are twin houseguests
and
it’s hard to entertain one
without inviting the other in
as well”
One Chapter 