Michael Northrop

Ked's mother left the family and his father has a gambling problem, often not making the rent. Ked is bullied at school after developing a condition in his back that impacts his posture and walk. Ked has to find a way to make money so he and his father don't end up homeless, especially after he finds out his father bet two months' worth of rent money on the town's annual ice melt contest. In terms of portraying poverty, "Free Lunch" did it better. But this line of Ked's self-talk did show more resonate: "It doesn’t matter….I can be lonely. I can be embarrassed. I don’t like it, but I’ve had lots of practice. What I can’t be is homeless….” show less

~~Reviewed by Toby Palevsky Smith of Toby's Nerd-Cave Library~~
A story featuring 7 high school students who are trapped in their high school during a massive historic snowstorm. The one teacher who was there with them at the beginning went outside that first night to ‘get help’ and never came back. They have no idea if he is dead in the snow or if he made it to shelter. That's when things get a bit tense between the remaining students in their bid to survive - and not all of them make it show more out alive.
I am reading this book while I am also snowed in during a historic snowstorm in my area so I think that has made this story a little more immersive and real for me. I am really enjoying the stream-of-consciousness narrative, the foreshadowing clues in the beginning and the way the main character narrates what's happening in both past and present tense. The realities of surviving in freezing temperatures with the very little supplies that can be found in a run-down public school building in the middle of open farmland are very compelling and interesting to think about. The plot itself seems to be missing, other than an “I survived” vibe throughout, and there is no clear cut resolution at the end. show less

Scotty and his friends begin a normal high school day, but it ends anything but normal as an unprecedented storm hits the area trapping him and six other students in the school under a blanket of snow that continues to grow. As morning comes and the students realize the snow continued to pile up all night and with no break in sight they settle into survival mode. The story, told by Scotty, shows us how he, his two best friends, a bully, an outsider and two popular girls face the tragic show more situation and pull together to survive days in a school under feet of snow with conditions going from bad to worse to unimaginable.

I found this very idea of this story very interesting and terrifying making it easy to turn page after page. The characters are very well developed, interesting and have a natural feel with the story. My only negative aspect of the read was, as many have already pointed out, the ending. For me, after suffering so long with these characters, I expected a bit more redemption instead of the abrupt ending that we received.

This is certainly worth picking up and reading…I just had to imagine a better ending for myself!!! show less

I first picked up 'Trapped' hoping it would provide a thrilling tale of survival against the elements ala 'Hatchet' or perhaps a study of social dynamics as in 'Lord of the Flies' or even 'The Breakfast Club'. Considering the setting the author chose (seven kids stranded in the mother of all snowstorms) it shouldn't have been difficult to come up with an engaging story. Unfortunately, that isn't the case.

The story fails to deliver for three reasons. First is that Northrop failed to develop show more the characters enough that I could connect with them and care what happened to them. Little effort is made to develop their personalities or to get the reader in touch with their thoughts and fears. It would make sense that the students would be concerned about what their families are going through but hardly anyone mentions them at all. They all came off as two-dimensional and, as such, it was difficult to work up any concern for what happens to them.

The second problem I have with the story is that I found a lot of what happens implausible. I don't have a problem the storm, mind you, although I doubt such a massive storm would have happened with no warning whatsoever. My concerns are with what the kids did or didn't do in their efforts to survive. In the story they burned 2x4s in a can to keep warm which seems unlikely as they never mentioned where they got the 2x4s or how they cut them up. It would have made more sense to light bunsen burners in the chemistry lab or acetylene torches in the shop to keep warm. If I were in such a situation I would have ransacked the lost-and-found and every room, desk drawer and closet trying to find extra clothing, cell phones, spare batteries, or anything else that might help keep them alive. Aside from some half-hearted searching on day one, though, very little is of that is done. Fortunately, though, they found a portable radio with a battery that never ran out, even though once they worry that it might. In the end, the author didn't put enough thought and effort into imagining what kids in that position would think about, worry about or do to stay alive.

The biggest reason that I was disappointed in this book though is because of its total lack of suspense. With all the challenges facing these characters the author should have had no trouble making us really worry about what would happen but he never quite pulled it off. I'm sorry because I really wanted to like this book but I didn't and I can't recommend it. show less