Damselfly

This is the 4th "stranded teenagers must survive inhospitable locale" story Ive read this year...a weird pattern to have... anyway this book is sorta medium as far as actual enjoyment goes, but it did draw me in and i appreciated the diverse characters and the authors vivid descriptions.

However there were several gross tropes that I wish had been avoided, and I found what happened to the mentally ill character who is trapped without her medication to be very upsetting. It wasn't badly written so much as personally disturbing.

***ARC Received from YallFest***

I really liked the premise of this story (Lord of the Flies is my second favorite classic), but it fell flat for me for a couple of reasons:

The characters: they were supposed to be 16 or 17, but they came across more like 11 or 12 year olds. Their speech was super simple and they often acted more like an 11 or 12 year old would, given what their situation was.

The main character suffered from the above, but the writing did her a bit of a disservice as well (making her seem like a whiny child hiding behind a smarter, more forceful friend). The writing for her inner dialogue was very clunky, and only had sporadic moments of moving feeling (her and her family's story, especially her poor sister).

The story show more itself was fun and I really enjoyed the ties to Lord of the Flies. I did have moments where I was excited to see what would happen next, but I was usually left with a "meh" feeling.

Overall, the writing makes it obvious that this was a debut YA novel, but was not exactly bad. It definitely could have used a bit of polishing and the characters were in desperate need of fleshing out. show less

Samantha Mishra is stranded on an unknown island with her fencing team. The plane crash killed the pilot and two other classmates. As rescue seems less and less likely, social niceties have fallen by the wayside. People show their true character when under threat.

I was ready to read this one when I realized it was a retelling of [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512]. It doesn't quite follow every detail of the original, which I was glad about when I was trying to figure out who might be who character wise. (Worrying, actually.) The open ending certainly sets this up for a possible sequel.

Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommended: Yes
Level: High school

Borrowing heavily from many aspects of Lord of the Flies, this novel jumps into the story of several teenagers stranded on an island after a plane crash. The story is told from the first person perspective of Sam, giving insight into her own disturbed family life throughout. As the teenagers work together to survive, the novel delves into the concepts of racism, environmental concerns, and who people really are at their core when allowed to be themselves. The story moves quickly and maintains enough interest, ending with a cliffhanger to leave room for another novel.

As a high school teacher, some of the comparisons with Lord of the Flies felt a little on the show more nose, but teenage readers would likely find it an interesting companion piece. The main characters make the reader feel invested in what happens to them, branching from some more typical stereotypes often found in YA literature. I especially enjoyed the storyline of Mel, who comes from a family with all daughters who break the gender norms associated with high school girls.

The writing wasn't bad, though it could occasionally feel a little like typical YA literature (obvious dialogue, simple word choice, etc). There are a few instances of sexual innuendo (“hooking up,” as the novel puts it) and a decent amount of violence and death, which is why I recommend this for high school students. Overall, I enjoyed reading and found myself reading more chapters to find out what happens! show less

***ARC Received from YallFest***

I really liked the premise of this story (Lord of the Flies is my second favorite classic), but it fell flat for me for a couple of reasons:

The characters: they were supposed to be 16 or 17, but they came across more like 11 or 12 year olds. Their speech was super simple and they often acted more like an 11 or 12 year old would, given what their situation was.

The main character suffered from the above, but the writing did her a bit of a disservice as well (making her seem like a whiny child hiding behind a smarter, more forceful friend). The writing for her inner dialogue was very clunky, and only had sporadic moments of moving feeling (her and her family's story, especially her poor sister).

The story show more itself was fun and I really enjoyed the ties to Lord of the Flies. I did have moments where I was excited to see what would happen next, but I was usually left with a "meh" feeling.

Overall, the writing makes it obvious that this was a debut YA novel, but was not exactly bad. It definitely could have used a bit of polishing and the characters were in desperate need of fleshing out. show less

***ARC Received from YallFest***

I really liked the premise of this story (Lord of the Flies is my second favorite classic), but it fell flat for me for a couple of reasons:

The characters: they were supposed to be 16 or 17, but they came across more like 11 or 12 year olds. Their speech was super simple and they often acted more like an 11 or 12 year old would, given what their situation was.

The main character suffered from the above, but the writing did her a bit of a disservice as well (making her seem like a whiny child hiding behind a smarter, more forceful friend). The writing for her inner dialogue was very clunky, and only had sporadic moments of moving feeling (her and her family's story, especially her poor sister).

The story show more itself was fun and I really enjoyed the ties to Lord of the Flies. I did have moments where I was excited to see what would happen next, but I was usually left with a "meh" feeling.

Overall, the writing makes it obvious that this was a debut YA novel, but was not exactly bad. It definitely could have used a bit of polishing and the characters were in desperate need of fleshing out. show less

I would give this 3 1/2 stars. The story line is a modern day Lord of the Flies with a fast moving plot that would be good for reluctant readers. My main issue is that is isn't very well written and some of the things that happen are not very believable, but readers in the early high school grades may not pick up on that.