Escape Under the Forever Sky

Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com

Thirteen-year-old Lucy Hoffman dreams of exploring the wilds of Africa - the hot desert sands beating around her and exotic animals around every corner for her to study. This wouldn't be so ironic if she didn't already live in Africa.

As the daughter of the American ambassador, Lucy spends her days cooped up in a guarded compound in Ethiopia with only school and the occasional game drive through the local wildlife park to keep her entertained. She even got in major trouble when she snuck off to visit the marketplace with her two native friends. Her mother actually sent out a SWAT team of marines to retrieve her!

Once she's finally allowed out again after that little incident, she and her show more friend Tana decide to sneak off for a concert at a local restaurant...and Lucy ends up kidnapped. Now, she really is out in the bush, fighting for her life and trying to escape her captors.

She never thought she'd be exploring Africa this way, and all she wants to do now is return home. During her captivity and escape, we catch a glimpse into her memories as she travels back, thinking of different times in her life and how they've brought her to today. With limited access to food and water, and having no idea where in Ethiopia she is, Lucy must use her wits and acquired knowledge of African ecology to survive and find a way home.

This endearing story about a headstrong, intelligent heroine is based on an actual incident that took place in Ethiopia in 2005. Although the real tale involved a native villager, this book works to bridge the gap between nationalities and point out that people of all cultures have the same goals, hopes, fears, and dreams. show less

This book was an enjoyable read that did paint a vibrant picture of Africa and gave some hint of the challenges that face that magnificent continent. Lucy is an engaging heroine who will certainly capture the hearts of young adult readers. She narrates with a clear voice that perfectly captures the trials and petulance of an average 13-year old; sometimes she is a mini-adult and sometimes a child crying for her parents. The other characters in the book are much less faceted than Lucy, perhaps not surprisingly given that most of the narrative focuses on Lucy and her solo journey.

The weakness for me lay in the details; I was originally drawn to this book because of my experiences at overseas embassies, so I was extremely disappointed by show more the glaring inaccuracies related to that part of the narrative. In my opinion, it wouldn't have taken much research to get details about the Marines and embassy security correct; having so many errors in that central part of the plot undermined the story for me. I also feel there was no real resolution to the kidnapping, no sufficient explanation for the reasons behind it. The book is short, so fleshing out those details wouldn't have added much heft and would have strenghtened the story. show less

I didn't realise "Escape Under the Forever Sky" was based on a true story until I read the Author's Notes at the end of the book. Whilst I enjoyed the story's premise, I didn't really engage with the book at all, which is a shame as I was looking forward to reading it since it was based in Africa - a continent I have always found fascinating. Written for a younger audience, I feel that the story lacked the drama and excitement that it should have had, and overall the plot was rushed and under developed. This wasn't a bad book, but I think it could have been so much better.

My only criticism of this book is that it is too short, I wanted more. It is very well written. The characters and story are interesting. The story is engaging and does not feel rushed though the book is short. It also shows the strength of a girl living and dealing with a difficult situation. I think both young adults and adults would like this book.

Big Kid Reaction: At the end of the first chapter, I wasn't sure I would like the book. I didn't see what the reviewers were seeing. By the third chapter, I was hooked. The story is not just compelling, but incredibly informative. It has spurred me to learn more about Birute Galdikas.

Pros: Despite being set in a foreign environment to most kids, all teens will relate to Lucy's feelings and the relationship with her parents. This is a fast-paced novel that will appeal to all readers.

To read our full review, go to The Reading Tub®.

Lucy's mother is the very busy American ambassador to Ethiopia. Lucy is 13, lonely, bored with official tours and state dinners, and irritated beyond belief at all of the rules that she has to follow in the closely guarded American compound. She's read her books on wildlife so many times she practically has them memorized. She can't even go to the market in the capitol city to shop with a friend! When she manages to escape her driver and protection detail, she is kidnapped and held for ransom by drug dealers in a remote area. After negotiations for her return don't go well, Lucy decides to escape. Using what she knows about the geography, wildlife and plants of the region, she manages to get away from her captors and hide in the show more wilderness. The reality is that she's a city girl, shoeless and without food or clean water, and there are dangers all around: parasites and bacteria in the streams, disease-carrying mosquitoes, wild monkeys, hyenas, and even lions. Don't forget her gun-toting captors who are tracking her as well! Loosely based on a true story of a teenage girl who escaped her kidnappers in Africa, this is a story of suspense, resourcefulness, and courage! Grade 6 and up. show less

This is a fun adventure story that has an American girl -- the daughter of the ambassador to Ethiopia -- escaping from her kidnappers through the African wilderness. It has just about everything in it kids might want in an adventure story -- a daring girl who escapes from evil adults, animals and the environment play a major role, she meets friends in new places who help protect her, etc. And the story line has frequent flashbacks to her experiences in Africa before the kidnapping, in which she is getting to know people and learn about her new environment. This does a good job of breaking up the tension, and keeping the book from being too scary or intense for younger readers.

You can tell that the author did a *lot* of research about show more animals, the environment, and the culture of this part of Africa -- and that's where the book sometimes starts to fall flat, as it occasionally feels like the author is just shoving facts in because they are cool, and not because they are necessary for the story, or trying to teach the reader about African geography and nature. None of that is inherently a bad thing, but it does get in the way of the flow of the story at times.

Still, I think this is definitely worth reading -- I could see it being a great one to use in school with 5th or 6th graders. show less