Hostile Territory

November 11, 2019
In Greci’s intense survival tale with a thriller component, four teens endure a harrowing trek across the Alaskan wilderness after an earthquake destroys their leadership camp, leaving them as the only survivors. Faced with limited supplies and no hope of rescue, Josh, Shannon, Brooke, and Derrick must brave myriad dangers (bears, wolves, and treacherous terrain), overcome their fears, and learn to work as a team to reach civilization. But their odyssey continues even after they find help: the world teeters on the brink of disaster, and a sudden shift in plot and tone poses the quartet as the unlikely solution to preventing an outright apocalypse. It’s clear that Greci (The Wild Lands) knows his landscape—Alaska’s beauty and natural hazards become their own vivid character in his handling—but the human cast suffers, reduced to basic characteristics (bossy, whiny, friendly, brainy), and an abrupt resolution glosses over many of the final details. Ages 12–up. Agent: Amy Tipton, Signature Literary Agency.

November 22, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Four teens-Josh, Derrick, Brooke, and Shannon-are stranded in the Alaskan wilderness alone after a catastrophic earthquake wipes out the rest of their camp. They are hundreds of miles from civilization with few supplies. Soon, they notice military aircraft flying over as they face postapocalyptic dangers. They must endure many perils and grow up quickly as they hike back home through the unknown. This fast-paced survival story seems all too real. The military and government involvement adds a twist, and details about the Alaskan setting make it apparent that the author has firsthand knowledge of the state. Greci's experience as a field biology technician, trip leader for teens, and naturalist builds confidence that the depictions of Alaskan wilderness are accurate. The writing style and details bring this book to life; readers will feel like they are in Alaska alongside the characters. The challenges the teens undergo are well drawn and believable. VERDICT Recommended for teenagers who like postapocalyptic adventure or are fans of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet.-Maeve Dodds, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2019
Four teens stranded in the Alaskan wilderness find themselves sabotaging a foreign occupation. Rising high school senior and cross-country standout Josh is days away from leaving his mountainside leadership camp when an earthquake buries everything. Only Derrick, Brooke, and Shannon--who, like Josh, were away from the main camp--survive. When time passes and help doesn't arrive, the Fairbanks quartet sets off toward a distant town, hoping for rescue along the way. Early on, the text offers what readers would expect from Greci (The Wild Lands, 2019, etc.). Much like the environment it describes, Josh's play-by-play first-person narration is simultaneously stark and lush. The group learns to collaborate while staving off the threats of dehydration, starvation, animals, fire, injuries, and allergic reactions. Dialogue expands from curt to compelling, and characters balloon into distinct, believable personalities. Suddenly, about halfway through, the text takes a turn from slow-burn survival to plodding geopolitical intrigue. After the earthquake, a Russian army somehow invaded Alaska, subdued its population, and gained control of its nuclear arsenal. Those missiles are now trained on the Lower 48 states, and the American government must either acquiesce to Russian demands or nuke its own people. Can Josh and company demolish a bridge to help save not only themselves, but the entire free world? Excepting Shannon, who is Athabascan, protagonists are white. The concerns of Native people are treated in an offhand manner. An odd but ambitious cross-genre thriller in search of an ideal crossover reader. (Adventure. 12-17.)

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