Review: The Raft

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 231
Buy the Book: Amazon

Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.

And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way.

I am ashamed to admit I've had this book on my shelf since April. I've been eyeing it for a while, but was in such a reading funk I didn't really have the desire to pick anything up. Once I did I was totally blown away. In the first few pages the story grabs you and pulls you in, hooking you from the begining.

The story had a fantastic pace, it moved constantly and never got boring. As it went along, I was gritting my teeth, biting my nails, and racing to the next page to find out what happens next. Will Robbie and Max survive? Will they ever make it home? Will they be eaten alive by vicous sharks? GAH!!! I must know!

I devoured this book hungrily and didn't stop until I reached the last page. I read the entire thing in one sitting, and then sat back and went WOW! The entire book is amazing, from begining to end. But the ending really has you thinking " OMG that's BRILLIANT!"

I enjoyed the characters in the story. I thought the author did an incredible job portraying all of Robbie's feelings and emotions. From hopefullness, to despair. She wasn't a super strong heroine who never had doubts. Sometimes she gave up, and needed someone to push her and make her keep going. She was real and I really loved that about her!

This was a fantastic, well written, story of survival that had me totally mesmermized. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Are you a fan of survival books? Have you read this? Let me know what you think about it in the comments!