Book Review: The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

The Raft
Author: S.A. Bodeen
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Survival
Release Date: August 21st 2012
Review Source: Feiwel & Friends
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) 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.

This book from the moment it arrived in my hand always captured my attention. The cover spoke to me and when it was time to finally read it, I was hook, line and sinker. That's me trying to be funny. Seriously I need to know why this girl was floating on that raft looking like her world has ended. Once you dive into the story and its 200+ pages, time will pass by and you'll be done before you know it. I tried to read two books at once when I started to read this one, but once I was deep in the story the second book had to wait its turn. 

The Raft is great representation of a survival story. We meet 15 yr old Robie that is staying with her aunt in Honolulu instead of the boring Midway Atoll or also known as Midway Island. Imagine its only about 2.5 miles in size and most of that 2 mile area is covered with million of seabirds. You can understand why Robie prefers to hang out in Honolulu. Just when the fun is non-stop her aunt has to leave and go to the mainland and she wants Robie to fly back home. Robie convinces her she can handle staying alone in Honolulu and a friend of her aunt's can keep an eye on her. Teenagers and their lies. So there goes the confident aunt that she will be watched and in reality she won't, then add to that Robie gets spooked walking alone in the streets at night. So she decides to catch the next cargo plane to Midway because she is done being alone. She shows up at that tarmac and can't reach her folks because of bad reception. She doesn't let the aunt know either that she is leaving. So basically Robie will ride this plane home without anyone knowing she is headed that way.

If things only were so easy. Robie feels things are bit off, she doesn't remember them checking her in or weighing her for the plane ride. All cargo must be weighed and accounted for. The plane she is on has a specific weight limit it can handle especially if an engine fails. So what happens, Engines fail and the plane is going to hit the water in the horrible storm. Now begins the nail-biting journey for Robie and her main objective is Survive!

This was such a welcomed read, it gave me a break from the usually paranormal, dystopian or contemporary book. You are either holding your breath or biting your nails while Robie endures surviving all elements while at sea on a raft. Will you survive if this was you? Grab your copy of The Raft when it hits shelves and know what its truly feels like to fight for your life.