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Alive: The Generations Trilogy, Book 1
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Alive is an intense science-fiction thriller about teens who wake up in a mysterious facility and must find their way out before they starve to death. The narrator, M. Savage, is a strong-willed teen who must learn how to lead her fellow survivors. Violence plays a role in many scenes, but it's usually not described with much graphic detail. Savage stabs a rival, a friend is killed and eaten by feral pigs, and the survivors are attacked by monsters wielding laser-like weapons. Savage is infatuated with O'Malley, but there's no time for romance. Swearing is limited to "bastard," "bitch,""hell," and "s--t," each used infrequently.
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Amazing start to a wonderful series
Alive
What's the story?
A 12-year-old girl wakes up inside a coffin. After she frees herself, she learns her name is M. Savage and that she's physically more mature than she expected. There are few other clues that will fill in her missing memories. Seemingly trapped in a series of featureless hallways, she gathers around her other teen survivors who want to solve the deadly mystery that surrounds them.
Is it any good?
From its claustrophobic opening to its crackerjack action climax, this thriller will keep readers guessing right to the end. Author Scott Sigler creates a puzzle whose solution is both ingenious and plausible. Savage and her fellow survivors are complex, believable characters, and their antagonists are scary and formidable. The ending has enough of a sense of resolution to be satisfying, but most readers will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in this ingenious science-fiction saga.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about what makes someone a good leader. Should a leader make every decision, or should he or she delegate?
To what extremes do people go if they want to look younger than they really are? Why is youth revered by the media and pop culture?
How important is memory to everyday life? What challenges would you face if you couldn't remember parts of your childhood?
Book details
- Author: Scott Sigler
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Adventures, Great Girl Role Models, Misfits and Underdogs, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires, Space and Aliens
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Del Rey
- Publication date: July 14, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 18
- Number of pages: 368
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
Themes & Topics
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.