Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen survives alone in the wilderness in gripping thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
I AM STILL ALIVE are the words that 16-year-old Jess Cooper keeps repeating to herself. With only a wolf dog named Bo for company, she finds herself alone in the Canadian wilderness after the murder of her father. Her life in Seattle had been upended after a car crash that killed her mother and left Jess with an injured leg and scarred face. When the court insists on reuniting Jess with the father she hasn't seen since she was 4, she's sent off to live with him in Alaska. But Jess' secretive survivalist father isn't in Alaska, he's moved to a remote cabin in the Canadian wilderness that's only accessible by seaplane. The reunion doesn't go well, as Jess has no intention of staying in a two-room cabin in the middle of nowhere and having to hunt and fish to feed herself. But her father refuses to let her leave, striking a she-really-can't-say-no deal with her: Stay until the next summer, and if she still wants to leave, she can. But before summer's end, her father is murdered and their cabin burned to the ground. Jess is left alone with only a few clothes, a bow and arrow, a hatchet, a can of peaches, and a can of salmon. By smart thinking and using the survival skills her father taught her in the weeks they were together, she and Bo manage to keep themselves alive until the next summer. But will Jess also survive the return of the men who killed her father?
Is It Any Good?
This spine-tingling, hard-to-put-down teen-against-the-wilderness survival tale includes a strong message about the power of smart thinking and determination. I Am Still Alive does require readers to suspend belief when a convenient plot twist appears, but those instances are outweighed by the sheer volume of factual detail the author offers on things like how to build a weather-resistant shelter and hunt and fish for food. While the story may be set in the wilds of Canada, the lessons it imparts about believing in yourself in tough times, taking time to make a plan, and always moving forward are valuable ones for any reader.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what I Am Still Alive taught them about being determined and resourceful. What personal qualities do you share with Jess that would let you survive in a difficult and challenging situation?
Would you ever consider living off the grid, far away from any town? What would the biggest challenges be for you and your family?
Did it make you angry that Jess' father refused to let her return to Seattle? What would you have done if you were Jess?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Adventures
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Viking Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : July 24, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 314
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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