Citation: Freeman, M. E. (2022). Alone. Simon and Schuster.
Maddie is a twelve-year-old girl who wakes up in a nightmare, alone in her town, with no one but a rottweiler as a companion. Written in verse, Alone is a tale of survival that sees Maddie face looters, natural disasters, but worst of all, crippling loneliness. With her companion in tow, she learns how to survive, ultimately, through reading books from her local library. As days turn to weeks, turn to months, and eventually years, Alone is an adventure worth reading.
This book is a great read for young adults interested in dystopian adventures, and readers who like strong characters. Although the lead is female, this book appeals to many audiences because of the themes presented throughout. My critique of this book is that for some audiences the verse style of writing can be hard to follow. This may discourage certain readers from picking up this book in the first place.