365 Days to Alaska by Cathy Carr
Release: January 19th 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Amulet Books
Source: Netgalley
Synopsis:
A thoughtful middle-grade debut about a girl from off-the-grid Alaska adjusting to suburban life
Eleven-year-old Rigel Harman loves her life in off-the-grid Alaska. She hunts rabbits, takes correspondence classes through the mail, and plays dominoes with her family in their two-room cabin. She doesn’t mind not having electricity or running water—instead, she’s got tall trees, fresh streams, and endless sky.
But then her parents divorce, and Rigel and her sisters have to move with their mom to the Connecticut suburbs to live with a grandmother they’ve never met. Rigel hates it in Connecticut. It’s noisy, and crowded, and there’s no real nature. Her only hope is a secret pact that she made with her father: If she can stick it out in Connecticut for one year, he’ll bring her back home.
At first, surviving the year feels impossible. Middle school is nothing like the wilderness, and she doesn’t connect with anyone . . . until she befriends a crow living behind her school. And if this wild creature has made a life for itself in the suburbs, then, just maybe, Rigel can too.
365 Days to Alaska is a wise and funny debut novel about finding beauty, hope, and connection in the world no matter where you are—even Connecticut.
365 Days to Alaska Review:
A BIG Thank You to Netgalley and Amulet Books for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of “365 Days to Alaska” for my review.
I loved reading this story. It is always difficult making changes to your life and adjusting to a new environment. I thought the author beautifully captured Rigel’s difficulty in the book. Also, I liked Rigel as the main character and could relate to her emotions. I also loved the bond she forms with the crow. It was wonderful to see their bond together. Moreover, I think it was wonderful the way Rigel accidentally meets her true friends even when she is not looking to make any. The author has paced the story beautifully and makes you feel heartfelt emotions as you read the story.
The supporting characters were okay. Although the author made the characters realistic, I really didn’t like Willow or Lila or even Bear very much. They seemed to be lost in their own world were putting their own priority over their family. I know a lot of families do this, but I just felt that at least her mother or grandmother would have focused more on her. In fact, I liked her friends more than her family. Moreover, I also loved her relationship with Julie. It is indeed very sad when someone you feel is a close friend stops talking to you. I wanted to see how this progressed between Rigel and Julie and thought it was written very well. On a side note, there are a few characters like Davis who I felt was unnecessary to the plot. But apart from that, I enjoyed this book a lot!
Overall, I think the author has a done a wonderful job for a debut novel and cannot wait to read her future books. The illustrations also compliment well to each chapter.
