In a beautiful, lyrical way, Freeman details the desperate feeling one would have by being the only one around. I cheered, cried, and felt heartbroken through Maddie's journey.

I was going to read this and learned that there is some animal abuse that takes place. This is a big trigger warning for me so I will not be able to finish reading the story. What I did read was well done and it was pretty intriguing. I like the poetry aspect. I apologize that I wasn't able to finish the story. If I had known about the animals I wouldn't have requested it. Thank you giving me an opportunity to read it.

This is a stirring novel-in-verse with a premise that grabbed me before I even read the first page. It's the kind of book you'll devour in one sitting, taking in all the details of survival, and you'll wish you could keep reading beyond the last page!

This novel in verse about a girl who is left in a town completely alone after it is evacuated is one of the most suspenseful titles I've read all year.

Enjoyed this a lot in the beginning, though got a little sluggish in the middle. Nevertheless, a solid purchase and can see this being popular for read-alouds

Alone is the story of a girl who, after concocting a plan to stay the night alone at her grandparents' empty condo, is abandoned by everyone in the town when a disaster forces an evacuation. Maddie goes from pre-teen to teen in an empty city and not only has to learn to deal with personal changes, but teaches herself to survive. This will be a quick and engrossing read for any reader, but particularly for those in middle grade. I would recommend that parents read this with teens because many of the issues Maddie deals with are great conversation starters. I will definitely be purchasing Alone by Megan Freeman for my middle school AND personal libraries!

A gripping story of a 12 year-old who misses an evacuation notice and ends up in survival mode for almost four years. Alone in her home town, Maddie has to figure out how to live from the mundane tasks of food, shelter and heat, to overcoming natural disasters and other attacks. What makes this book a standout for me, is that the story is told in verse--it gives the reader a ringside seat to Maddie's emotions in an intimate and immediate manner. It is very, very easy to identify and empathize with the young heroine.

What happens when a seemingly simple lie between friends turns into a real question of life or death? Haunting and richly layered, this story will leave you turning page after page as Maddie struggles to survive... alone.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Aladdin and Books Forward PR for my copy of Alone by Megan E. Freeman in exchange for an honest review. It published January 12, 2021.
This is my first 5 star read of 2021! I really, really enjoyed this book. I cannot overstate it. I absolutely loved the fact that it was in verse. I think that devise is so fresh, and gorgeous. I think Freeman used the limitations that verse imposes in such a wise way.
Also, the story itself, you truly feel like you're there. You don't need to be a middle-grade reader to gain from this. There are so many profound truths about loneliness, survival, and hope.
I love that the main theme of this whole book was hope. Whether you're in the target demographic or older, you'll enjoy this!

In modern times we have seen some very scary things happening in our country. In times of unrest and civil differences it can be quite easy to imagine what could happen if the scales were tipped too far one way or another. In Alone, the scales have been kicked over and one girls harmless lie becomes the center piece of a struggle to survive on her own when she awakens to find her town completely deserted of people. No explanations, only empty neighborhoods, abandoned cell phones gathered in barrels, and questions no one can answer. As time crawls by and resources become scarce she must learn to fend for herself and the dog who becomes her only solace. As the years pass she must decide if she will venture forth into the unknown or stay in case of rescue. This is a taunt adventure full of moments where courage is her only weapon. Like Island of The Blue Dolphins, our heroine faces an uncertain future alone in which her decisions will determine her very existence. A definite recommend for young readers who enjoy survival stories or are looking for a more dystopian look at the world.

Alone by Megan E. Freeman is an instant middle grade classic. This tale of survival is one that young readers will devour and return to again and again. The story follows Maddie as she survives her hometown, alone after a catastrophe has forced the population away. The story is fixed on Maddie's experiences as she learns to take care of herself. In many ways, this is a child's worst fear: to be left behind. The verse is so beautiful and terrifying, that this book can be devoured in days. Highly recommended for fans of Melanie Crowder and survival tales.

Beautiful story of survival. The verse format makes it easy to read for middle grade students. Highly recommended for school libraries.

Thank you NetGalley and Aladdin for sharing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A novel in verse DYSTOPIAN???? Once I saw that, I signed up. I loved the mystery of what happened to her neighbors and her family. The shock of waking up alone. The survival. This book made me scared, excited, and so many other emotions and I loved every minute.

⅘ stars
Reviewed by Book Chick


Alone is a middle grade dystopian novel set in present day Colorado. In this novel we follow Maddie, a 12 year old girl who plans a secret sleepover with her friends. It was just supposed to be a fun night of watching movies and eating junk food but then both friends bail and Maddie decides to stay the night at her grandparents' empty apartment anyway. But all goes horribly wrong when the entire town is evacuated due an imminent threat. However none of the news channels are mentioning what the threat is and none of the adults have told Maddie anything about a threat. The only thing she can do is ride as fast as she can to where the buses were supposed to be evacuating everyone. Things get a lot worse when she arrives and the buses are gone and there are barrels of dumped cell phones.

Our main character decides to follow her fathers advice about being lost and alone which is to stay put and wait for help. As the days wear on this young girl must learn to survive on her own. Maddie rescues her neighbors rottweiler George and together they learn how to find food, stock supplies for winter, find answers without the internet and even survive a couple of natural disasters and some looters. This book may be middle grade but is not for the faint of heart, I ugly cried a couple of times and had to put it down for a while. However, that being said this book was very inspiring and makes it clear that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. The main character was very smart, innovative and resilient. I personally don’t think i would have stayed sane very long in her situation but i suppose that is another thing I took away from this book is that we can always surprise ourselves.

This is a must read although, if you are letting your middle grader read this perhaps insist on reading it in small doses and discuss it with them.

This was an intense story of a young girl who finds herself all alone in her small Colorado town after everyone is evacuated. She must fend for herself, learning about herself and growing as an individual.

This really made me look forward to reading every day. It's a great adventure for kids who enjoy survival stories. I loved it and can't wait for more from this author.

Maddie is twelve. Her parents are divorced. She alternates weekends with them. One weekend she plans to go to her grandparent's apartment and invite two friends to sleepover with her. She lies to her parents telling one she is with the other parent vice versa. Her friends cancel and she is left by herself. She stays and goes to sleep awakening to a unbelievable living nightmare.

Overnight, an emergency took place which caused an immediate evacuation for everyone everywhere it seems. Maddie is left all alone the only companion is the neighbors dog. Her story is of survival and the will to keep on with hopes that her parents will someday come back for her. Or, that someone would rescue her.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The storyline is interesting. It got a bit suspenseful towards the end. I was on the edge of my seat.

I received this ARC for an honest review. Thank you @booksforwardpr for this ARC.

I enjoyed this book, but I hated the ending. I won't talk about that as it is nothing but spoilers.
As a rule of thumb I only like traditional poetry with rhyme and rhythm, but in novels in verse like this I make and exception, and enjoy the shorted story.
I would say more, but I really don't know how to explain without spoilers.

Unfortunately, I decided not to post my review of this book anywhere except on Netgalley, due to my inability to give it a good review.

The tale, while packed with emotion, fails to really bring across a believable situation for a girl of this age. There are so many holes in the background and surrounding world, and the main characters thoughts and actions, that it made it difficult to connect with the tale.

The prose is a powerful writing style and did make the 400+ pages quick to read. There was a lot of emotion, and as an adult, I especially appreciated the well-woven mix of tale, scenes, and thoughts. This had tons of potential.

I'm sure others enjoy it, but I didn't connect with it, nor did my children.

After Maddie wakes up to a town that has been evacuated and abandoned, she must learn to survive on her own. With the company of only the neighbor dog, she learns how to survive and does so for the next three years. I enjoyed reading about the things she does to survive, and it keeps the readers engaged. I also liked how quick of a read it is due to the structure of the story. I felt that the ending was a bit rushed and left me wanting more. Overall, I will purchase it for my library and recommend it to students who enjoy Hatchet and Island of the Blue Dolphins.