Francie has lost everything and now finds herself at Green Mountain Academy. She thrives here and makes a true friend who understands her. Her love for Cave exploring and rock climbing quickly turns a stormy night into one of life survival when a small plane goes missing.

Purely YA this book will be a very enjoyable read for younger teens. The writing is pure and focuses on capturing the right age group. All the girls at the Academy is easy to get to know and captures your attention. I like how the author added in a bit of mischief to give that sense of feeling in a boarding school.

Although not for my age group, this was still enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Adventure | 9-14
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I thoroughly enjoyed Greenslade’s novel for children, Red Fox Road, and still recommend it to young readers looking for a modern adventure story. In this sequel, Francie is back in Canada, having started at a girls’ wilderness school since her mother is in hospital due to the emotional trauma of being lost in the Oregon wilderness, and her father remains missing. She’s coping with a heavy emotional burden, of course, but the school’s outdoor philosophy is exactly what she needs, and Francie thrives in the tiny program. But when a snowstorm strikes and a plane is missing, Francie’s demons force her to make the poor decision to head out to search for survivors on her own. (Big weak point, but really, it’s the only one.) How she relies on her training, knowledge, and her experience to calm her fears and overcome a number of potentially deadly situations creates an exciting action-packed story that will thrill young readers. I loved that it’s set in the Okanagan, and truly, what a treasure this fictional school would be for girls who like to climb and hike and investigate the natural world. I like her friendships with the other girls, and the strong bonds they form as they learn and explore together. There is some resolution to the lingering questions from Red Fox Road, and this more optimistic ending will satisfy those who wanted to know what happened to Francie. My thanks to Tundra Books for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60013116

This very exciting adventure story is about Francie, who is attending a girls only adventure school in the Canadian wilderness. It's run by two sisters and Francie has ended up there after the loss of her twin sister and her dad and her mother's illness. Francie has found friends and peace at the school but during a terrible snow storm, Francie finds out that the school is in danger of closing. Francie hears some funny noises during the storm and goes out to investigate and finds a plane crash. She and her friends help the people, but endanger themselves during the rescue. It's an exciting story with interesting characters and storylines.

I love girls boarding school stories, and am iffy on survival stories, and was hoping the combination of those genres would work for me. Green Mountain Academy is located in the British Columbia forests and it's dedicated to teaching girls wilderness survival skills. Only a small group of girls attend, and Francie, our main character, is one such girl. Following some tragic circumstances, she chooses the remote school over living with her aunt in Vancouver. Francie is coping with immense loss and grief, but has found friends and a place at Green Mountain that is starting to feel like home. All that is threatened by the school's potential closure. On top of that, there's a terrible storm which tests Francie, and the other girls. This is a layered, action-packed novel, and Francie is a complicated character. I was enjoying it, until Francie chose to go out alone in the middle of the night in a wicked snow storm to search for a potential downed plane. It felt so ridiculous, dangerous, and inauthentic that it angered me. From there the novel lost some of its power and then some later developments were downright silly. There is lots to like about this book, but the plot was disappointing.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tundra Books for the ARC.

What a fun adventure book for girls. Just, GREAT! I would love to read the first in the series (I didn't realize there was a book prior to this) and would have loved these when I was younger.

Green Mountain Academy is the perfect book for someone looking to read an adventure story! The story follows Francie, a girl with a love for nature and a traumatic past, as she bravely goes on a search and rescue mission in the middle of a snow storm. This novel is the perfect companion piece for stories like Gary Paulsen's "Hatchet," as it features young teens using their knowledge of nature and outdoor survival skills in order to navigate the challenges of nature. The characters are easy to connect with and the writer does an excellent job of ensuring that they are believably written, even as they strive to do something extraordinary: like risking their own lives in hopes of saving others.

I would consider this a mid-grade read, ideally for students in middle school.

This is an exciting well-written novel that will not let you stop reading. I like that it starts very focused on climbing jargon and it's perfect for those who love to climb but also for those who love adventure. For fans of Hatchet, the characters of the n novel are quite brave ( although they doubt themselves most of the time) they don't hesitate to risk their lives for others. This is a book I gladly return to each year.

I loved this book almost as much as I loved Greenslade's earlier book for adults, Shelter. This book is filled with smart, athletic girls who save the day, but still have personal issues and losses to deal with. I look forward to handselling this book to my customers looking for something outside the ordinary.