It’s been awhile since I’ve read a dystopian YA novel, and while it took me a little bit to get into, the second half really ramped up, it got SO intense, and then you realize at the end that this is not a standalone novel 😂. THERE WILL BE MORE. Which is fine, I just wasn’t expecting it.

I’ve never been on a cruise, so I had a hard time grasping the massive size of this ship that this story was taking place on, with its separate communities and the fact that someone could throw a grenade in one area and other areas of the ship could not be impacted at all.

I was a little confused on some of the backstory for how all these people ended up on the ship, and what was going on in the surrounding land areas, but I got enough of it for the story to move along. This book was described as Snowpiercer meets The Hunger Games, and I did catch some of those dark areas that were in line with The Hunger Games Trilogy, while fitting into their own storyline.

This novel is told from three different points of view, and I thought the author did a good job at letting us into three VERY different characters. I thought getting the POV of the villain was an interesting take.

Overall, the pacing and writing were good, well-written characters, and the story was interesting. If you like dystopian YA, I recommend checking this out!

This book is out January 3, 2023. 📚

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The writing was excellent (you would never know this is a debut novel). I can't imagine being stranded on a cruise ship my whole life and the author really brings this world to life. The action is non-stop and starts right from the beginning. If you enjoy dystopian books you definitely need to pick this one up!

I must admit, I would never have thought of basing a dystopian YA book on a cruse ship. The premise made me think of Lord of the Flies- people stranded, but in this case unable to make landfall It is action packed and I enjoyed it. Ester and Nik are great characters.

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

I was kind of excited to see a YA dystopia pop on NetGalley because I thought that trend was, like, super dead—although I think I myself had drifted away from it somewhere towards the middle. There’s a video essay by Sarah Z about the rise and fall of YA dystopia which, I think (it’s been a while since I’ve seen it, so apologies if I’m mis-summarising this), reaches the conclusion that the genre keeled over, partly due to over-saturation and the natural ebb and flow of the market, but also because it stopped making any fucking sense. As in, instead of, you know, instead of exploring a theoretically plausible dystopian settings things had degenerated into a kind of “what if teenagers had to [something impractically unpleasant]”, for which I think Divergent is something of the poster child. Anyway, where I’m going with that tangent, is that I think what really struck me about The Stranded is that it feels like a very, very believable dystopia.

The premise is a mysterious, and an ensuing war, has basically wiped out most of Europe. America, meanwhile, has fractured, with the Federated States being the established power, a wall dividing it from whatever lies on the other side. Our teenage heroine is one of the stranded, a descendent of one of the original travellers who took refuge on the cruise ship Arcadia when the virus broke out and—despite having had no incidents of the virus for literally decades—are still being denied entry to the Federated States. That this setting is clearly derived from, err, shit that was going on in the world a few years ago (with Trump in the White House and stories of stranded cruise ships, like the Diamond Princess or the Zaandam getting some media attention during the pandemic) is probably what renders The Stranded such an effective dystopia (compared to, y’know, ‘what if teenagers were only allowed one personality trait’) but I could also see—given how close we still are to living in our dystopia—a certain … opportunism, perhaps, that may to some people feel slightly distasteful.

For what it’s worth, I didn’t personally feel that way. I think that, while the setting is clearly influenced by the pandemic and its broader political context, the book was also at pains to establish differences between the real past and the fictional present: the virus, for example, originates in Europe (not Asia) and then there’s the war that has turned the continent into a wasteland, and while there’s a wall down the middle of the US now, the details of how and why it came about are left vague. Anyway, YMMV is what I’m saying.

The book is multi-viewpoint, but I’d personally say the main protagonist is Esther. Raised on the Arcadia, she is currently training to be a doctor as part of a programme that is supposed to get top candidates in highly skilled profession (like doctors and military officers) admittance to the Federated States. The Arcadia is currently a sort of panopticon, run under a martial law imposed by officers from the Federated States, ostensibly to protect citizens from the gangs that previously threatened the ship, but mostly about enforcing control. When Esther, previously unassuming and diligent, is present at an illegal leaflet drop she gets pulled into a rebellion that has brewing for generations. The other POV characters are Nik, one of the rebels, who is in love with Esther’s sister, and Hadley, the sadistic representative of the Federated States who has been assigned to the Arcadia as punishment for a previous indiscretion.

Of the three POVs, I found Esther the most compelling, perhaps because she had the most significant emotional journey to undertake. Nik felt a bit more utilitarian, his personality slightly subsumed by his narrative function, which was allowing the reader to see what was going on with the rebels. And Hadley … well. I honestly feel a bit ambiguous about villain POVs, especially if they become glamorised, but there’s no danger of that with Hadley. He’s legitimately terrifying—this mixture of entitlement and grievance that renders him ruthless, unpredictable, and absolutely irredeemable. I confess to being slightly fascinated by his perspective, not because there was anything particularly special about him as a person (his villainy is always banal, stemming from unchecked power and contempt) but because we get to understand his goals, see his perspective, even his vulnerability, and the forces he himself is in conflict with (he is as desperate to get off the Arcadia as the citizens) and he is still not only monstrous but monstrously uncool. That feels like quite an accomplishment.

The Stranded, in general, pulls no punches. Some pretty terrible shit and dramatic shit goes down over the course of the book. And, given the high stakes and escalating tension, I’m somewhat surprised by some of the more negative reviews that found the book slow. For me, it had a thriller-like compulsiveness that kept me tearing through the pages. In fact, the book was so relentlessly plot-driven that I felt some of its character moments got a little lost in the action—I think I felt more emotional connection between Esther and the bloke who servers her coffee in the opening chapter than I did between any of the romantic couples. Basically, The Stranded asks us to take a lot of pre-existing relationships for granted—especially between siblings and between lovers—before the story kicks off and doesn’t always do the best job of allowing us to invest. For example, Esther’s boyfriend Alex is clearly made of red flags from top-to-toe but the book doesn’t give us time to believe in him as someone who is NOT made of red flags from top-to-toe which makes Esther’s commitment to him and everyone else’s willingness to just trust him a bit frustrating. On the other hand, I really appreciated the way The Stranded allowed its characters to behave non-heroically. A grieving Nik says some truly terrible things to Esther. And Esther herself, while she comes through in the end, is given space to be scared and overwhelmed, and make bad decisions—as, I think, most people would in the same position.

In any case, I enjoyed The Stranded a lot, finding it both gripping and oddly grounded for a YA dystopia (it even makes a degree of sense why the rebellion is resting on the shoulders of young people instead of, y’know, actual adults). While it faltered occasionally in its characterisation, it shines it terms of its plotting, its setting and its risk-taking. If nothing else, book 1 ends in a wildly different place to where it began, which gives me hope for book 2 maintaining its momentum and its breakneck pace.

Entertaining, and fun thrill ride aboard The Stranded. Similar feeling to Snowpiercer, however this book had more turns and rebellion complexes.

I had some trouble getting into this book. It hit a little too close to reality with the Pandemic issues.. But by the later half of the book I was hooked. Quite action packed. Lost a few characters that I did not expect but that is a good thing. Loved it.

This book has a fantastic eye-catching cover. When I read the blurb I was expecting something darker and deeper but the sixteen year old characters just weren't believable to me. The action scenes didn't grip me at all, I think bc the world/character building was lacking. I just didn't feel the menace I was supposed to from a police force called "coalies." Instead I mostly felt frustration at the stupid characters. I loved the premise but I think I'm not the right audience for this. I will abstain from sharing this poor review beyond what is necessary.

I think this book signals the end up my young adult dystopian days. If this book had come out when I was deep into my love for all things Hunger Games and Divergent, I would have quickly become obsessed. Now? I realize this genre of book is no longer my cup of tea.
Don't get me wrong! I know this book is a good book and many will love it, even if I didn't. I can see that it is well written, it has drama and action and evil government and rebellion and social issues. I can see that the different characters are well crafted and add depth to the overall story. I quite enjoyed being able to read from Hadley, Nik, and Esther's point-of-view. I can definitely see many becoming obsessed with this book.
All that being said, I can tell this book is a debut book, but that's not a bad thing.

Ok this is definitely not a Hunger Games kind of book - there's no competition. This is a group of people stuck on a ship in an apocalyptical world, where a new "government" is set up to control the population.

We don't get a big view or story about the outside world, but what we do know, is that after some chemical virus was dropped on parts of Europe during a war, people who were trying to escape, got stuck on a big cruise ship on the waters of Federal Nations. The Federal Nations do not want to take on the responsibility of taking care of these people, or get infected with the possible virus that these people carry, so these ships are kind of stuck in this limbo.

The people make though, and their lives go on. New kids are born, are taught and trained in hopes to be accepted as workers for the Federal Nations. However, like in any real world, there are micro groups that are trying to abuse and use the system to better their own lives, as well as rebellion groups that want to get off.

Everything crashes together, when the girl gets pulled into the wrong side of the "law", and finally sees the ship and its future for what it is. Now, it is a ticking clock to save everyone and herself.

It was an intense read, and quite fun. There's a lot of action, friendships, betrayals and even romance. The ending was a cliffhanger, so looking forward to the next installment of this story.

The premise of this book was compelling but I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. I found it a bit confusing and difficult to follow. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing me with this an advanced copy of this book.

Yes, yes, yes! We have all heard about the Cruise Ships that were quarantined at the beginning of COVID. I will admit I wondered what that experience would be like. The story of the Arcadia and those left stranded make for a thrilling dystopian YA read

The first novel in a two-part series, this was a good read - and I'm really looking forward to the second book. Relatable characters, good pacing, and while it is cliche - it will make a really good series or movie (in the right hands - if they screw up the casting on Enid I will riot!). Two generations after a civil war and virus fracture the U.S., a number of stranded cruise ships have languished off the eastern coast. People live and die on board, under massive surveillance and strict control. The author did such a great job setting the scene that the ship itself becomes a character (or maybe it is my fear of being stuck on a cruise ship)? Really good combination of setting, characters, and contemporary topics like surveillance, social control, a mysterious virus, and yes, hope. Despite everything, the characters never give up. They're not perfect, they make mistakes, and they (and others) pay for them. Looking forward to the second installment!

This was so promising.....but I just found it a bit confusing and hard to follow at times. I am sure others won't have this problem, but for me I stayed pretty confused

I feel that this book had a very timely and interesting premise… In 2051 the cruise ship Arcadia becomes a refuge from a deadly virus that is sweeping through Europe (and most of the world as well). It is now forty years later, and the Arcadia and 15 other cruise ships are near the coast of the Federated States. No one is allowed to leave the ship. The ship is divided by classes, based on the price of the original cruise ship ticket. First class has the best accommodations and the most resources. The stowaways, and third class citizens have few resources and there are gangs and violence in their home in the bottom of the ship. The uneven distribution of power and resources leads to rebellion.

I found this book really confusing and hard to get into. At the beginning, there is no introduction to the plot and it just jumps into action scenes and alternating POV’s between characters. I found this confusing, and honestly not very compelling. I feel that an introduction to the situation and characters before the action would have been less confusing and more interesting. While the last part of the book is quite interesting, I feel that many readers will struggle to get to that point after the confusing and somewhat draggy begging and middle parts of this book.

Overall, while I felt this book was ok, I feel that except for the cruise ship element it wasn’t very original. This book pales in comparison to Snowpiercer and Hunger Games.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC to read and review.

I really enjoyed this book. Reminded me a lot of the tv show Snow Piercer. The Stranded takes place on a luxury cruise liner 74 years in the future after a deadly virus has taken over. They are docked in the water near the Federated States and unable to leave. Even though there have been zero cases of the virus in decades, the residents on land do not want it spread. I liked the many different storylines amongst the different Main characters. I am hoping there is a book 2 since it ended with much more story to tell.

The Arcadia, a former luxury cruise ship, has been sitting just offshore of the Federated States. It’s the year 2094 and the scene is post apocalyptic. Generations of families have lived on The Arcadia for years, some waiting for a chance to leave the ship by training in medic or military courses.

Esther (medic trainee) and her sister May (corps trainee) come from a fairly well-off family with a home on the upper decks. Both are nearing their course completions and soon will be graduating to complete their training off-boat. But a rebellion has been brewing in the underbelly of the ship for years and The Arcadia’s captain isn’t in charge of the vessel anymore. It’s being run by a far worse and regimented criminal.

I found <i>The Stranded</i> to hold my attention in some sections, while in others, I just couldn’t get it to make sense. Some of the plot points seemed to be a bit misconfigured; it would have made more sense to explain them more thoroughly before hand.

Like others, I enjoyed the fact that this novel didn’t include any love triangles. I enjoyed the main characters and their perspectives - but felt we could have been given more insight into May’s character and background.

Once a luxurious cruise ship, the Arcadia has now been a floating refugee camp for the last forty years. Driven out into sea from Europe after an apocalyptic war, it now floats off the east coast of the Federated States - a leftover section of what was once the USA.

Ester is a loyal citizen aboard the Arcadia and has been working towards becoming a medic to get the rare chance of getting to the dry land. Nik is a rebel, who has been helping form a plan that will liberate the Arcadia once and for all.

When events on the ship throw their lives together, it changes everything. This novel is told between 3 alternating POVs: Ester, Nik, and Hadley. In true YA style, this novel has action, drama, evil and corrupt governments, social issues, and high stakes.

I was excited about this book - stuck on a cruise ship for decades, what does that even look like? I feel like Sarah Daniels did a wonderful job at teleporting me onto that ship and really experiencing the lives these characters went through. The claustrophobic feeling of never really being able to have your own space and constantly under a watching eye made my head spin.

I’m curious to see where this will end up going, as this is the first book in the series. I will definitely be picking up the next book for sure to see the continued storyline and what happens next. This is a perfect book for those dystopian YA novel readers for sure!

<spoiler> I haven’t been on something as big as a cruise ship, just a few fishing boats here and there. But one of the things that kind of shocked me, that I kind of wished was mentioned, was Ester and her “sea legs” verses on land. For someone who was born and raised on a cruise ship and has never felt solid land under her feet, I was waiting for her to mention it.</spoiler>

*Thank You Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This book sounded amazing however I found it to be a bit boring and hard to follow. The constant character jumps were super confusing. As some of the characters were so similar they almost melded together.

This was a really creative take on the post-pandemic/dystopia trope — esp as we’re catching up on the SNOWPIERCER tv show at home. Daniels did an excellent job of drawing the Arcadia with its various decks and related caste systems. The characters were all familiar and also very much their own people. In particularly, Hadley is the type of baddie you love to hate, generally, but we’re given a lot of great insight into his particular why’s.

While THE STRANDED is the start of a series, it’s also a great standalone story. I want to know what happens next, obviously, but it ends with one part of the tale fully wrapped up so I don’t feel cheated. All in all, an excellent debut.

This is a must-read for any fans of YA dystopian fiction. A massive cruise ship full of isolated passengers has been held hostage just off the coast of the former United States for over 40 years, now housing three generations. They have far outgrown their space, They have developed their own underground societies. And they have a group of young people dedicated to saving the ship and her inhabitants by any means necessary.

This was a difficult book to read, as the distress jumped off the page. The first third or so felt heavy with detail and background explanation. From that point forward, however, I was emotionally invested, and still find myself thinking about the characters weeks later.

Will easily recommend this four-star read.