In Sole Survivor, readers are given a descriptive adventure of survival and perseverance alongside a deep and emotional journey to an understanding of the people in the young protagonist’s life. Norm is a young athlete who has been guided and encouraged by his father to push the limits and reach for achievements outside his comfort zone. His mother and her new boyfriend provide a different life experience, especially through the boyfriend’s judgment, discipline, and at times, brutality. When Norm, his father, and his father’s girlfriend experience a plane crash high in the mountains, Norm has to rely on every challenge, obstacle, and lesson he has faced to survive, but with his father dead, Norm worries whether he has learned enough.
Norm is a main character to whom readers can relate. His problems are real and weighty, and his resilience and perseverance make his a role model.

This is an amazing true-story survival tale of an 11-year-old boy who must make his way to safety after his plane crashes on an icy mountain. It was a fast read and I really enjoyed hearing about how the author had the mental toughness and skill to survive even though everyone else in the crash was killed. The writing is very good, and lent itself to a smooth and easy reading experience.

While I certainly enjoyed the book, I think this would be especially meaningful to readers who know a lot about skiing and surfing. As someone who has never even been to the ocean, I found a lot of the descriptions about surfing difficult to follow. I also had a hard time envisioning the mountain that Norman was climbing down. There are a lot of detailed descriptions, and while they help to make the story realistic, they aren't exactly super meaningful to people who haven't had similar experiences. Considering this is a book marketed towards middle-grade readers I feel like this might be a challenge for others as well.

Overall I feel like this is a well-written and entertaining survival story. I'm happy to see a true story be published in the middle-grade category, as I feel like there are less of them than there should be. I would recommend this book, however I would probably hold off on younger readers since is is pretty dark and touches on some serious topics. I also feel like it could be hard to follow for less strong readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7591521227

In Sole Survivor, Norman Ollestad recounts the true story of surviving a devastating plane crash at age 11—and the complex, often turbulent relationship he had with the father, who helped shape him for that moment.

This is more than just a survival story—it’s a powerful reflection on resilience, grief, and the way love can be both inspiring and painful. The writing is vivid, placing you right inside the storm—both literally and emotionally.

💬 “My dad trained me for this moment. And I didn’t even know it.”

Ollestad’s journey is one of courage and self-discovery, told with unflinching honesty.

If you love memoirs that go deep, this one will stay with you long after the last page.
I feel this is a perfect read for kids in the 6th-8th grade.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e arc in exchange for an honest review!

Students are going to love this gripping survival true story. Norman, his dad, his dad’s girlfriend, Sandra, and pilot Rob are on their way to collect Norm’s ski trophy when the plane crashes on a mountain. It’s split wide open, and the pilot is dead. Norm wakes up freezing and realizes he’s stuck on the side of a mountain in a snowstorm. He hears Sandra and realizes his dad is dead. Sandra and Norm walk some, slide and fall, and then Sandra vanishes down the mountain and is gone. Norm knows he has to keep going and save himself using what he learned from skiing and surfing to help keep his balance. He remembers his dad saying, “never give up.” He hears a plane, then eventually sees a boot print. He hears a voice and then staggers out to a road. He is saved.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

My son is a big fan of Hatchet, so when I saw this I knew I had to get it for him. He said it was very good and really enjoyed it. He said it reminded him along to hatchet and liked some of the differences as well. He said he liked that they went out to find help to save themselves, instead of staying put.

I will definitely be purchasing this for our school library. As an elementary school librarian, I'm always looking for books for our advanced third and 4th graders. This is something they would enjoy greatly.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC is exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a survival story that makes you feel you're right there experiencing what the author went through. It's tragic yet uplifting to see how well Norman took care of Sandra and himself.

This is certainly an engaging read. The descriptions bring the reader right into the action. This book will be great for readers who love adventure, overcoming, and survival. There's also a little bit of amazement in it! Love the inclusion of the weather as a major obstacle to overcome.

Sole Survivor is a fast-paced, emotional middle grade survival story perfect for fans of Hatchet or the I Survived series. Told through the eyes of an 11-year-old boy who survives a real-life plane crash, it dives deep not just into survival, but also into grief, guilt, and healing after tragedy.

I loved how engaging and intense the story was, but I gave it 3.5 stars because the heavy use of surfing, skiing, and climbing language made it hard at times to picture what was happening—especially for readers unfamiliar with those sports. It’s a powerful coming-of-age story, best suited for kids around 9–13, but sensitive readers should know it deals with death, divorce, and survivor’s guilt.

Overall, a gripping and emotional read, even if a little tricky to follow in parts!

Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC! This book was riveting! Even without knowledge of scaling a mountain, i felt as if I was right there during his survival.

This is so wild that this is a true story! I was on pins and needles the entire time and it was amazing to have it told from the person who survived