Book Review: To Stay Alive

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Told in riveting, keenly observed poetry, a moving first-person narrative as experienced by a young survivor of the tragic Donner Party of 1846.

The journey west by wagon train promises to be long and arduous for nineteen-year-old Mary Ann Graves and her parents and eight siblings. Yet she is hopeful about their new life in California: freedom from the demands of family, maybe some romance, better opportunities for all. But when winter comes early to the Sierra Nevada and their group gets a late start, the Graves family, traveling alongside the Donner and Reed parties, must endure one of the most harrowing and storied journeys in American history. Amid the pain of loss and the constant threat of death from starvation or cold, Mary Ann’s is a narrative, told beautifully in verse, of a girl learning what it means to be part of a family, to make sacrifices for those we love, and above all to persevere.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

This was such a beautiful book. It was gritty, horrifying, real, and extremely deep. To Stay Alive is a story told in short poems that tell the fictionalized yet somewhat true story of Mary Ann Graves. Who was a member of the tragic Donner party.

The author tells the story straight up. She makes is engaging but honest. She tells the really gruesome parts without sensationalizing things. She really shares the horrible and bleak things that the pioneers faced. The boring parts, the dirty parts, and the sad and somber parts are all shown in great detail. This isn't an easy read, however, it is a good and important one.

I love the main character, Mary Ann. While her voice seems mature it was important to remember that she was a fairly young girl when everything happened. I loved how she was emotional and loveable. She cared for her family and was a great sister to her younger brother Frank, hold him when she was exhausted and tired. Her voice created a tone for the story. One of hunger, sadness, hope, horror, excitement. It was interesting watching her grow through out the story.

I love free verse poetry, it works so well for this story.

Overall it is a great story. It is a quick read but not a light read. There were parts of this book at the end that made me put the book down and think a lot. I feel like this book will stick with me for a while. I find myself wondering what I would have done on the trail. Would I have followed the same path? It would have been very difficult making some of those choices. It really was eye-opening. Glad I picked it up at the library will be buying it for sure.