Sole Survivor
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
“Sole Survivor is an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride right from page one. A real-life Hatchet for a new generation. You gotta read it to believe it!” —Alan Gratz, New York Times–bestselling author of Refugee and Heroes
“Inspirational, propulsive, and unforgettable. This one leaves a mark.” —Lamar Giles, author of The Getaway and Ruin Road
This riveting true story from two New York Times–bestselling authors chronicles how a California sixth grader survived a deadly mountainside plane crash during a snowstorm.
Eleven-year-old Norman Ollestad is no stranger to extreme situations. Whether it’s surfing big swells off Topanga Beach or skiing in a blizzard, he has braved one adrenaline-rush adventure after another, pushed by his thrill-seeking father to realize that “anything’s possible.” And with Dad by his side, sometimes Norman believes him.
That motto is put to the ultimate test when the small plane Norman and his dad are aboard is engulfed by a snowstorm and crashes in the San Gabriel Mountains—with deadly consequences. Struggling in and out of lucidity, haunted by the voices and memories from difficult moments in his past, Norman must decide what to do while trapped eight thousand feet above sea level, facing dangers unlike any he has encountered before.
Inspired by the harrowing true childhood experience of author Norman Ollestad, this astonishing, action-packed story, co-written with Brendan Kiely, is about fear, survival, and the complicated forces—and people—that shape us. Fast-paced and unputdownable, Sole Survivor is the perfect read for fans of Dusti Bowling’s The Canyon’s Edge, Megan E. Freeman’s Alone, and the I Survived series.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ollestad (French Girl with Mother, for adults) and Kiely (Tradition) team up to deliver a wrenching novel based on Ollestad's own childhood survival experience. In 1979, 11-year-old Ollestad wins a ski championship in Big Bear, Calif. Accompanied by his father and his father's girlfriend, Sandra, the youth travels six hours back to the Palisades so he can participate in a hockey game. The next morning, Ollestad's father charters a plane to return to Big Bear for the championship's closing ceremonies. En route, a blizzard slams the plane into the San Gabriel Mountains, killing the pilot and Ollestad's father and gravely injuring Sandra. Dazed and hurt, Ollestad must make his way down the mountain to seek help or risk spending the night exposed in the frigid landscape. As Ollestad descends, he ruminates on his mother's abusive boyfriend, his having to take on a caregiver role to save Sandra, and the resentment he feels toward his fractured family: "They were my parents, but not always my protectors. I had to save myself." Throughout this tale of resilience and finding the strength to weather terrifying and uncertain situations, Ollestad draws on skills he learned from skiing and surfing to survive, which the authors depict using technical sports jargon. Ages 10–14.
