The Starlight Claim
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Fast-paced, evocative, and intensely suspenseful, Tim Wynne-Jones’s latest psychological thriller finds a teenager setting his wits against the frigid wilderness and a menacing crew of escapees. Four months after his best friend, Dodge, disappeared near their families’ camp in a boat accident, Nate is still haunted by nightmares. He’d been planning to make the treacherous trek to the remote campsite with a friend — his first time in winter without his survival-savvy father. But when his friend gets grounded, Nate secretly decides to brave the trip solo in a journey that’s half pilgrimage, half desperate hope he will find his missing friend when no one else could. What he doesn’t expect to find is the door to the cabin flung open and the camp occupied by strangers: three men he’s horrified to realize have escaped from a maximum-security prison. Snowed in by a blizzard and with no cell signal, Nate is confronted with troubling memories of Dodge and a stunning family secret, and realizes that his survival now depends on his wits as much as his wilderness skills. As things spiral out of control, Nate finds himself dealing with questions even bigger than who gets to leave the camp alive.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Twenty-four years after the publication of Wynne-Jones's The Maestro, which traces 14-year-old Burl's flight from his abusive father, comes this "intergenerational sequel," an equally riveting survival tale featuring Burl's teenage son, Nate. Nearly four months have passed since Nate's friend Dodge disappeared from their families' campsite in the Canadian wilderness. He is presumed dead, but his body hasn't been found, and Nate is determined to search the site himself. His solo trek to Ghost Lake (Nate's parents mistakenly think he'll be accompanied by a friend) is hazardous enough in the winter, but the dangers increase when Nate finds that his family's cabin is occupied by escaped convicts. With no cellphone service and a blizzard on its way, Nate holes up in a neighboring cabin and must rely on his knowledge, wits, and instincts to survive his ordeal. An action-packed adventure featuring snowmobile chases, violent encounters, and Nate's courageous attempt to provide aid, the book is also a poignant coming-of-age story with Nate, haunted by memories of Dodge, gaining new insight into his friend and discovering new facets of his heritage. Heavy foreshadowing makes some of the plot predictable, but the book's fast pace and frequent dramatic moments will hold the attention of even reluctant readers. Ages 14 up.
Customer Reviews
Wonderful YA Adventure
Braving the outdoors to head up to his family’s camp in Northern Ontario, Nate has a mission. His friend Dodge went missing several months ago when his family decided to deliver a refrigerator to their own camp, down the road from Nate’s. In a terrible accident, the boat capsized. Dodge’s dad and brother were found dead in the lake, but Dodge never was. Nate is determined to find Dodge.
Burl, Nate’s dad, made sure that Nate and his friend Paul were trained and ready to handle anything being up at camp alone. Paul has pulled out of the trip, which Nate didn’t tell his dad. So Nate heads up to camp anyway. But what Nate comes across when he gets there, even Burl couldn’t have planned for.
I was captivated by The Starlight Claim. Wynne-Jones has created a story that will hold you captive until the last page. Nate is your typical teenager. Dodge as well. They are very real characters encountering extraordinary circumstances. It’s an adventure from start to finish. I would highly recommend this suspense novel to anyone looking for a good read.