04/29/2019
Seventeen-year-old loner Tom Calloway, an orphan, has no desire to fly to Costa Rica for a school-sponsored environmental research trip, but the dates align with his flaky guardian’s yoga retreat, so Tom reluctantly signs on. Their plane crashes in the jungle, killing everyone aboard except for Tom and 18 of his classmates. Politician’s son Joel Aspinall takes charge, ordering the group to stay put, but Tom doubts a timely rescue; they should have landed hours before the crash, which, he believes, means the pilot likely disabled the transponders and flew off course. As resources dwindle and illness and animal attacks claim additional lives, the teens debate a hike toward civilization. But with tensions rising and factions forming, the wilderness isn’t the only obstacle to their continued survival. Wignall (the Mercian Trilogy) fully exploits the setting of his adrenaline-fueled adventure, which meditates on fate while exploring the effects of adversity and grief. The setup is a bit unoriginal, and the kids’ knowledge and skills occasionally strain credulity, but nuanced character interactions help ground the action-studded plot. Ages 14–up. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider/ ICM Partners. (June)
