This book was different.  On the surface, it seemed like one I would really like–your basic “traveling the Oregon trail” book.  But I wasn’t a big fan of Fisher’s writing style.  She had way too many descriptions that slowed down the book, and when the action did take place, she would only allude to it, so, for example, I would realize pages after it had actually happened, that someone had died.  Basically, I had to concentrate too hard on the reading part to be able to enjoy this book.

My other major criticism has to do with the content.  (Spoiler alert ahead.)  A major part of the book is devoted to an extramarital affair.  The main characters engage in this affair without thought to the consequences for all of the children involved, and with the overall feeling of “something so beautiful must be right.”  Even though in the end, the characters physically do the right thing, emotionally, the reader is left with the feeling that true love should have triumphed and that everyone settled for second best in remaining faithful to marriage.  I know that this worldview isn’t limited to this one book, and that it pervades society as a whole.  Still, had I realized that this was the path Fisher was going to take, I would have spent my time reading something else.

When everyone over age 15 mysteriously vanishes from the town of Perdido Beach, the remaining kids are left to survive on their own, cut off from any contact with the outside world.  Albert and his friends look for answers, while trying to care for the younger children.  Caine and his gang also try to find answers, while trying to gain control of the town through fear and intimidation.

This was an action-packed novel of survival and teenage independence.  I would have loved it as a teenager, and even now, I really enjoyed it.  The mix of sci-fi and horror made for an exciting read.  It’s not going to be a classic book, but it’s definitely a great summer read and I’ll probably pick up the sequel too.

I’m kind of on an Oregon Trail kick right now.  This book is a fictional account of a real woman, Mary Rockwood Powers.  Powers wrote letters home to her family, describing their journey, and this book is based on those letters.  The title is certainly an accurate description of this family’s journey.  Mary’s husband scorned advice from experienced trail travelers and purchased beautiful horses to pull their wagon instead of oxen, left late in the spring, and began the journey alone without a wagon train or adequate provisions.   Once on the trail, her husband had a mental breakdown, and Mary was suddenly responsible for making life or death decisions for their family.  Step by step, Mary led her family to California, somehow managing to outlast the trail.

While I certainly admire Mary’s courage and determination, the book itself was somewhat exhausting to read.  The journey was long and harrowing, and there were few lighthearted moments to break the monotony of the struggle.  In that, O’Brien did an excellent job of portraying to the reader a small glimmer of what life on the trail must have been like.

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