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Survive

Alex Morel

3.70 · Rating details · 3,033 ratings · 476 reviews

Hatchet meets Lost in this modern-day adventure tale of one girl's reawakening

Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountain

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Hardcover, 259 pages

Published August 2nd 2012 by Razorbill (first published July 1st 2012)

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2012 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade)

1,041 books — 6,587 voters

The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

August 2012

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Average rating 3.70 ·

Rating details

· 3,033 ratings · 476 reviews

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Aug 13, 2012 karen rated it liked it

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya, live-through-this, bossy-book-titles

like This is Not a Test, this book seeks to answer the question of "what happens to suicidal characters when they are forced into life-or-death decision-making in a crisis situation?" unlike This is Not a Test, this book has zero zombies.

but it does do a good job of depicting a character who wants to throw her life away until she is placed in a situation with someone who really wants to live. jane has been born into a family tradition of suicide. three generations before her have had someone mak ...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Molly Dessources rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 26, 2012 Keertana rated it it was ok

Shelves: why-the-hype

I feel as if you need to be a certain type of person to really like Survive and somehow, I just didn’t fit into that role. Not only have I never been depressed, known anyone who has committed suicide, or known anyone who has died from cancer, I’ve also read more than my fair share of survival stories. For me, Survive was one of those novels where the author threw you head-first into the conflicted emotions of a character and almost expected you to understand them opposed to making you unde I feel as if you need to be a certain type of person to really like Survive and somehow, I just didn’t fit into that role. Not only have I never been depressed, known anyone who has committed suicide, or known anyone who has died from cancer, I’ve also read more than my fair share of survival stories. For me, Survive was one of those novels where the author threw you head-first into the conflicted emotions of a character and almost expected you to understand them opposed to making you understand them, and that is where the majority of my problems lie with this story. While it has a fascinating premises, Survive simply does not work to create a rich and compelling novel about suicide and familial issues while simultaneously throwing in a plot of survival, which made my experience with this story far from exhilarating.

I think the plotline of Survive is quite standard and predictable if you’ve read a decent amount of survival novels and YA Romance stories. Jane, our protagonist, is flying home to visit her mother after spending some time in a facility where she has been fooling her doctors into thinking she is no longer suicidal. Just when Jane is about to kill herself on the plane though, the airplane crashes, leaving her stranded on a mountain during a blizzard with only one other passenger – her flight-mate, Paul. As Paul and Jane struggle to survive, Jane also slowly begins to realize the beauty and gift that living truly is, but just as she is beginning to want to live, the question of her survival in the wilderness hangs over her head like a plague.

I really enjoyed the premises of Survive, but I found the novel to be extremely hard to get into. In fact, the plane doesn’t even crash until nearly a third of the story is over and all we’ve actually learned in that time is that the only reason Jane feels compelled to commit suicide is because her father and grandmother and other members of her family have killed themselves too. Call me heartless, but I didn’t think that was enough of a reason to really want to kill yourself. I mean, generations of my family have had diabetes, but that doesn’t mean I’m stuffing myself with unhealthy food so I can get diabetes too! I just couldn’t connect with Jane on any level and found her narration to be difficult to read as well since my attention kept wandering. Furthermore, I couldn’t comprehend how Jane’s desire to kill herself evaporated once she realized that she and Paul were the lone survivors of their plane crash. While I do agree that life-threatening situations can really change a person’s outlook on the world, I felt as if her change of heart was too drastic to really be moving or realistic in the least.

Jane aside, I thought the romance in this story was quite unnecessary. I’ll admit that I liked Paul and enjoyed many of his conversations with Jane, but I wasn’t invested in this whirlwind love story at all. Plus, I found the ending of this story to be too predictable, not to mention the actual survival feats to be lame and disappointing. I’ve read much better survival stories than this one and really can’t recommend this to anyone, unless you haven’t read any survival stories in the past. If you’re looking for a survival story, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for a deep and provocative read, also look elsewhere. I just don’t feel like this is a book I’d want anyone else to read – it was disappointing on way too many levels.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings. ...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Lyndsey rated it really liked it

Shelves: present-tense, books-read-in-2012, content-language, rated-3-and-a-half-stars, genre-young-adult, genre-ya-thriller, made-me-turn-pages-complusively, 1st-person, content-sexual-situations, romance-rated-pg-13

The girl on the cover totally reminds me of a younger blonde version of Lori from The Walking Dead. She just has that look in her eye that Lori has. Like "I may look innocent, but I will bash your head in with a car hubcap if I have to." ...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Kat Young rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Ok so probably more like 3.5 stars.

HERE BE SPOILERS!!!!! Read on at own risk!!!

Many many small plot holes, like one second shes describing trees and the next she says she cant see anything around her at all, or why would airport security allow Paul to bring a knife on the plane??

Also a few issues with character emotion. It seemes Jane only felt she had a duty to comit suicide because it ran in her family, she never seemed all that upset about her father. I was also distracted for a while with ...more

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May 03, 2012 Mollie Goz rated it it was amazing

This book made me cry. There is something so gripping and edgy about it that I just couldn't put it down. From the very beginning we're thrust into the rawness of Jane's emotions and can't help ourselves but to invest in the survival of this beautiful, tortured girl. But it's really the relationship between Jane and Paul that make this novel. As the only two survivors of the crash, their relationship is put on a fast track as they go from apparent dislike to friendship to love. Instead of showin ...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Booknut rated it really liked it

Shelves: gorgeous-guys, kleenex-tissues-required, heartwarming, romance, heartbreak-and-loss, can-t-get-enough-of, madness-and-psychosis

HEEEEELLLLLLLLLL NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

I'm drowning in a sea of infuriated tears.

Because Alex Morel did not just do what I know she just did.

You thought the plane crash was bad?! Well let me just say that you're gonna wish the protagonist died in the crash, because there's nothing but suffering, heartache and goddamn FEELS awaiting her!

Why?! Why do authors feel the need to rip our hearts out? Are their lives so lack-lustre, so mundane and happy-go-lucky, that they wake up and go, "Today...to ...more

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May 25, 2013 Trisha rated it really liked it

"You can indulge at death's door"

What an amazing story about survival and love and the connection between two people that can only come from experiencing something 'life or death' together.

The writing style works perfectly with the story. Haunting and short, it gives just enough detail so you know what's going on but never bogs down. And the book is a complete page turner. And with each chapter, it gets more intense and you can't flip the pages quick enough, can't absorb the words fast enough!

An ...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Desiree rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads

What an intense book. Survive is one hell of an action packed read. In the very beginning I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get into it and I was starting to feel like I was going to be let down being as my hopes for survive were pretty high. But let me just say that I was terribly wrong. As soon as Jane and Paul's plane crashes it is a race to survive against the elements as well as their pasts. I cannot say how impressed I am with Mr. Morel's ability to paint a stark and debilitating ...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Emilija rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: stand-alone, 2013-reads

Ok so the book starts with our main character, Jane, in the nut house getting ready to leave for her Christmas trip. And a few chapters later we see Jane finally boarding the plane of doom. At the very last minute before the plane takes off a guy comes along and sits down next to Jane, he introduces himself and we now know him as Paul the asshole. They talk for a while, then stop talking when Jane finally gets enough of him and his ego. They all fall asleep and sometime later she wakes up and de Ok so the book starts with our main character, Jane, in the nut house getting ready to leave for her Christmas trip. And a few chapters later we see Jane finally boarding the plane of doom. At the very last minute before the plane takes off a guy comes along and sits down next to Jane, he introduces himself and we now know him as Paul the asshole. They talk for a while, then stop talking when Jane finally gets enough of him and his ego. They all fall asleep and sometime later she wakes up and decides that it is time and goes into the bathroom to do the deed. But at this particular time the plane starts to malfunction and starts plummeting to the ground. Blackout.

Survive wasn't as moving as I thought - or wanted - it to be. To be honest, I thought that this book could have been a lot longer without being boring. I think this storyline could have been easily expanded. Everything felt as if it's happening way too fast. The author basically throws you in and expects you to know everything already - and this is what I mean that the storyline could have been expanded, the backstory and the emotions of Jane as well as Paul could have been explained in better detail. It almost feels as if the author didn't really know herself what it really was that she was writing about. All we were ever told were the major big events that happened in their life - all of the tragedies - but we were never told how the characters felt or how they dealt with them or what they did or even if they suppressed all of it until a certain period, it was just very messy, ok?

After the plane crashed and Jane regained consciousness, she went out of the bathroom to look around, eventually she found Paul stuck, she had to help him and literally five minutes after she did she started spilling her guts to him. I understand the fact that the plane crash was clearly a shock to her - them - but come on! I'm pretty sure there would have been better ways to show the shock she - they - are feeling. And speaking of shock, there wasn't one. They were just like ' Oh hey, the plane crashed. Ok, let's go find someone to help us now.' I give the author the 'You Tried' star because she did when she had Pauls character say stupid and insulting shit when he's nervous and stuff, but it really didn't do it for me.

I really expected something more from this. I expected emotional blackmail or something but no. Nothing. Jane finally realised that she wanted to live and what a gift life was and I'm just sitting there like 'YOU DON'T SAY?!' Goddamn bitch, it takes you a fucking plane crash to realise that life is worth living no matter what? FUCK, that shit got me heated. (I mean no disrespect to anyone who has actually suffered from depression or has ever felt suicidal, I'm only saying those things because the character felt fake to me.)

Oh and here's something else I wanna say. You know the combination of pills she wanted to take to make up her 'kryptonite'? WELL MAH BITCHIN' PEEPS, it seems that the author has made a mistake there because she says that Jane researched it online.

Think about this for a moment.

Online.

Wouldn't the internet history be monitored at a place like Life House? Wouldn't it? Just something to think about.
...more

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Jan 24, 2014 Kristy 施玮 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: people who have felt despondent or heartsick

Shelves: moral-values-beliefs, chill-to-the-bone, made-me-cry, before-goodreads, travelling, pretty-good, so-romantic, needs-to-be-made-into-movie, from-library, lots-of-drama

5 STARS

I finished this book in two and a half hours and I have to say that this book truly amazed me and it definitely taught me a hell of a lesson; value your life, every single second of it because you never know what is around the corner. I am not sure that was what the author wanted his readers to realize but I definitely did and it hit me pretty hard because of the relationship I have with my parents right now, my past and the relationship Paul and Jane have with their parents.

Okay, so I h 5 STARS

I finished this book in two and a half hours and I have to say that this book truly amazed me and it definitely taught me a hell of a lesson; value your life, every single second of it because you never know what is around the corner. I am not sure that was what the author wanted his readers to realize but I definitely did and it hit me pretty hard because of the relationship I have with my parents right now, my past and the relationship Paul and Jane have with their parents.

Okay, so I have read a few reviews on Goodreads straight after I finished this book and I realised that not many people can relate to Survive because I think you need to have a certain characteristic or past and have at least experienced one of the stuff that was in the book in order to be engulfed by it. I have felt depression, heartbreak, sadness and suicidal before so this novel was like a Bible to me and it hit on every single spot when the author described how Jane and Paul felt. This book totally captured my heart and the book just flow so well that it wasn't too boring (like some of those too detailed description) and I have to say it was such a page turner that you just can't absorb the words fast enough to process it in your mind before another wave of words crashed upon you again.

I am not going to say much about this book because I don't want to go into details, otherwise I will start babbling off how I relate to this book. Although I rated this book as a five stars, not many people like it so unfortunately this book is rated a bit low on Goodreads which made me kinda sad.

Spoiler Alerted

There was one point in the book where I just stopped reading completely and simply froze for a minute because my gut was telling me there will not be any happy ending at the end of the book even though I still held onto the hope while I took a sneak peek of the last chapter. (I know I shouldn't have, but I don't like surprises.) It shattered my heart and I managed to force myself to read the entire book. No surprise there, but I cried and some people might find this silly but I am a very sensitive person at heart (although, it's a different story when I'm out) so I can picture myself as the main character – Jane – in the book straight away and I felt every single feeling she feels. But I guess another reason why I cried was because I am not used to sad ending and I have never really accidentally stumbled onto a book which has a sad ending.

What do I mean by that?

Well, before I read the book I will always read the blurb and then I will always take a peek of the book but with this Survive, I didn’t really did that as I was attracted by the title and the cover, and I just picked it up and put it into my library bag. But then, halfway through the book I was thinking that they will definitely have a happy ending because their loves for each other was deeply moving and emotional. But I guessed not...

So that’s my say for the book, it was brilliant! I recommend that you should definitely read this book if you have felt any of the stuff I listed above because it would touch your heart and you will have a book hangover! ...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Silent_count rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction, not_a_series, commented

For what it is, this book is good but... if you've read the blurb hang around for a moment. If you haven't, go read it now and I'll just sit here twiddling my thumbs till you get back so you don't miss anything...

la di dah,
ba dum,
ba dum,
bum

... OK. You're back and you've read the blurb. I'd like you to perform a brief thought experiment: Look at the title, remember what you've read in the blurb, and bear in mind that it's a young adult novel. Now try picture the path which this story is going to ...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Jasmine rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 01, 2013 Kat rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, contemp, udate, not-owned

Dear Survive,

Although it's not my usual style to write a review in letter format, somehow this feels like it is the right way to express how you made me feel.

When I first saw you and read your synopsis, I fell a little bit in love. Survival stories are like a magnet to me - the tension, the fear, and the strength that the characters need to make it through a terrible ordeal just sing to me. Immediately I knew I had to have you and read you intensely and without any intention of interrupting our Dear Survive,

Although it's not my usual style to write a review in letter format, somehow this feels like it is the right way to express how you made me feel.

When I first saw you and read your synopsis, I fell a little bit in love. Survival stories are like a magnet to me - the tension, the fear, and the strength that the characters need to make it through a terrible ordeal just sing to me. Immediately I knew I had to have you and read you intensely and without any intention of interrupting our relationship for anything less than a life-threatening emergency. It was all so promising.

But reality can be far different from dreams - and as soon as you started wheeling out the coincidences I started to feel a little hesitant. Jane finds herself on a plane full of mountain climbers - a lucky break perhaps. The only other survivor also happens to have mountain climbing experience and has (although how he smuggled this through security is a miracle) a knife and a box of matches. However, sometimes are coincidences are necessary for the plot, so I was prepared to forgive and move on.

And then you go and have the survivors sleep in an airplane toilet. Comfortably. Without complaint about being cramped or having the toilet bowl in the way, which would certainly be problem, maybe ONLY if the toilet is upside down but this is not possible as one of your characters USES the toilet. So it can only be upright. Have you ever BEEN in an airplane toilet, Survive? Can you foresee how ONE person, let alone two can actually lay down on a toilet floor? Even long haul fourteen hour flights don't have a toilet that big, let alone domestic flights or I have been flying on the wrong fucking airlines.

OK, so this is all details. Maybe the characters could be the redemption here - strong boy, tough girl, fighting the elements and surviving on their wits and scavenging skills. And yet, your characters don't even TRY to find a mobile phone until their second day, which they then dismiss immediately as being useless for having no signal. Now, first of all, the FIRST thing I would do is tear the place apart looking for a phone. Secondly, I wouldn't just ditch it because I couldn't get a signal in one spot, I'd at least TRY it in another location before giving up.

The final insult, and the end of any possible redemption came on day four. Declarations of love between two teenagers after four days? How the fuck can they be 1) thinking about love when they are trying not to freeze/starve/stupid themselves to death and 2) BE IN LOVE AFTER FOUR DAYS?

Survive, you tried to redeem yourself with a poignant, emotional ending. But by that stage I was just so disappointed I couldn't bring myself to actually care about the characters. So although you kept me entertained, it really wasn't in the way I imagined this relationship would be.

Disappointedly yours,
Kat ...more

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Mar 20, 2017 Amanda rated it really liked it

I couldn't put this down. At first I wasn't sure I liked the writing but it grew on me. This was a page turner. I found myself always wanting to know what was going to happen.
The ending broken my heart, but it was beautiful at the same time. I really wanted Paul to live, and I was so worried that Jane wouldn't even make it. I loved how his spirit seemed to help her make it.
This was a great read about a suicidal girl who had to face a real life or death situation. I haven't come across any other ...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Kai rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: teens, for-review, 2012-tbr-pile

Review posted at Amaterasu Reads

It was ironic how Jane wanted to die, but instead found herself fighting for her life, finding her will to live in the most unexpected time and place, amidst a frozen wasteland, with an insufferable guy as a companion. Jane was no stranger to death, it runs in the family. But her journey through the most torturous terrains, braving snowstorms and trudging through ice walls made her acknowledge not just her imminent death, but also those of her loved ones who died Review posted at Amaterasu Reads

It was ironic how Jane wanted to die, but instead found herself fighting for her life, finding her will to live in the most unexpected time and place, amidst a frozen wasteland, with an insufferable guy as a companion. Jane was no stranger to death, it runs in the family. But her journey through the most torturous terrains, braving snowstorms and trudging through ice walls made her acknowledge not just her imminent death, but also those of her loved ones who died before her. It is true that death changes people, and it changed Jane. It changed her anew now that she was staring it in the face. She wasn't as heartless as she thought she was, that even though she want to throw away hers, she still valued other lives. That she's also scared and hurting and she just wants all of it to stop.

I wish I hadn't met Paul. He was an innocent hiker who Jane yelled at when she panicked at the airport, her obsession with being on time winning over her. He shouldn't have sat beside Jane, pegging her for a philosophical girl. He shouldn't have been the other person who was spared when the plane crashed. He was just too good for it. If Jane thinks she's broken, then she found a kindred soul in Paul. He knew about death and is still learning how to deal with the losses he had. But he was there to help Jane get through the nightmare of her interrupted suicide, of feeling that it was her duty to die. He was there to share her pain, to understand her, to encourage her, and most of the time, to piss her off for being so arrogant one minute and caring the next. He makes me question a lot about living, about dying, about loving.

Who would expect these two people to fall in love? Maybe it was because they suffered life and death situations together, trying to stay alive, going through an excruciating journey that they both might not survive but the days and nights they were together led to sharing, to confessions, to sharing secrets, and that forged a strong bond between them. I expected it to happen, falling in love. It was so cliche, and yet it felt so unfair to have the two of them fall in love with each other because by then you'll expect to see them both happy together even when the situation is dire. The way they engaged with each other gave the story a little bit more life, and I found myself warming up to them both.

I admit it. I was drawn to this novel half expecting a fluffy story about a broken girl facing an unexpected challenge when the death she had so carefully planned for and craved was halted by another tragedy. I expected this book to be a little shallow, a little exciting, a little romantic and a little sweet. I was wrong. Very wrong.

What I got, instead, was a heart wrenching, unforgettable story of a girl who can't recognize herself for who she was, defined by tragedy and death. It was a story of a girl who just wanted to die, but found something to live for, to fight for, to ignore the voices for, to find the courage to trust herself, to be strong, to love. A girl whose life was changed by a plane crash and by that one person who gave her hope that things will be better, that she can be strong and face whatever life has in store for her.

I've always been a sucker for happy endings, and seeing Jane suffering all throughout her life from something that took away those that she loved made me desperate for her to find happiness for her own. She deserves it. And I felt like my heart was being ripped into two by how things ended in this novel. Is happy ending not for everyone? I was so desperate. I never got used to the painful feelings Jane and Paul had, and the only reprieve was those tender moments they shared. The feeling of hopelessness can be felt throughout this novel and you will just want it to end. The end, however, was surprisingly hopeful.

I have not been this emotionally invested in a novel for quite a while, and Survive just left me incapable of speech and by the time I was reading the last five pages, I was filled so much emotion. Alex Morel broke my heart with his writing. This novel made my heart ache so much it hurts by the time I finished it. It's beautiful. It's a novel that is intense and rich with emotions. It's a lot to take in at first, the sadness and all those depressing feelings but I loved how I felt Jane's and Paul's story as if it were my own. This is the kind of book you would want to pick up if you are looking for a sad, yet hopeful YA contemporary story every once in a while. ...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Vicky rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: downloaded-for-kindle, read-in-2013

Originally reviewed at: http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...

I don’t know what it is that draws me to plane crash/survival stories but they’ve always fascinated me. Judging by the synopsis, Survive sounded just like my cup of tea but in all honesty, it turned out even better than I expected. There are actually no words to describe how much I enjoyed reading this book, other than: oh my goodness.

In terms of the plot itself, it’s not the most mysterious story you’ll ever read. Basically, a girl Originally reviewed at: http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...

I don’t know what it is that draws me to plane crash/survival stories but they’ve always fascinated me. Judging by the synopsis, Survive sounded just like my cup of tea but in all honesty, it turned out even better than I expected. There are actually no words to describe how much I enjoyed reading this book, other than: oh my goodness.

In terms of the plot itself, it’s not the most mysterious story you’ll ever read. Basically, a girl called Jane Solis, who’s been living in a mental hospital for the past 12 months or so, is on her way back home for the Christmas holidays – the problem is, she doesn’t intend to leave the plane alive. She carefully planned her own death down to the tiniest details – but things don’t go her way. Just when she’s about to hit the switch and swallow a handful of pills, the plane hits turbulence and crashes. They landed on a snowy mountaintop in the middle of nowhere and no one seems to be alive but her. Jane, who was about to take her own life a few hours ago. Then he finds a guy called Paul and as much as they irritate each other at first, they join forces and try to figure out how to stay alive and get out of there as soon as possible. Since most of these are given in the synopsis, things don’t take you by surprise – but still, there was something about this book that made me keep on reading. I’m quite a slow reader but I devoured the first half of the book in one sitting. I think that says it all.

One of the things I loved the most about Survive is how much Jane changed during those 6 or 7 days they’ve spent on the mountain. She’s definitely come a long way from being a suicide, someone who’s constantly angry, anxious and just bored with her own life. I also loved how her relationship with Paul has changed during their adventure and how they kept motivating each other to go on and fight. I pretty much sobbed my way through the last 40 or 50 pages – it was beautifully written.

My only issue with this book is that there are some plot holes in the story. The one that bugged me the most was the fact that Paul was able to bring some matches and a knife with him on the plane. I’m not an expert on airport security rules and regulations but I’m fairly sure you’re not allowed to walk around with knives in your hand luggage. Having climbing ropes and knives is very useful for our two main characters but it does make you raise your eyebrows. I mean, what are the chances that the only time you’re about to kill yourself and/or get into a plane crash you’re travelling with a group of rock climbers who happen to have all their equipment and snow gear with them on the plane? It’s very convenient but … is it realistic? I’m not a hundred percent sure that it is. Having said that, it still didn’t put me off. It made me raise my eyebrows here and there but all in all I still ended up loving this book.

If you’re looking for a quick but captivating read or something heartbreaking but still hopeful, you’ll like Survive. It’s a fast paced emotional roller-coaster that is guaranteed stay with you for a long time. ...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs, 2012-release, 2012-100-book-challenge, 2012-debut-author, mundie-moms-reviews

Survive is an intense, incredibly fast paced read that's full of triumph, tragedy, heartbreak, and will power. It's that will to survive that will aid Jane through the darkest moment of her life.... I'm not just talking about her desire to follow in her father's footstep to commit suicide. With all odds stacked against her, and the other survivor of a deadly plane crash in the middle of the mountains, Jane finds the hope, love and the strength to live. The book's title, SURVIVE has more than one Survive is an intense, incredibly fast paced read that's full of triumph, tragedy, heartbreak, and will power. It's that will to survive that will aid Jane through the darkest moment of her life.... I'm not just talking about her desire to follow in her father's footstep to commit suicide. With all odds stacked against her, and the other survivor of a deadly plane crash in the middle of the mountains, Jane finds the hope, love and the strength to live. The book's title, SURVIVE has more than one meaning in this book, and I loved two different meanings it has in Jane's story.

Alex Morel did an awesome job with keeping his story's darker, and sometimes hard to write about subject deep, without going over board. Despite the fact I had a hard time connecting with Jane during the first part of the book, I loved her during the second half. Alex did a wonderful job at allowing me to see the changes in Jane. The first part of the book was spent on providing what Jane's agenda was (why she was flying home etc), how she got into the mental facility she's in, and her struggle to come to terms with all she's gone through, and why she's set on taking her life. Though Alex allowed me to understand why Jane was set on taking her life, I didn't connect with her during this time. I had a lot of issues with her reasoning behind wanting to do this. Despite that, it wasn't until the second half of the book, when the plane crashes did I start to connect with her.

Talk about gut wrenching, this story is brimming with emotion on a whole different level. I thought I was prepared with what to except with Jane's story, but this story entails way more than I was anticipating. During the second half of the story, which takes places during and after the plane crash, I felt that Jane completely transforms into a much stronger character, and was much more engaging for me. She all the sudden had this spark of life in her, and had this incredible desire to live, and over come all the odds stacked against her. I loved the role Paul, the snarky, broken boy who's also had his fair share of heartbreak, plays in Jane's life on the flight and especially after the crash. Though they had only met on their flight, he changed the way Jane felt, and how she viewed life. He pushed her like no one else had before.

WOW, Alex created an incredibly engaging, and realistic crash site. Every emotion and the danger that encompasses this part of the book felt real. I grew up loving Hatchet, and I know this story has been compared to a modern day, older version of that book. Normally I'm not a fan books being compared, but I definitely agree with that comparison. It's well written, fast paced book, with the right amount of length to hook you. I will warn you, there is an incredibly heartbreaking scene in this book that will leave you a little broken, but it's oh so worth picking up the book. You'll miss out on all that happens leading up to that point. One a side note, there is some minor language, and this book does talk about suicide, a lot, and in a very tasteful manner. If you're a fan of survival stories, you must pick this one up!

Be sure to visit the blog on Saturday when Alex Morel stops by to talk about his debut, and enter to win one of 3 copies I'll be giving away. ...more

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Sep 11, 2013 Aysia Schroeder rated it it was amazing

In this book there is a girl named Jane who is very suicidal. She is just leaving a mental hospital and she has a plan. On her way home, on the plane, she is going to take a lot of pills in the plane bathroom and off herself there. The plan fails though, when the plane goes down into a mountain range. Now there is her and one other survivor, Paul, who is the one she sat next to on the plane and found incredibly cute, but also viewed him as a jerk. Jane and Paul then have to work together to sur In this book there is a girl named Jane who is very suicidal. She is just leaving a mental hospital and she has a plan. On her way home, on the plane, she is going to take a lot of pills in the plane bathroom and off herself there. The plan fails though, when the plane goes down into a mountain range. Now there is her and one other survivor, Paul, who is the one she sat next to on the plane and found incredibly cute, but also viewed him as a jerk. Jane and Paul then have to work together to survive and throughout the story they learn a lot more about each other on this “plane ride” than Jane would have initially like to.

As I mentioned earlier, Jane is very depressed and suicidal. Why, you ask? Jane believes it is in her blood to be that way. Her great- grandfather, her grandmother, and her father all took their own lives, due to depression. Losing her dad made a huge impact on why she is the way she is. Paul on the other hand isn’t much different, although definitely not suicidal. Paul has lost some loved ones of his own, which has caused him to be that jerk Jane sees in him. He lost his mother due to breast cancer, and his brother from Leukemia. Paul never got along with his father and it got worse after his brother, Will, died. Paul is oddly enough a mountain climber so he is a huge help for the survival of not only himself but Jane as well.

The fact that Jane and Paul are stuck in the middle of the freezing cold mountains by themselves, the setting puts a huge effect on the story and their relationship. They have to dig through the bags of the people who were once their fellow passengers of the plane that are now dead, to find: warm clothes, food, climbing materials, and anything else that can help them survive. Being all alone in the cold mountains means that they have to share each other’s body warmth to stay alive and not die of hypothermia. The multiple nights of cuddling, talking, and getting to know each other cause the two young bodies to eventually fall in love.

I have come to believe the theme of this story is to show that as bad as you might want to leave this world, when it comes to having to survive, you will find out just how badly you wanted to leave. I say this because Jane had been been very suicidal, but as soon as she realized that being stuck in the mountains would eventually end her life of hypothermia or starvation, she fought. She fought all the way up to the end until she finally came out alive.

This book is very acceptable for high school students, although middle schoolers could read it, they would probably not comprehend the message of the story. I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about survival/ love stories as much as I do, which is a lot. It is a very good book to understand the thoughts of those who are considering suicide and to learn more about why they think the way they do. I enjoyed this book very much and had a hard time putting it down. ...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: hey-i-just-met-you-this-is-crazy, found-love-in-a-hopeless-place

3.75/5

you can always read this review on wakeupatseven, if you're feeling particularly daring.

I went into this book a bit cynically, thinking it was going to be a typical YA cautionary "appreciate life" tale. Not that there's anything wrong with those tales, but being that I'm not brimming with teen angst and adolescent insecurities like I used to be, I didn't think it would resonate as deeply with me as it I imagined it would with someone younger. Boy was I wrong, she typed furiously through he 3.75/5

you can always read this review on wakeupatseven, if you're feeling particularly daring.

I went into this book a bit cynically, thinking it was going to be a typical YA cautionary "appreciate life" tale. Not that there's anything wrong with those tales, but being that I'm not brimming with teen angst and adolescent insecurities like I used to be, I didn't think it would resonate as deeply with me as it I imagined it would with someone younger. Boy was I wrong, she typed furiously through her tears.

In any case, this story is a little different from most of the teen books centered around suicide that I've read. Most of them present you with a character you automatically feel very sorry for. They're fresh off an unimaginable tragedy or their depression is explained in such stark and emotional detail that your heart aches for them right from the get go. That wasn't the case (for me, at least) when it comes to our main character, Jane. At first she simply seems detached and bored with life and the reader doesn't exactly know why. It's obvious she's got some anxiety and supressed issues but I remember reading a line about her "miserable" life and thinking, what's so bad about your life, kid? Come on, now. Only to be rewarded with that very information pages later. Ahhh, I get it now. Clever writing. I loved the bitter irony of a girl who thought she had nothing to left to live for being thrown into a situation where she now has to fight not only for her life, but someone else's as well.

This book is quite short, sad, and sweet. It managed to take me on a rollercoaster from somewhat indifference, to yearning, to hope, and to tears in the span of 272 pages. And in that way I felt like I sort of developed as a reader in the same way that Jane developed as a character. Corny, I know, but it was an emotional experience. As I've said countless times before, I'm a character girl. If you get me to care about your characters, you've got me. And this book really got me. Even as sparse as this book was, I felt for Jane and Paul as if their characters had been fleshed out for ages. Definitely worth the read. The only thing I'll warn any potential readers against is that fact that it is a short read (though this may be preferable to some) and the "hatchet meets lost" tagline surrounding this book. I get the effort to draw in readers that way, but I think if you go into this book thinking you're going to get something as complex as Lost or as gritty as Hatchet, you might be a bit disappointed. Survive is it's own story, I don't think it needs any half-hearted comparisons to make it stand out.

...more

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Aug 09, 2015 Gia rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

This book got me like:

feels

Anyways.. *sniffs*

Jane wants to die. Suicide, she believes runs in her family. On the way back to her mother, Jane has a plan to eat many pills and kill herself on board. However, her plan fails as suddenly the plane crashes. She survives. So does the guy who sat next to her on the plane. She finds him cute and jerk at the same time. She saves him and together they survive in a middle-of-nowhere, harsh cold valley.

This was such an intense book. It was intriguing. I loved th ...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Megan Nicole rated it liked it

This review first appeared on Books i View.

I love survival books. Usually action packed, they have you holding your breath, sitting at the edge of your seat and biting your nails which is exactly what Survive by Alex Morel did to me.

What stood out about this book is that when we meet our MC Jane, she is depressed, suicidal and living in mental hospital. She already decided to end her life and is in the midst of doing so when her plane crashes and is forced into a survival situation. So what will ...more

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May 20, 2013 Becky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: a-z-challenge

I got so much more from this book than I ever expect to get. I thought it was going to be "just another read.... Well it wasn't!

It was amazing. From putting yourself in our main character's place, imagining her life, and why she wants to end it... To meeting our male hero and seeing how their circumstances change each of their views on life.. It was just grand.

Seriously, have tissues handy. BUT it's worth it. Really really worth it.

Once started, you will not be able to put this book down. No ma ...more

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Jun 28, 2014 Britney rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, i-owns-it, my-favourites, two-oh-one-four, contemporary, 6-star-books

Survive tells an achingly beautiful story of survival after an aeroplane crashes. 2 soul survivors find consolation in each other and dedicate their days to trying to find salvation.

I love survival stories, and this story was no exception. I was brought close to tears by the end of this novel *no spoilers*. The author has an amazing way with words and beautifully crafts the expansive setting around the characters.

If you love survival stories as much as me then you NEED this book

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Jul 25, 2014 Selena Yukino (The Lioness: hear me roar) rated it really liked it

"I cried so much" is all I'm going to say. ...more

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Feb 17, 2018 Pages For Thoughts rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction

I was pleasantly surprised! This isn't just a story of climbing a mountain, it's a story of climbing their own personal mountains of loss, pain, and heartache, and finding the hope and strength to keep going when all seems lost. It inspires readers to do something with their life and teaches that you make your own miracles, and you are in control of your destiny. It's essentially The Little Engine That Could but for teens, and with emotion, romance, and a plane crash on a snowy mountain. I loved ...more

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Jan 03, 2019 K. rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, 2019, library, difficult-topics, setting-usa, audience-young-adult

Trigger warnings: self harm, attempted suicide, death of a parent by suicide (in the past), death of a sibling (in the past), attempted overdose, mental health, death, animal death, graphic descriptions of physical injuries. Literally none of that is a spoiler, don't @ me.

Pros: This book was a very fast read. I read it cover to cover in like an hour and a half.

Cons: Basically everything else. It's very flippant about mental health and suicide. Jane is kind of an awful protagonist. She's 16 and ...more

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Aug 10, 2019 Katie rated it it was ok

Eh. The plot was incredibly thin, the survival story extremely lacking and the (view spoiler) cringe worthy. ...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Lili rated it liked it

3.5 stars

She started out fighting to die. Love made her fight to SURVIVE.

My heart is beating rapidly in my chest as I fight to write this review. This book shocked me and managed to take me on a roller coaster ride in the span of a mere 250 pages. Despite its short length, it caused me to feel so many emotions. I went from a depression, to fear, to determination, love, heartbreak, and graciousness. And by the end of the book, Morel easily had my shedding tears. This was one hell of a journey.

The 3.5 stars

She started out fighting to die. Love made her fight to SURVIVE.

My heart is beating rapidly in my chest as I fight to write this review. This book shocked me and managed to take me on a roller coaster ride in the span of a mere 250 pages. Despite its short length, it caused me to feel so many emotions. I went from a depression, to fear, to determination, love, heartbreak, and graciousness. And by the end of the book, Morel easily had my shedding tears. This was one hell of a journey.

The beginning of the book focuses on Jane's Plan. Jane's Plan is to kill herself on the plane ride home to her mother. She's been recovering from a suicide attempt. Suicide is built into her family after all. At least one person from every generation on her father's side of the family has taken their own life. And ever since Jane's father killed himself four years ago on Christmas Eve, Jane's been the next in line. She's been empty. All of her fake tears and helpful tendencies while she was supposed to get better in Life House were for this moment: to get on the plane and OD on pills so the angels can take her away and she can join her father. Then the plane crashes and she is only one of two survivors.

Jane is not likable in the beginning, but I adored her in the second half of the book. She's slightly insane and so determined to take her life because she doesn't see the point in living. But when the plane crashes, she suddenly wants to live because she is stuck with someone who wants to live so badly: Paul Hart. I really loved Paul. In the face of danger and death, he would crack stupid jokes because he was nervous and had no idea how to react. He was fearless and strong and kept Jane going on their survivalist journey when she thought she couldn't do anything anymore. He didn't let her give up.

The romance in this novel was perfectly placed. After surviving together, in one sleeping bag, trying so hard not to allow the other to die on them, you build this special bond with someone. That's just what happened with Jane and Paul. They told each other the tragedies of their pasts and lived through their horrendous present together. They fought for each other because they wanted to survive. They truly, truly loved each other. A bond like theirs is strong and special.

The really unique aspect of this novel was the survivalist ways. Both characters had to make do with whatever they could scrounge up from the wreckage of the crash. They climbed mountains, scaled cliffs, overcame injury and lack of food and water, and managed to miraculously kill a rabbit. It was all very unique. And the ending! Ah! It tugged on my heartstrings and made the tears flow freely. All I can say is that this book is powerful.

My one problem with this book is its length. While it was an incredibly quick read that I knocked out in a single sitting, I wish it were longer. I wouldn't change the plot at all, though my heart wishes that I could change a few aspects of the ending, but I would add a lot more detail. The reason so many tumultuous events were able to fit in a mere 250 pages was because there wasn't much detail to a lot of what happened. I was left wanting more even though I was more than satisfied by the tale that Morel weaved for us.

This book isn't for everybody. It tackles several heavy topics gracefully. None of it is overboard, but it is a sad story. This is not a book for someone who can't handle heavy themes and it's not a book for those in search of a happy ending full of cliches. This romance is real, the events in the story are catastrophic but real. There's no cliches, it's all raw. If you're in the mood for a heavier, powerful book that happens to be a quick read, I definitely recommend this one. Be warned, it will undoubtedly make you shed some tears. 3.5 stars to this tumultuous tale. ...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Braiden rated it liked it

With an intriguing premise I thought Alex Morel’s Survive was going to be something beyond words, something original, something emotionally unique. To some degree it was just that, but because my expectations were so great prior to reading, by the time I did finally come to the last page I was wanting more than what I was given. I thought it was going to be fantastic, but really, it was just your average book—an 'all right’ book—filled with coincidences and not many surprises, leaving you with n With an intriguing premise I thought Alex Morel’s Survive was going to be something beyond words, something original, something emotionally unique. To some degree it was just that, but because my expectations were so great prior to reading, by the time I did finally come to the last page I was wanting more than what I was given. I thought it was going to be fantastic, but really, it was just your average book—an 'all right’ book—filled with coincidences and not many surprises, leaving you with nothing except for the strong, heartfelt message conveyed to you about life, death, and the choices you make in between the two.

Jane’s grandmother committed suicide and her father did too, so it was no news to Jane when she discovers this trait was passed down to her and she attempts suicide herself. When the perfect opportunity arises to kill herself—flying home from the caring facility—the opportunity cannot be ignored; Jane plans to take a kryptonite of drugs in the bathroom while the plane is in the air, but the plan goes wrong when the plane hits turbulence and crashes in the alpine regions. With the only other survivor being the boy Paul who was in the seat next to hers, they will have to put their lives in each other’s hands and try to survive—and ultimately live.

Survive is just like any other contemporary-romance girl meets boy story—but with a survival twist. The most interesting yet obvious thing in this book is the character of Jane and the transformation that occurs within her. She changes from someone who wants to end her life to someone who wants to live. This change is influenced and propelled along by the failure of her suicide attempt on the plane, the relationship she has with John and what she learns about him, the experiences made in their endeavour to survive, and what she learns about herself.

If he falls, I selfishly think, I am dead up here. I realise maybe for the first time in my life, that my survival is intimately tied to the survival of another human being. Without him, I will die. With him, there is hope.

Something that I couldn’t help to recognise and label as this book’s flaw is the way the story unfolded. The events seemed too contrived and controlled, and although it ended well and good with the message being clear, the coincidence of most of it made my enjoyment levels fall. I guess it was hard for anything to be free because there was only the two characters for most of the story bouncing off each other—and also that all they need to do was survive. But I suppose you can say to each their own for this book. Also, the real reason behind Jane’s suicidal tendencies was not clearly stated (except for blaming it on her father’s suicide). So basically the whole book was too planned out, which is ironic because Jane calls herself a planner, yet didn’t think about there being a plane crash or anything happening.

Despite these flaws, Alex Morel has written a book that I’m sure many will enjoy, but don’t go in expecting many surprises. Filled with coincidence but with a strong, heartfelt message, Survive will have you thinking about life and the preciousness of it.
...more

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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA/ Adult? Romance, Survival. Girl wants to commit suicide in airplane by taking pills. But plane crashes, she and a boy survive. They land in a really cold place. Read 2015-2017. Spoilers ahead. [s]	4	31	Jan 21, 2021 04:01PM
Book Trailers - C...: Survive	2	15	Mar 19, 2014 08:31AM
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Crazy for Young A...: Survive by Alex Morel → Start Date: May 25, 2013	70	27	May 27, 2013 05:26PM

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“Sometimes signs are just signs; sometimes they lead you in the wrong direction” — 19 likes

“People don't get this: but memories are just like the future. You can't plan for when they show up, and you've got no control over them when they do. Worst of all, the older you get, the sadder they are.” — 13 likes

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