Stranded

by Jocelyn Shipley

After his girlfriend’s accidental death by overdose, Kipp has been living on the streets, overwhelmed by his grief. He wants to honor her memory and finds help to get clean, but just when he feels like he’s getting his life together, everything comes crashing down. He gets fired from his job and kicked out of his rented room on the same day. So when Reba, a friendly woman he met at the shelter, offers him a job and a place to live, he leaps at the chance. This is his lucky break. But when a girl comes to Reba's house looking for her missing brother, Kipp starts to wonder what Reba's real story is and if his lucky break might actually be a nightmare.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

120 pages, Paperback

Published September 22, 2020

About the author

Born and raised in London, Ontario, Jocelyn graduated from York University and has studied writing at St. Lawrence College and the Humber School for Writers. She always wanted to be a writer, and won her first award at age nine, for poems entered in the local Hobby Fair.


Jocelyn now lives in Toronto and on Vancouver Island. Her YA novel,How to Tend a Grave, won the 2012 Gold Medal Moonbeam Award for YA Fiction - Mature Issues.

Reviews

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I came to this book as a longtime fan of Jocelyn Shipley's work. Her books are gritty and realistic and always touch on real issues like grief, homelessness, and substance abuse - things that many teens face every day. The content is not watered down and I think all teens will appreciate the authentic way Shipley portrays urban kids but isn't preachy at all.
A tightly written, fast-paced read that teens will enjoy.

[Pam Withers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mystery here, with a gripping build to the climax, and a happy ending. This is well written and keeps you guessing, while offering insight into someone struggling to live on the margins. Written in first person, it’s a fast, easy read, ideal for those not into big, heavy tomes. The characters feel authentic, and you root for them all the way through. Nothing like a nail-biting suspense story that is well-paced and satisfying from beginning to end.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it's important to note who published this book: Orca Soundings. They focus on High Interest/Low Level books. So, when evaluating this book, do keep in mind it is intentionally kept short and written more simply, while dealing with heavy topics. As the publisher's site states, they publish books with "Reading levels from grade 2.0 to 4.5; Interest level ages 12+."

I read this for grad school, as an example of Hi/Lo. I can't give it higher than a 3 star, simply because it's not something I would likely return to. BUT, it is a very taut story, which pushes you to keep turning the page. It is my favorite of the books we have read for grad school so far, even though thrillers are not my usual taste. The climax did feel a bit lacking, resolved so quickly, but overall, it is a page-turner and an excellent choice for High Interest/Low Reading Level.

[Julie Trapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 After his girlfriend’s accidental death by overdose, Kipp has been living on the streets, overwhelmed by his grief. He wants to honor her memory and finds help to get clean, but just when he feels like he’s getting his life together, everything comes crashing down. He gets fired from his job and kicked out of his rented room on the same day. So when Reba, a friendly woman he met at the shelter, offers him a job and a place to live, he leaps at the chance. This is his lucky break. But when a girl comes to Reba's house looking for her missing brother, Kipp starts to wonder what Reba's real story is and if his lucky break might actually be a nightmare. [amazon synopsis]

A good reluctant reader book.

[Abby Mcnish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kipp went through a bit of stuff after losing his girlfriend to an overdose he ran away from all of his problems. Kipp didn't know what to do but once he started drinking he knew he needed to get help once he was in a shelter he met a woman named Reba and she was just nice enough to let him in and work for her, but did Reba tell her story? Reba is odd she always asks if Kipp is on drugs because that is one rule. Kipp meets a girl named Lin she lost her brother and begged Kipp to look for clues. Finally, he is found by Kipp and Reba took a board ride Reba left him stranded along with Lin's brother... they were both taken to the hospital, and now Lin's parents offered Kipp a job to keep himself on his feet.

[Ashley Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I begin, I understand I’m not the target audience for this novel. I’m 33 years old, and this book is most certainly targeted towards teens. Had I read this at 12-13, I think I would have LOVED IT!

It’s a quick novella, took me about 30 minutes to read. I really enjoyed the authors writing style, and I’m interested in checking out other books by them. However, it all escalated so quickly and ended so abruptly that I was a bit overwhelmed.

With that said - was I intrigued every page until the last 4? Yes! It’s such a quick read - I really do recommend it.

[Cyrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6
This was a good short read abt real issues. I just feel like since the story was so short that it didn't really feel developed but I did like what I did see of the character. I think the plot was quite interesting but as I said I wish it was most fleshed out and maybe a sequel to figure out what happened to the lady and Kipp. Overall a good read for what it is!

Me when a teenage drug addict gets evicted and starts living with a random lady who leaves him stranded (omg title reference) on a island in the winter :3

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know these are written at an easy reading level, but in spite of the "high-interest" concept, the whole thing seems dumbed down to me. I think I'm just not the intended audience. But I read the whole thing in about twenty minutes.

[Ranette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a very complete book about a boy who has had drug problems, and vows to keep clean.

[Head-In-The-Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! I read this in about 30 mins.