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The Living | LitPick Book Reviews
The Living
The Living
The Living
Matt de la Peña
Newbery Award-winning author Matt de la Peña's The Living is "a rare thing: a plot-driven YA with characters worthy of a John Green novel.” [Entertainment Weekly, A-]Shy took the summer job to make some money. In a few months on a luxury cruise liner, he'll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom and sister out with the bills. And how bad can it be? Bikinis, free food, maybe even a girl or two—every cruise has different passengers, after all.   But everything changes when the Big One hits. Shy's only weeks out at sea when an earthquake more massive than ever before recorded hits California, and his life is forever changed.   The earthquake is only the first disaster. Suddenly it's a fight to survive for those left living.   Look for the thrilling sequel, The Hunted, in bookstores now!Praise for The Living: “De la Peña has created a rare thing: a plot-driven YA with characters worthy of a John Green novel.”-Entertainment Weekly, A-   “Action is first and foremost. . . . De la Peña can uncork delicate but vivid scenes.” —The New York Times “[The Living] is special because of its extraordinary protagonist, Shy, who I haven’t been able to shake from my mind in the weeks since I read the book.”-John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars"There's no way to classify The Living. It's everything I love mixed into one fantastic, relentless, action-packed story. As always with Matt, the characters are the best part. So real. I loved this book."-James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series[STAR] "An addictive page-turner and character-driven literary novel with broad appeal for fans of both."-Kirkus Reviews, Starred[STAR] "An excellent, enthralling ride...a great read for those looking for adventure and survival stories."-VOYA, StarredA Pura Belpré Author Honor Award WinnerAn ALSC Notable Children's Book Pick

Book Details

Genre: 

  • Adventure

Age Level: 

  • 12 and up
Profile Picture

18 year old Shy decides to work the summer on a cruise ship in order to earn some pocket money and help out his family. Everything's going great for Shy-a hot new crush, generouse tippers, bikini clad girls-untill his 6th day aboard. A strange man grabs Shy and tells him that he is a horrible person, then commits suicide.

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