{Review & Giveaway} Tour Stop: Trapped by Michael Northrop

Trapped 
by Michael Northrop
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages:  232
Source:  Provided by author for a fair and honest review
Available as of February 1, 2011
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million
The Book Depository | Fishpond | IndieBound

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive. . . .

Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision.

I really enjoyed reading Trapped. It was a well-written, well-thought-out book that was both eerie and intriguing. Michael Northrop wrote a novel that is reminiscent of being told a story by your best friend. 

Scotty Weems didn't think staying after school to help his friend Jason with his go-kart was going to end by staying at the school overnight. He knew the snow was coming down quickly, but Jason's dad drives a 4-wheel drive truck, so no big deal right?

Putting into words how much I enjoyed this book is impossible. It wasn't like any novel I've ever read before because, while reading, I felt like Scotty was telling me the story as if it had happened, past tense, not currently taking place. He made it conversational on occasion, acting as if he was the storyteller. The further I got into the story and the more Scotty told me about all of the snow that was falling and climbing higher and higher up the school, the most frequently I couldn't help but think, "How much worse could this get?"

I really liked that the seven kids who were put into this situation were all vastly different. Scotty, Jason, and Pete were already friends before the piles of white snow began descending on their school, but the other four kids dealing with the snowpocalypse were either plagued by a reputation or seen as one of the more popular people in school. This in and of itself made things interesting. 

Ovearll, Trapped was a fantastic read that had me hoping for the best but expecting the worst. It made me think about whether or not I would be ready, or even able, to handle being trapped in a building for an extended period of time with no electricity, no heat, and no internet/cell service. 

Michael Northrop is the author of two YA novels—Gentlemen, one of the American Library Association's "Best Books for Young Adults" for 2010, and Trapped, a Spring 2011 Indie Next List selection—and the new middle grade novel Plunked. He spent 12 years chasing stories at Sports Illustrated Kids, the last five as baseball editor. His articles and stories have been published widely.

Connect with Michael Northrop:
Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook |

I have one finished copy of Trapped up for grabs!
This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY!!

Giveaway Policy Applies!

Ends 12/17 @ Midnight EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FTC Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.