Away (Alone)

Announcements come over the radio: curfews are in place and evacuations are ordered. People are bussed to camps. There are many camps, but this story focuses on an old military base and four kids who meet there. Teddy is an aspiring filmmaker, Harmony is a journalist for her middle school newspaper, Grandin is a ranch kid who wants to go home, and Ashanti will become a doctor. They become suspicious that the evacuations may be a ruse and begin to investigate. What they find is astonishing, and trying to prove what they have found might put them and their families in real danger.

Megan E. Freeman has written a terrific companion to her earlier book Alone. This is not a sequel, but truly a companion. The experience will be much richer if the books are read in order, but both stand alone. This is told from the viewpoints of the four young characters in different chapters. Teddy’s are in movie scripts, Harmony’s in news stories, and Grandin’s and Ashanti’s in verse. Themes of friendship, cooperation, perseverance, and hope are tightly woven through the story. The writing is great, and the story is most compelling. Don’t miss this wonderful book.