I AM STILL ALIVE by Kate Alice Marshall

Jess’ plan: build shelter, find water, make fire, seek revenge.

It all sounds so simple…unless you’re stuck in the middle-of-nowhere Canada, your dad (that you just became reacquainted with a few days ago) was murdered while you watched unbeknownst to his murderers, his remote only-reachable-by-plane cabin was burned to the ground with all your possible life provisions, AND you have few survival skills. Oh, I forgot to mention that the reason you’re with your dad in an isolated area of Canada is that you’re recovering from a car accident that killed your mother and left you seriously injured with pronounced problems walking even on flat surfaces and a constant insidious pain that requires constant painkillers. AND winter is on its way and you have reason to believe that the murders will come back.

Yes, Jess is in DEEP trouble.

I devoured I AM STILL ALIVE by Kate Alice Marshall in two days. It grabbed me and held me tight until I finished every word. Great pacing, emotional hot spots in all the right places, and a strong heroine that survives unbearable setbacks and conquers enormous stakes. It’s a wonderful survival story, and the cover blurb is spot on. It’s a bit like Hatchet meets The Revenant with a fierce, unstoppable girl playing the lead role.

I had dinner with Kate recently and asked her about her own survival skills. Based on this book, I was sure she had experience surviving in the wild or at least an Outward Bound trip to help her pull off such a convincing story.

Kate laughed when I asked. Despite the vivid details of Jess’ survival experience, Kate’s all come from obsessively reading survival manuals and survival stories throughout her life. Also, many of the survival elements in I AM STILL ALIVE were drafted while at a writers’ retreat in the company of friends who had much to offer to the story.

I AM STILL ALIVE releases on July 24th, and it has earned *starred* reviews from Kirkus and Booklist. Preorder from your favorite bookstore today!

Kate Marshall’s science fiction and fantasy has appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Crossed Genres, and elsewhere. She writes historical romance as Kathleen Kimmel and works in the video game industry as a writer and occasional designer. She lives outside of Seattle with her husband, a dog named Vonnegut, a cat named after a cylon, and a baby. To find out more about Kate, check out her website or follow her on Twitter.