REVIEW: Trapped

Trapped
Author: Michael Northrop

Weather conditions develop that are just right to stall a heavy winter blizzard over the upper east coast of the United States. New Englanders are used to Nor'easters, but this storm is something much worse. Seven kids and a teacher wait at their high school. The kids were waiting for rides home, but the snow is coming down so fast that the roads become impassable. They soon realize that nobody is coming for them. When the teacher ventures out into the storm to get help and doesn't come back, the kids are left alone in the school to fend for themselves. Then the power goes out.....and the snow keeps falling.

I enjoyed this story for the most part. I had a hard time believing that seven kids would be left with one teacher in a locked down building during a weather emergency....but I guess since they were waiting for their usual rides it might be plausible. I really think a teacher or law enforcement would have evacuated them from the building with or without parental permission before the roads completely snowed shut. But....if a storm could truly intensify that quickly without warning....then I guess I can see how the last stragglers might be stuck in the building. But, as an adult, I would not have left them alone to wander out into the night trying to get help. Not only does that leave the kids alone....but it also leaves them without keys to the building, knowledge of where emergency supplies might be or other info a teacher could provide them. Plus....where was the principal (surely they can't leave the building before all the kids are gone?) or school security? Even the schools in the small town I live in have security officers....why didn't this school have more than one teacher who stayed until all of the kids were out of the building? In the end, the kids figured things out the best they could. I think their reactions were pretty close to realistic....jokes and fun in the beginning when it was novel to be stuck inside their school with no adults, changing to a bit of panic and fear when the power and heat went off.

The ending of the story was a bit abrupt. I wanted more of a finish with more information on what happened to the kids and the aftermath of the storm. But it got to a point and just.....stopped. I felt it ended before the story was really complete.

Despite a bit of adult incredulity at some aspects of the basic premise and my need for more of a finish, I enjoyed this story. My 14 year old read some of the story and we talked about it. He had the same concerns with the tale that I did -- administration would never leave the building following an early dismissal until all students were safely out of the building, and they would never have been left alone like that. But, he did say the premise was interesting and agreed that their reactions would be realistic. It would be fun for the kids for awhile.....until the situation became dangerous.

Michael Northrup has written several other YA books including the TombQuest series and Surrounded by Sharks. The shark story sounds like it's similar to this book in that teens are put in a life or death situation. Sounds like an exciting story! I will definitely read more by this author.

The story is complete age appropriate for teens. No gory deaths, sex, inappropriate language/topics, etc. Just a survival story. Quite enjoyable!