I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall is an amazing page-turner! From the beginning this book grabbed me and didn't let go. It's the kind of story that had me staying up late to read, sitting outside in the shade to read, read, read, reading to finish because I couldn't put this novel down. It starts with a BANG--literally, when strangers kill Jess's father, leaving her stranded in the wilderness of Canada with his dog, Bo. She's still recovering from a car accident that killed her mother, so she doesn't walk well, and she's a city girl so she's not great at hunting and fishing. How will she handle a Canadian winter alone without shelter or food?

If you’re like me and want to know what to read next after I Am Still Alive, you’ve come to the right place. I have a great list of books similar Kate Alice Marshall’s I Am Still Alive that will satisfy your hunger for more wilderness survival thrillers.

Against the Pack by Khristina Chess

“And once you decided you were going in the wrong direction, how did you find your way back? What happened when you couldn’t go back?” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Against the Pack

While walking on a rural road, 18-year-old Melender and her mom are attacked by a pack of dogs and fall down a near-vertical hillside into a ravine. Now they’re trapped on a narrow ledge and wounded. No one knows where they are. No one even knows they’re missing.

They have no food, water, shelter, or warm clothes. No phone to call for help. No medical supplies. Nothing.

The only positive is that Melender can walk. She doesn’t want to leave her critically-wounded mom behind, but it could be days before anyone starts looking for them.

They don’t have that much time.

Incredible! What I love most about Against the Pack is the way this story hooks you from the beginning and doesn’t let go. It’s impossible to put this one down. Melender is a gritty character who fights to live, and I was breathless as she journeyed toward the novel’s thrilling ending. This is the kind of wilderness survival adventure that explores the core spirit of a person, and as the hours and days unfold, the complicated nature of the relationship between Melender and her mom becomes apparent.

You won’t want to miss this action-packed YA book about survival. Fans of I Am Still Alive will love this one.

Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis

“Living things will fight to stay that way.” ― Mindy McGinnis, quote from Be Not Far From Me

Be Not Far from Me is a fast and engaging read about a girl who is lost and wounded in the woods. There are some plot points that seem a bit problematic, but the story is so compelling that I couldn't put this book down. There was a moment near the end when I became as lost as Ashley and wasn't sure how things would end for her anymore.

I was impressed by a novel that progressed almost entirely with just one character. Ashley carried the weight of the narrative and the conflict on her shoulders by herself. Alone and barefoot.

If you enjoyed I Am Still Alive, be sure to check out this YA book about survival that pits a lone quick-witted, tough-talking teen against nature’s elements. In fact, Mindy McGinnis is such a great author that she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!

Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined by Danielle Young-Ullman

In this absorbing novel, a broken mother-daughter relationship drives everything that’s happening, both in the present and in the past. The present is awful. Ingrid has been sent away to a 3-week wilderness program for at-risk teens, although she didn’t realize what she was signing up for at the time, and now she’s wet, miserable, mosquito-bitten, and trapped with a misfit group in the middle of nowhere. But she’s determined to see things through to prove something to her mother and earn the carrot, which is permission to attend a music school abroad.

The past is a complicated story about her mother’s beautiful opera voice and depression and its impact on Ingrid. There is a strong codependency relationship between the mother and daughter, since the mother is a depressed diva. From an early age, Ingrid took care of her mother since no father was in the picture.

I loved the mystery about how Ingrid ended up in the wilderness, and I was rooting for her to make it out.

Fans of I Am Still Alive will enjoy this YA book about survival that offers real character depth and heartbreak.

The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes

Three teenagers are separated from their church youth group and survive for 7 days in the wilderness. Along their journey, they find forgiveness with each other and also love. And faith. Although the story has a strong plot element of fighting nature to survive (storms, poison ivy, etc.), the real story is one of character transformation in the distance between lost and found.

Switchback by Danika Stone

I enjoyed the fast pacing of this YA survival story, and I was invested in seeing Vale and Ash get out alive. As with other books like I Am Still Alive, many disasters and obstacles kept the tension taut through the length of the novel.

Other Great Books for Fans of I Am Still Alive

For a few other lists of great books for fans of I Am Still Alive, check out the Books Similar to I Am Still Alive list on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which lists other reviews of YA contemporary books about tough topics for teens, including my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited.

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