Well the premise was good but it lacked tension in my opinion.

This book will be great for teens at the beginning of their reading journey looking for a fairly fast paced book about survival in the wilderness with wanted felons hunting you down. I didn't think it was thrilling enough myself and I would have a liked a few more life or death moments. Still, a good entry level thriller. ( )

The Starlight Claim is a fast-paced YA thriller set in wintry Canada. It's part teen tragedy, part survival story, and part mystery. The main character, Nate, is trying to come to terms with the death of his best friend, Dodge. He and his father have a cabin in Northern Canada, which they are about to visit, but at the last minute, his father can't go, so Nate goes alone. He winds up having to survive not only cold and deprivation, but also escaped prison convicts. Finally, there is a mystery which is only resolved in the last chapters, explaining why Dodge and his family decided to take a very big risk and wound up paying for it with their lives. Strong characterization, though Nate and his father may seem too one-dimensionally "good" people. Short chapters and lots of twisty plot points make the reading go quickly. I received a copy of this book through Librarything Early Reviewer program.

First of all, I had no idea this was a sequel of sorts, which is OK, because that didn't affect my reading of it at all.

I've always been a fan of sparse, survivalist stories in harsh environments, and The Starlight Claim certainly delivers. It doesn't make you wait too long to get to the action, and the sense of danger is very real. ( )

Nate’s best friend disappeared in an accident months ago. Determined to find him or his body, Nate departs solo for their families’ cabin, only to find other unexpected dangers. Part-thriller, part-mystery, & part-survival adventure, this book is all suspense.

Nate is still reeling from his best friend's disappearance four months before. Dodge is presumed dead in a boating accident, but the body was never found. Nate has nightmares where Dodge is floating under the ice in the frigid water of Ghost Lake begging him to come save him, find him, help him..... Nate has plans to travel to the remote campsite with a friend. They have proved they can make the journey by themselves. His own father, Burl Crow, made sure Nate has the skills to make the trip. At the last minute, Nate's friend can't go. Nate decides to go alone. He wants to search for Dodge. Maybe he can find him even though others failed. But when he arrives he finds the camp occupied by strange men....violent men....and it becomes a much more dangerous game of survival than Nate ever expected.

I think everyone has an experience as a young person that pushes them over the edge towards adulthood. For Nate, this trip up to his family's remote campsite by himself is just that sort of experience. He learns life lessons and truths about his life, his friend, and even strangers on his journey. We are all the sum of our choices....and Nate has a lot to discover about himself, his parents, and his feelings of guilt about his friend's death.

The story is well-written and engrossing. There's action, suspense, and emotion in this story. It definitely kept my attention from start to finish. Nate's journey is more than a physical one. This is such an action-filled, complex story about a young boy facing loss and harsh truths for the first time. Loved it!

Tim Wynne-Jones has written several books for young adults and children. I definitely want to read more!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Candlewick Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )