Review: Stranded on Thin Ice, by Sharon CassanoLochman

 

Title: Stranded on Thin Ice

Author: Sharon CassanoLochman

Format: e-galley

Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads: "Twelve-year-old Tanner Phillips fishes the Oneida Lake Ice Fishing Derby every year with his dad. Last year, he ruined everything — losing the competition and losing some of his grandfather’s gear. This year, Tanner is determined to not only prove his skills on the ice, but also show his dad, once and for all, that he’s no longer a little kid.

But as soon as they get out on the ice, the competition turns disastrous.

When one of the competitors goes missing and another gets injured, Tanner’s father must leave Tanner and his new friend, Richie, alone on the ice. After their ice hut comes unhitched, Tanner and Richie find themselves blown across the frozen lake in a blinding snowstorm.
Alone. Without their cell phones. Trapped, on thin ice. Suddenly, it isn’t just about the winning the derby — it’s about life and death. In one perilous night, Tanner will have to prove not to his father, but to himself, that he has the courage and determination to survive. "

My Opinion: Tanner is so excited to be at the Oneida Lake Ice Fishing Derby again this year with his dad, but he's determined not to make the same big mistake he made last year, losing his pole through the hole in the ice. He really wants to prove to his father that he's not a kid anymore, but things start to go wrong even before they get to the ice.

This was a well written, very interesting book, with a lot of suspense, as well as a lot of interesting characters. Tanner and his new friend, Richie, are very likeable and act age appropriate, which is a nice change from kids their age acting mature beyond their years. The setting is described so well I felt like I should put a sweater on while I was reading it because I should really be shivering from the cold! The plot was paced out nicely and this ended up being a really quick read because it was so interesting. It kept my attention from start to finish, and it ended all too quickly.

In summary, this was a very well written book full of suspense and great characters, that I think will appeal to the middle grade age group.

Highly recommend.

5/5 stars.

I received a copy of this book free of charge through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.