Review: Trapped

Trapped
Michael Northrop
2011; Scholastic; ISBN 978-0-545-21012-6 (hardcover)

Summary:  In New England, they're used to snow.  Scotty doesn't think much when the snow starts falling, other than worrying about the basketball game that gets cancelled.  But then he's trapped at school, along with his friends Pete and Jason and four other students.  They're not too worried at first; it's almost an adventure, spending the night at school.  They're sure that their parents will arrive in the morning.  None of them know that rescue won't be possible.  For the snow will continue to pile up for the next seven days, leading Scotty and the rest of the students to a horrible decision . . .

A gripping thriller, Trapped is an engrossing look at survival.  For many of today's teens, survival seems more like something out of Robinson Crusoe or the TV show Lost: stranded on a desert island, struggling to find food and shelter.  Yet survival can also mean facing and outwitting the elements of Mother Nature.  This struggle is vividly presented by Northrop, as the aches from sleeping on the floor, the lack of fresh water due to frozen pipes, and the slowly encroaching cold are all faced by Scotty and his friends.  Pair Trapped with Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick for another look at cold-weather survival.