No Accident

by Laura Bates Narrated by Justis Bolding

Overview

No matter how you try to hide it, the truth will always come out.
When a small plane crash ends with a group of seven teens washed up on a deserted island, their first thought is survival. With supplies dwindling and the fear of being stranded forever becoming more of a reality, they quickly discover that
being the most popular kid in high school doesn't help when you're fighting to stay alive.
And when strange and terrifying accidents start to occur all around them, the group realizes that they are being targeted by someone who was on the plane, and that the island isn't their only danger. A terrible secret from a party the night
before the flight has followed them ashore-and it's clear that someone is looking for justice. Now survival depends on facing the truth about that party: who was hurt that night, and who let it happen?

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Characterization is top-notch with all seven being full-fleshed out. The action/intrigue/mystery/suspense moves the story very quickly... Readers who like Sarah Dessen and Laura Halse Anderson would likely appreciate Laura Bates as well" — Youth Services Book Review (STARRED review)

"Themes of consent, toxic masculinity, elitism, misogyny, feminism, and the meaning of justice emerge as Bates creates conversations among the group members that are sobering and thought-provoking…An engaging, fast-paced narrative with real-world implications." — Kirkus Reviews

". . . engaging and clever, thought-provoking and thrilling. I inhaled it in one sitting.” — Louise O'Neill, Prinz Honor Award author of Asking for It

"This action-packed book [is] just the sort of survival story high school students will really enjoy. This would make a great modern pairing with William Golding’s classic Lord of the Flies" — School Library Connection

School Library Journal

12/01/2022

Gr 9 Up—Hayley knew something was seriously wrong, and that was before a plane crash stranded members of her high school's touring basketball team and cheerleading squad on a deserted island. Teenage social hierarchy falls apart when a battle for survival takes precedence, and Hayley watches with interest as her peers' personalities and relationships change on the island. When a series of incidents hurts and frightens members of their group, the teens question whether someone else is on the island or if they are being targeted by one of their own. Hayley believes the attacks are connected to an end-of-tour party that happened the night before the plane crash, and she orchestrates a trial for the whole group to learn the truth. A lyrically descriptive narrative paired with a simmering plot creates a riveting work of suspense. What starts as a tale of survival quickly morphs into a thriller, and then into an examination of gender, sexuality, and consent. While some of the issues come across a bit heavy-handed, the debates that take place in the final act are thought-provoking and morally complex. Five of the seven teens present as white, one girl is Japanese American, and another girl is Black. Some characters seem designed to fit certain stereotypes, but others are given real depth. This novel would provide a nice contrast when paired with classics like Lord of the Flies and And Then There Were None. VERDICT An exciting tale of desert island survival becomes a shrewd commentary on women's survival in a patriarchal society. A riveting choice for most collections.—Elizabeth Lovsin

Kirkus Reviews

2022-09-28
Members of a basketball team and their cheerleaders experience a plane crash that leaves few survivors on an island in this Lord of the Flies–esque survival thriller originally published in the U.K. as The Trial (2021).

What happens on tour, stays on tour—until a horrific plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico leaves only seven teens still alive and secrets come spilling out. Basketball players Jason, Brian, and Elliot and cheerleaders May, Jessa, Shannon, and Hayley must quickly learn to work together, foraging for food and water and securing shelter in their new environment. Popularity and social hierarchies don’t matter when you’re struggling for survival. The plot intensifies as someone falls (or is pushed) and the crash survivors contend with incidents involving leeches and a terrifying shark attack that are clearly not accidental. Is there someone else on the island who is trying to hurt them, or is it one of their own? Hayley takes charge, holding a trial to get to the bottom of things during which multiple events from the party the night before the plane went down are revealed. Themes of consent, toxic masculinity, elitism, misogyny, feminism, and the meaning of justice emerge as Bates creates conversations among the group members that are sobering and thought-provoking. Most characters default to White; May is Japanese American, and Jessa is Black.

An engaging, fast-paced narrative with real-world implications. (content warning, author’s note, resources) (Thriller. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176575743
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	12/06/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged

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