I just finished reading Alone (2021) by Megan E. Freeman, a young adult novel in free verse. It is narrated by a young girl, 12 years old in the beginning, who finds herself in a very serious survival situation after waking to find herself completely cut off from human contact.

It is an extremely compelling read; the voice of Maddie is strong and her experiences, emotions, and reactions believable. It’s a story about self-discovery, perseverance, isolation, family, and love. Freeman uses the free verse style very well to tell a powerful story that is hard to put down.

I don’t know 
what might be in store 
down the road 
but I know I won’t 
waste another day 
agonizing over 
what I can’t control. 
I am going to make sure 
my one wild and precious life 
is spent living as fully and 
completely as I can