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Polar Terror
Alex is so excited about visiting his grandfather for Christmas in Alaska until he realizes he has to fly in an airplane–he is terrified of flying.
At the last minute, his parents and brother abandon him. Now Alex has to face his fears and fly alone with complete strangers. Then the unthinkable happens. The plane crashes in the middle of the Alaskan Tundra. He will do anything to survive against the weather and creatures in and out of the plane. All the while learning this was not an accident after all.
Content
Polar Terror contains dark scenes of violence, body mutilation, and cannibalism. This is not a slasher book. Exercise caution when reading this book.
At the last minute, his parents and brother abandon him. Now Alex has to face his fears and fly alone with complete strangers. Then the unthinkable happens. The plane crashes in the middle of the Alaskan Tundra. He will do anything to survive against the weather and creatures in and out of the plane. All the while learning this was not an accident after all.
Content
Polar Terror contains dark scenes of violence, body mutilation, and cannibalism. This is not a slasher book. Exercise caution when reading this book.
237 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2024
6 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 6, 2024
I read this in 24 hours. This is the most “riveting “, as someone else described it and the word is perfect, book, I have read this year.
Alex, his brother Terry and their parents are planning a trip to Alaska to see the boys grandfather.
The day comes for them to fly, Alex’s parents are called into work and Terry is called for a practice with his football team, so Alex is left to travel alone and he’s afraid of flying.
Terry is responsible for getting Alex to the airport, they’re late, Alex missed his flight and is left with a seat on a small plane. Only 4 people are on this flight.
The plane goes down very early in the book and they are left to survive in the middle of the Alaskan Tundra.
I could not stop reading, although there were moments I felt the “ick” but I was prepared because of the trigger warnings.
The book will leave you wanting more…good job Reuben Shupp…good job!!!
Alex, his brother Terry and their parents are planning a trip to Alaska to see the boys grandfather.
The day comes for them to fly, Alex’s parents are called into work and Terry is called for a practice with his football team, so Alex is left to travel alone and he’s afraid of flying.
Terry is responsible for getting Alex to the airport, they’re late, Alex missed his flight and is left with a seat on a small plane. Only 4 people are on this flight.
The plane goes down very early in the book and they are left to survive in the middle of the Alaskan Tundra.
I could not stop reading, although there were moments I felt the “ick” but I was prepared because of the trigger warnings.
The book will leave you wanting more…good job Reuben Shupp…good job!!!
July 27, 2025
Polar Terror reminds of books I would have read in my younger days, when I used to love freaking myself out with stories that were part thriller, part horror.
This book introduces Alex, a teen whose been left to journey to his grandfather's home in Alaska. Through a series of events Alex ends up on a plane that crashes in the Alaskan tundra, and the people on the plane then have to try and survive the harsh winter conditions.
This book is in some ways fun with slight comedic parts to it. I like how Alex gives the other characters names, that aren't there real names but in reference to people in pop culture that he is reminded of. There are also a few OMG moments, and the ending!!! I'll say no more. But I want to know more.
It's fast paced, well written and slightly shocking in parts, but overall very entertaining.
This book introduces Alex, a teen whose been left to journey to his grandfather's home in Alaska. Through a series of events Alex ends up on a plane that crashes in the Alaskan tundra, and the people on the plane then have to try and survive the harsh winter conditions.
This book is in some ways fun with slight comedic parts to it. I like how Alex gives the other characters names, that aren't there real names but in reference to people in pop culture that he is reminded of. There are also a few OMG moments, and the ending!!! I'll say no more. But I want to know more.
It's fast paced, well written and slightly shocking in parts, but overall very entertaining.
November 20, 2025
This book had me on my toes from the beginning to the end. You never know what you will do when your faced with the decisions on how your gonna survive a plane crash.
Alex, even as young as he was, kept fighting and kept going and didn’t stop until he had to.
The cliff hanger that this book ends on has my heart in a knot! WOW! My jaw is on the floor.
This book is pure adrenaline rush even after you finish it! Great job Reuben!
Alex, even as young as he was, kept fighting and kept going and didn’t stop until he had to.
The cliff hanger that this book ends on has my heart in a knot! WOW! My jaw is on the floor.
This book is pure adrenaline rush even after you finish it! Great job Reuben!
November 1, 2025
I'd give 0 stars if I could. Poorly written and not very detailed at all.
May 19, 2025
"What the what?!?!" This book was one wild ride, and it's going to stick with me for a long time. Be warned—there are some truly horrific and gruesome moments that left my jaw on the floor. Definitely check the trigger warnings before diving in. At its core, this story left me asking myself: What would you do to survive? The ending was a shocking cliffhanger that left me desperate for more. I’m seriously hoping for a Book 2!
June 1, 2025
❄️🌨️ Polar Terror by Reuben Shupp – A Chilling Descent into Survival and Suspense 🌨️❄️
Polar Terror is exactly what the title promises and more—a cold, blood-tingling descent into survival horror with a psychological edge that will leave your heart racing and your jaw on the floor. Reuben Shupp doesn’t just tell a story, he drops you, quite literally, into the icy wilderness of the Alaskan tundra and dares you to survive alongside Alex.
What begins as a relatable fear of flying alone as a teenager, quickly spirals into a terrifying nightmare when the unthinkable happens: a plane crash, miles from civilization, and no help on the horizon. The tension never lets up. With crisp, vivid prose and a relentless pace, Shupp explores not just external threats (and yes, they’re horrifying), but the internal unraveling of a boy pushed past the brink.
This is not your typical survival story. It's darker, rawer, and full of jaw-dropping moments that test the limits of humanity. Shupp expertly blends psychological tension with visceral horror, body mutilation, cannibalism, and unrelenting dread. Yet he does it with careful control; this isn’t a gore-fest for shock’s sake. It's a character-driven, emotionally intense exploration of trauma, fear, and the will to survive.
Alex is a protagonist you'll root for and hurt with. His fear is real, his pain palpable, and his courage hard won. Every page pulls you deeper into his frigid, deadly world, and makes you question who (or what) can be trusted.
Warning: This book contains mature and disturbing content. It’s not for the faint of heart—but if you're a fan of survival horror with real emotional stakes, Polar Terror will grip you and never let go.
Bravo, Reuben Shupp. I’ll never look at snow the same way again.
Polar Terror is exactly what the title promises and more—a cold, blood-tingling descent into survival horror with a psychological edge that will leave your heart racing and your jaw on the floor. Reuben Shupp doesn’t just tell a story, he drops you, quite literally, into the icy wilderness of the Alaskan tundra and dares you to survive alongside Alex.
What begins as a relatable fear of flying alone as a teenager, quickly spirals into a terrifying nightmare when the unthinkable happens: a plane crash, miles from civilization, and no help on the horizon. The tension never lets up. With crisp, vivid prose and a relentless pace, Shupp explores not just external threats (and yes, they’re horrifying), but the internal unraveling of a boy pushed past the brink.
This is not your typical survival story. It's darker, rawer, and full of jaw-dropping moments that test the limits of humanity. Shupp expertly blends psychological tension with visceral horror, body mutilation, cannibalism, and unrelenting dread. Yet he does it with careful control; this isn’t a gore-fest for shock’s sake. It's a character-driven, emotionally intense exploration of trauma, fear, and the will to survive.
Alex is a protagonist you'll root for and hurt with. His fear is real, his pain palpable, and his courage hard won. Every page pulls you deeper into his frigid, deadly world, and makes you question who (or what) can be trusted.
Warning: This book contains mature and disturbing content. It’s not for the faint of heart—but if you're a fan of survival horror with real emotional stakes, Polar Terror will grip you and never let go.
Bravo, Reuben Shupp. I’ll never look at snow the same way again.
January 1, 2025
3.25 Stars
Young Alex is about to go on a terrifying adventure but he doesn’t know it yet.
Trouble arises when his parents’ job keeps them from going and his brother needs to stay behind for an important football practice. This leaves white-knuckler Alex to fly to his grandfather’s in Alaska for the holidays on his own. To make matters worse, his brother Terry gets him to the airport late and Alex misses his flight, leaving him to get on a small charter plane with a destination of Nome, hundreds of miles from Anchorage.
When a refueling stop goes awry and the plane crashes in the middle of nowhere, the real terror begins for Alex and the other passengers, horror that’s compounded daily when the survivors run out of food around the time one of the five of them succumbs to his injuries and becomes the first fatality. You can guess what comes next.
Alex is a sympathetic MC which made this a decent read. I had one issue that niggled and I think I’d be remiss in not mentioning.
MINI-SPOILER AHEAD!
The python attack was suitably horrible, scary and well-executed, but in light of the book’s setting, not very feasible. Other than this and the cliffhanger ending, I thought Polar Terror was a solid YA horror story with enough chills and thrills to keep the reader turning pages; I know I did.
Young Alex is about to go on a terrifying adventure but he doesn’t know it yet.
Trouble arises when his parents’ job keeps them from going and his brother needs to stay behind for an important football practice. This leaves white-knuckler Alex to fly to his grandfather’s in Alaska for the holidays on his own. To make matters worse, his brother Terry gets him to the airport late and Alex misses his flight, leaving him to get on a small charter plane with a destination of Nome, hundreds of miles from Anchorage.
When a refueling stop goes awry and the plane crashes in the middle of nowhere, the real terror begins for Alex and the other passengers, horror that’s compounded daily when the survivors run out of food around the time one of the five of them succumbs to his injuries and becomes the first fatality. You can guess what comes next.
Alex is a sympathetic MC which made this a decent read. I had one issue that niggled and I think I’d be remiss in not mentioning.
MINI-SPOILER AHEAD!
The python attack was suitably horrible, scary and well-executed, but in light of the book’s setting, not very feasible. Other than this and the cliffhanger ending, I thought Polar Terror was a solid YA horror story with enough chills and thrills to keep the reader turning pages; I know I did.
November 17, 2025
This story was not what I expected. I kept waiting for the Polar Bears to arrive and when one finally did, it was over and done quickly. I kind of thought it would be along the lines of “The Ghost and The Darkness” where a lion terrorizes a village only it would be a polar bear terrorizing a crashed plane full of people. Youth horror is not my normal genre so take my review with a grain of salt. For me, the characters didn’t feel fully developed and the ending rushed to the finish line. There were jumps between POV that caught me off guard. I wouldn’t want my 12-18 yo reading about cannibalism. There is a content warning, but what kid runs their books through a parent? Anyway, I digress. Not being familiar with the writing style for YA, I cannot say whether or not the book will connect with that age group. I will forever hate the older brother in this story as everything that happened to the MMC was entirely his fault. Kudos to the author for his wonderful imagination and hard work putting this book together!
June 9, 2025
Reuben has done a marvelous job telling this thriller from the perspective of young Alex. Readers are fully engaged with what he’s experiencing and how he sees things as he continues pushing himself through this impossibly terrible event.
Rose. M Brate’s review is on point!
We are thrust into this traumatic, psychological thriller and completely submerged within it. I haven’t read much in this genre but was really impressed with how, as Rose says “this isn’t a gore-fest for shock’s sake”. Everything happens for a reason, while the events are truly traumatizing they are there to drive our characters forward – there’s no rest in this extremely visual, fast paced survival adventure.
Is it all a dream, a nightmare? A story imagined – driven by fears running wild and rampant, but... all in one's head?
The cliffhanger leaves us guessing and coming to our own conclusions.
Not for the faint of heart, read the trigger warnings before diving in.
Rose. M Brate’s review is on point!
We are thrust into this traumatic, psychological thriller and completely submerged within it. I haven’t read much in this genre but was really impressed with how, as Rose says “this isn’t a gore-fest for shock’s sake”. Everything happens for a reason, while the events are truly traumatizing they are there to drive our characters forward – there’s no rest in this extremely visual, fast paced survival adventure.
Is it all a dream, a nightmare? A story imagined – driven by fears running wild and rampant, but... all in one's head?
The cliffhanger leaves us guessing and coming to our own conclusions.
Not for the faint of heart, read the trigger warnings before diving in.
June 20, 2025
Alex, his mother, father, and brother were supposed to take a trip to Alaska. His parents were unfortunately called into work so they had to bow out on the trip. His brother’s coach told him that if he missed practice, he would be off the team. Alex heads to the airport to vacation alone. He missed his original flight but was able to be placed on another flight that only contained two additional passengers.
Unfortunately, the plane had issues and crashed. Five people are stranded in the middle of nowhere. Do they have the survivor skills to live?
As a teen, Alex discovered he was more prepared than he thought as he experienced many challenges that nobody should have to go through.
Do the five passengers survive to tell their story?
Please check trigger warnings as there is an abundant amount of gore.
Unfortunately, the plane had issues and crashed. Five people are stranded in the middle of nowhere. Do they have the survivor skills to live?
As a teen, Alex discovered he was more prepared than he thought as he experienced many challenges that nobody should have to go through.
Do the five passengers survive to tell their story?
Please check trigger warnings as there is an abundant amount of gore.
January 31, 2025
The writing itself is straightforward, almost simplistic at times, lacking the lyrical flourishes or complex sentence structures that some readers might crave. The plot, too, unfolds at a rather predictable pace, offering a handful of genuine surprises. It treads familiar ground in the realm of survival narratives, and the basic premise, while serviceable, isn't groundbreaking outside of the perspective the story is delivered from.
Where this book truly shines is in its unflinching portrayal of its young protagonist's internal world. The author demonstrates a remarkable ability to inhabit the mind of this young man as he endures experiences that no one should ever have to face.
Where this book truly shines is in its unflinching portrayal of its young protagonist's internal world. The author demonstrates a remarkable ability to inhabit the mind of this young man as he endures experiences that no one should ever have to face.
March 13, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
❄️ ✈️ 🩸 💀
Alex is so excited to visit his grandpa in Alaska even if his family did ditch him at the last minute. Alone or not, he’s determined to get there. But Alex never planned on his plane crashing into the wilderness around Nome, Alaska. He and 4 other passengers have to face the elements, the creatures hiding in the shadows, hunger as their food dwindles, and the fear that help may not come for them.
This is action packed from the beginning all the way to the last page. It will keep you reading and wondering if the characters are going to survive. I don’t read a whole lot of young adult books but this is one I really enjoyed!
❄️ ✈️ 🩸 💀
Alex is so excited to visit his grandpa in Alaska even if his family did ditch him at the last minute. Alone or not, he’s determined to get there. But Alex never planned on his plane crashing into the wilderness around Nome, Alaska. He and 4 other passengers have to face the elements, the creatures hiding in the shadows, hunger as their food dwindles, and the fear that help may not come for them.
This is action packed from the beginning all the way to the last page. It will keep you reading and wondering if the characters are going to survive. I don’t read a whole lot of young adult books but this is one I really enjoyed!
May 16, 2025
This book kept me guessing from the very beginning. I really enjoyed the way this traumatizing, insane experience was shown very realistically through the lens of a child. The way we never even knew what the other character's real names were, only the ones Alex came up with in his imaginative brain, was great writing. The ending shocked me, but after reflecting, I could see how the author led us straight to that conclusion, if you're smart enough to figure it out, which I apparently wasn't lol! All in all, I enjoyed this book, and can't wait to read more from this author!
June 24, 2025
I read this in one sitting. This follows a plane crash in the Alaskan Tundra. And what lengths someone might go through to survive. It's easy to assume what you would or wouldn't do because it's described in great grumose detail what the MC did to survive. This was a quick, easy read. It reminded me of the famous Andes plane crash.
July 21, 2025
Oh my gosh! I was pulled in from the start, and the twists just kept coming. I couldn't put this down. And the ending....😲
February 15, 2026
A captivating thriller that kept me hooked from the first page. A wonderful read by a wonderful author!
October 16, 2025
I was amazed by how much Reuben Shupp was able to cover in a mere 194 pages. He doesn't linger on any one scene for too long, which makes this YA novel a very fast-paced, quick and easy read. Its multi-layered scenes will keep your mind pivoting, as you follow the chaos that unfolds after this unexpected plane crash.
It will have you asking those all important questions: What would I be willing to do and even more importantly, what wouldn't I be willing to do in order to survive?
The ending will force you to mentally revisit every chapter. Reuben will make you think about this book long after you've finished reading it.
You'll be asking yourself, was this real life . . . or a real life nightmare? The final chapter will raise one question. Think about everything you've read throughout the entire story and you'll find the answer.
It will have you asking those all important questions: What would I be willing to do and even more importantly, what wouldn't I be willing to do in order to survive?
The ending will force you to mentally revisit every chapter. Reuben will make you think about this book long after you've finished reading it.
You'll be asking yourself, was this real life . . . or a real life nightmare? The final chapter will raise one question. Think about everything you've read throughout the entire story and you'll find the answer.
Read
October 15, 2025Polar Terror is a young adult thriller about a boy who survives a winter plane crash in Alaska. He, along with a handful of adult crash survivors, must find a way to stay alive while they await rescue in the remote wilderness. But what starts a straight-forward survival story quickly takes a dark turn when evidence is uncovered that their plight may not be accidental.
Polar Terror, written by Canadian author Reuben Shupp, starts as a typical YA man-vs-nature story but morphs into a horror story just past the midpoint. This twist makes Polar Terror unique in an unexpected way.
The prose is well-executed. The characters are interesting. The protagonist is relatable and has a reasonable amount of agency given his situation as a youngster amongst a plane-load of adults. Written as a thriller, the author spends little time on description in order to keep character development and the plot moving crisply forward.
Identified as a novel, this work is also short enough to qualify as a novella. It is suitable in every way for YA readers, but it does come with warnings for scenes of violence, body mutilation, and cannibalism.
Polar Terror, written by Canadian author Reuben Shupp, starts as a typical YA man-vs-nature story but morphs into a horror story just past the midpoint. This twist makes Polar Terror unique in an unexpected way.
The prose is well-executed. The characters are interesting. The protagonist is relatable and has a reasonable amount of agency given his situation as a youngster amongst a plane-load of adults. Written as a thriller, the author spends little time on description in order to keep character development and the plot moving crisply forward.
Identified as a novel, this work is also short enough to qualify as a novella. It is suitable in every way for YA readers, but it does come with warnings for scenes of violence, body mutilation, and cannibalism.
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