The Starlight Claim

by Tim Wynne-Jones

Fast-paced, evocative, and intensely suspenseful, Tim Wynne-Jones's latest psychological thriller finds a teenager setting his wits against the frigid wilderness and a menacing crew of escapees.

Four months after his best friend, Dodge, disappeared near their families' camp in a boat accident, Nate is still haunted by nightmares. He'd been planning to make the treacherous trek to the remote campsite with a friend -- his first time in winter without his survival-savvy father, Burt. But when his friend gets grounded, Nate secretly decides to brave the trip solo in a journey that's half pilgrimage, half desperate hope he will find his missing friend when no one else could. What he doesn't expect to find is the door to the cabin flung open and the camp occupied by strangers: three men he's horrified to realize have escaped from a maximum-security prison. Snowed in by a blizzard and with no cell signal, Nate is confronted with troubling memories of Dodge and a stunning family secret, and realizes that his survival now depends on his wits as much as his wilderness skills. As things spiral out of control, Nate finds himself dealing with questions even bigger than who gets to leave the camp alive.

Genres: Young Adult, Thriller, Adventure, Survival, Realistic Fiction, Suspense, Mystery

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 2019

About the author

Tim Wynne-Jones (born 12 August 1948) is an English–Canadian author of children's literature, including picture books and novels for children and young adults, novels for adults, radio dramas, songs for the CBC/Jim Henson production Fraggle Rock, as well as a children's musical and an opera libretto.

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2001): The Boy in the Burning House
Edgar Award
◊ Best Young Adult (2002): The Boy in the Burning House

Reviews

[Claude's Bookzone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well the premise was good but it lacked tension in my opinion.

This book will be great for teens at the beginning of their reading journey looking for a fairly fast paced book about survival in the wilderness with wanted felons hunting you down. I didn't think it was thrilling enough myself and I would have a liked a few more life or death moments. Still, a good entry level thriller.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nate is still reeling from his best friend's disappearance four months before. Dodge is presumed dead in a boating accident, but the body was never found. Nate has nightmares where Dodge is floating under the ice in the frigid water of Ghost Lake begging him to come save him, find him, help him..... Nate has plans to travel to the remote campsite with a friend. They have proved they can make the journey by themselves. His own father, Burl Crow, made sure Nate has the skills to make the trip. At the last minute, Nate's friend can't go. Nate decides to go alone. He wants to search for Dodge. Maybe he can find him even though others failed. But when he arrives he finds the camp occupied by strange men....violent men....and it becomes a much more dangerous game of survival than Nate ever expected.

I think everyone has an experience as a young person that pushes them over the edge towards adulthood. For Nate, this trip up to his family's remote campsite by himself is just that sort of experience. He learns life lessons and truths about his life, his friend, and even strangers on his journey. We are all the sum of our choices....and Nate has a lot to discover about himself, his parents, and his feelings of guilt about his friend's death.

The story is well-written and engrossing. There's action, suspense, and emotion in this story. It definitely kept my attention from start to finish. Nate's journey is more than a physical one. This is such an action-filled, complex story about a young boy facing loss and harsh truths for the first time. Loved it!

Tim Wynne-Jones has written several books for young adults and children. I definitely want to read more!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Candlewick Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

[Hristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a lot. I like fast pace YA, and this one was paced just right for me. The story was really intriguing, I loved the premise, but the execution was amazing too. The writing flowed really well, it had both intense and heartfelt moments, and it brought the atmosphere to life really well. The characters were well developed, Nate was a really great lead and he was so well captures that I couldn’t help but connect with him.
This book caught my interest early on, and it didn’t let go. It’s a very interesting read, definitely an entertaining one.

*Copy received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
*Rating: 4/5 stars

[Brianna McGuire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure if I'm rating this accurately - I think I'm just so thrilled to be done with it that my ranking may be too positive.

God damn, was this a drag to get through. I know a book is bad when I start another book and finish it while I am in the middle of reading it, and it takes me a MONTH to finish it.

I didn't feel connected to any character. There was barely a plot. I forgot where we were or what we were supposed to be doing half the time. I don't remember why Shaker hated Nate, but I'm sure it was a ridiculous reason.

There is just way too many scenes of Nate driving a snowmobile or walking through the snow or building a fire for this book to be interesting to me.

The grand reveals at the end just fell flat. We don't get any closure with Calvin or with Dodge - I actually hate how Dodge turned out to be the cause of the deaths, I think it ruined his character.

Man am I glad to be done. I blame this book for my reading slump. Hopefully my next read will get me out of it.

[Gary Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nate’s best friend Dodge disappeared after an accident in the Canadian wilderness that also claimed the lives of Dodge’s father and brother. Nate decides to take a winter trek to the area of Dodge’s disappearance where both of their families had cabins. What happens next becomes a dramatic ordeal that threatens Nate’s survival In several ways. Tim Wynne-Jones’s The Starlight Claim is an absorbing thriller, mystery, and wilderness survival tale that will appeal to adventure-loving readers. Give this one to the young outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen, especially those who like snowmobiles, remote-control drones, and rugged camping.

Interesting note: The afterword mentions that The Starlight Claim is a sequel to Jones’s 1995 novel The Maestro. I had no idea this was a sequel as I read, but I’m now interested in finding the earlier novel.

[Chantellyne Yoyo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rated The Starlight Claim by Tim Wynne-Jones three out of five stars not being what I had hoped for but was a decent book overall. This was a book that had been sitting in my want to read list on my school’s library website, and I had wanted a quick read just in case a book I had on hold became vacant, and this was just that. I had no real expectations going on for this book, and was just hoping at the least it wouldn’t be a total bore. Which it wasn’t. To move on, the main setting in this book takes place in both Dodges and Nate’s family cabin in Ghost Lake, somewhere in Canada. Dodge Hoebeek, a dare-devil and foolish hardheaded young boy disappears near their families camp in a boat accident along with his father. Four months have passed and Dodge’s best friend, Nathaniel (Nate) Crow is still haunted by nightmares. With no bodies found, Nate has hope that he might be alive. So he makes the rash decision to head to his family's remote cabin by himself after his friend cancels on him, in the dead of winter. Not having his survival-savvy father along beside him, this will be his first winter alone, or so he thought. Because when he arrives he finds out there are three men that have escaped from a maximum-security prison occupying the cabin. Snowed in by a blizzard and with no cell signal, his survival now depends on both his wits and wilderness skills. Personally, I just couldn't connect to this book. Unable to get myself sucked in the book the whole time I was reading it. But being a fast paced mystery book with action, suspense and emotion in this story. It made it a bit better. As well as the flashbacks about the relationship between him and Dodge, allowing me to get to know the main character and his best friend better. Who seemed like a big bully. Which I appreciated for a pretty short book. Not feeling rushed at all but well-written and engrossing at times instead. Which brings me to the theme which is all about conflict. Inner conflict. With Nate struggling with his guilt over a friend's death, thinking he could've, should’ve and would’ve done something if only he knew. As well as outer conflict, physical, as he eludes criminals and grapples with family dramas. This book also talks a good amount about relationships between men. Through friendship, fatherhood, and toxic masculinity. Would I read another book by this author? I would. In hopes of that book containing material I could connect to or enjoy thoroughly. Despite this book receiving a three star rating from me, I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys reading about the wilderness and is interested in survival, mystery, suspense and faster paced books. Who can connect to this and possibly the characters, who in my opinion are quite relatable to some extent, specifically Nate, a teen stricken with grief, and that grief influencing him to make foolish decisions. Something lots of people can relate to.

[Alison Morquecho · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was pretty excited when I got approved for this book. The synopsis seemed really interesting and I haven’t really read a book like this one. I don’t want to say that I was disappointed with the book, but it just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with the main character for some reason. The book interested me enough to find out the end, and I thought the writing was well done, but most of the time I just didn’t really care what was going on. It always makes me sad when I don’t absolutely love a book, and it makes me even sadder when I have to review it.

We follow our MC Nate, who is planning his yearly trip to the family's cabin with his friend. 4 months earlier his best friend Dodge died along with his father up by the camp. Nate wants to go to the camp and find his best friend because he feels he is not dead. He has not taken his friends' death well and still struggles with it pretty badly. Days before they planned to leave, his friend gets grounded and can’t go. Nate knows Dodge is out there somewhere and decided to brave it alone, but doesn’t tell his mother or father.

Nate is hoping for some strange reason that Dodge is just holed up in the family cabin and will surprise him when he gets there. He is surprised, but not by Dodge. He finds out that 2 guys are staying in his family cabin that he has no idea who they are. When he looks closer he sees that he does recognize these men, they are the runaway convicts he saw on tv. Nate has no way of contacting the police or his parents because he has no service. Worse is that there is a horrible snowstorm that makes it harder for him to find help.

Throughout the book, Nate has to try to defend himself against these men and try to get some kind of help. He meets someone from his past that he actually has never met and becomes an unlikely ally. Luckily, Nate has been taught all kinds of survival skills from his father and can make it on his own until this snowstorm lifts.

Again, this book was full of adventure and survival, which I enjoy, but this book didn’t do it for me. I do recommend trying it out to see if you like it. It was a pretty quick read since the book was so short. If you do read it, please let me know your thoughts down in the comments!  

Check out my blog for more reviews. www.readrhapsodizerepeat.com

[Joy (joyous reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to get through Tim Wynne-Jones’ The Ruinous Sweep with great impatience. It was slow, and frankly, so weird. So I approached this book with trepidation. Thankfully, this was far from his 2018 release. Firstly, it wasn’t as verbose, nor as dense. It was a straight forward story telling that The Ruinous Sweep severely lacked. As well, this novel isn’t as ambitious as that Dante retelling.

Four months after his best friend disappeared, Nate is suddenly plagued with nightmares. Dodge, his best friend, was like a ghost or a restless soul that kept appearing in his dreams, pleading for Nate to find him. It is Spring in northern Ontario and winter has barely left, but he was confident enough in his survival skills to trek through the frozen landscape to the cabins both their families owned. It is where Dodge’s entire family perished and where he hoped to find Dodge. The bodies of his father and his brother were found, frozen and drowned. Dodge’s however, wasn’t. He was meant to go with someone else on this pilgrimage, but when his classmate was grounded, he decided to go on his own without the knowledge of his parents. It was a costly decision that would not only threaten his life, he would also come face to face with a family secret he thought was long buried.

He was in a race against a brewing blizzard, and the elements that was far from forgiving. With only two days to do what he set out to do, finding the cabins occupied by escaped convicts was not his idea of a good time. Now, not only is he pressed for time and the storm that was coming, he was also fighting for his life.

This was a fast pace read; it took me a day to finish it. Wynne-Jones’ writing didn’t let up from beginning to end. And though, I saw the twist from the get-go, it was still fun to see come to fruition. If you’re looking for an honest to goodness thrilling read, The Starlight Claim fits that bill. Bonus: the author perfectly captures the ambiance of frozen Canada and the coziness (if you can feel cozy whilst being hunted) of the cabin life.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: The Starlight Claim
Author: Time Wynne-Jones
Genre: YA, thriller, mystery
Source: Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy for review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

He would never be dead to Nate until there was a body. Dodge was up there somewhere. And if anyone could find him, it would be Nate.

Dodge's body was never found after the boating accident that killed his brother and his father, and presumably him. And Nate is haunted by that. Shrouded in nightmares of a ghoulish Dodge underneath the winter ice, weighed down by the guilt that he wasn't there, that he couldn't save him, Nate makes the trip to the family camp alone for the first time. He should be alone. It's been four months since the search ended and the camp should be shut up; but when Nate finds the camp occupied by strangers, violent and odd, he finds himself relying on skills he never thought he would.

This book sounded right up my alley. A disappearance. The opportunity for closure. A mystery. Coming of age. Survival. Psychological and Physical threats. This is all my perfect category of book. And before I continue my review, I think Wynne-Jones is a fantastic writer. The flow was great, it was fast paced as promised in the description but I didn't care about Nate. Or Dodge. Or really any of the characters. I found myself just craving a little more thrill. Like it all seemed to just happen but I wasn't left in suspense enough. I would like to read more by this author for sure but this wasn't a favourite for me.

[J.L. Slipak · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book does have action and adventure, and yes, there’s a mystery surrounding a missing friend. It also is about survival on two plains: the first being survival against bad men; and the next, survival against the weather and weakness.

What I liked this book more for was the coming of age, growing up portion, and self-discovery that the MC goes through during his trip up to the campsite; and then, when he gets there and goes through a different discovery–of the truth. How he handles himself under stress is written well, and his reactions and emotions are very relatable.

I can see young YA book lovers enjoying this book. The author’s voice gives the story a smooth pace with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. The book for me was more about choices and their consequences than the action/adventure. The MC’s choices and consequences were spurned on by the action-causing elements such as the convicts and his missing friend.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ... I Read this for work. It is my first book in my list of White pine nominees. I will say I did enjoy this quick read. It had some suspense and some mystery behind it, I think teen readers exploring the thriller genre would enjoy this too.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Starlight Claim is the third ARC from Candlewick Press I’ve been lucky to come by recently, and I must say that I’m really enjoying their titles. Here is a fairly clean book (there’s a little bit of language, but much less than its present YA counterparts, if you’re monitoring that sort of thing) that’s full of excitement.

It starts with Nathaniel (Nate) Crow, who is still haunted by the disappearance of his friend, Dodge, after a family boating accident. He had been planning to make a trip back to the site (also their families’ camps) with third friend Paul, partly for closure, partly hoping (though it’s a long shot) that they’ll find the body. But when Paul gets grounded, Nate secretly makes the trip alone, though a major storm is on the way. When Nate reaches the camp, he finds it occupied by prison-escapees. And though one becomes an unlikely ally, secrets are exposed, and no one is sure who will make it home alive.

I thought this book was nicely paced. The action scenes are intense, and they’re broken up by Nate’s nightmares regarding Dodge and his reminiscing about past interactions with him. It gives him a little more emotional depth, rather than the reader only being thrust in the fight for his survival. I found him to be a sympathetic character and an empathetic one as well: what he chooses when dealing with the escapees threatening his life is pretty remarkable.

Other characters added to the overall tone. The parents (there were two, they were alive and present. This sounds random, but in some circles, there has been discussion why there is such a bleak parent picture in current YA literature) were likable and the criminal element was sufficiently menacing for this age (though when the worst of the lot spoke, he sounded an awful lot like a stereotypical apologetic Canadian!)

I’d definitely recommend this (and I would also check out more books by Wynne-Jones) book, especially for those seeking younger YA or “boy” books.

Bonus points: I cannot fault a book for adding mention of Larry Bird.

Thank you to NetGalley and author Tim Wynne-Jones for providing me with this copy to review.

[Joe Mama · Rating 1 out of 5]

PEOPLE WHO ARE READING THIS BOOK TO WRITE AN ESSAY ON, BEWARE, ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE BOOK TO ANALYZE.

Everything in the book is so blatant. There are no underlying meanings, there are no literary devices to analyze on, making this book VERY difficult to analyze in an analysis essay. If you care about your grades, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK AND CHOOSE A DIFFERENT BOOK TO WRITE ABOUT. Absolutely garbage book, 0/5 stars.

White Pine Nominee my arse. Mr. Wynne-Jones is a horrible author. DO NOT READ!!!

[Haley]

DNF @ 65pgs/29%.
I literally cannot focus on this book it is so boring. I can’t stand pages of just describing things. I also don’t give a shit about literally anything going on - obviously the people breaking in are gonna be w his grandpa. Also don’t give a shit about Dodge.
Started this bc it’s on the white pine list and its super short but honestly it’s not worth.

[Mathilde Paulsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The E-Arc The Starlight Claim was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

I could sum this entire review up in one sentence: I expected more. This did not have enough suspense, enough thrill, enough drive to keep me reading. Sure, it was a fast enough read, but sitting down to actually read it took some time. It was simply not all that exciting.

For starters, the book is supposedly a psychological thriller. The only thrilling thing was waiting to see how the day would be saved, because there was never a doubt in my mind that it would be. It was inevitable that Nate would be just fine, which made the whole thing a lot less thrilling. I did enjoy the survival aspect of the book, it was intriguing to see how Nate fended off against mother nature herself. The thing I struggled with was this crew of menacing escapees. They were quite tame and boring in my opinion, they all had big mouths but that was about it. I was never even worried about them. The way the author wrote them paired with how he wrote Nate’s response to their actions simply struck them off the list of things to be worried/excited/intrigued about.

The thing I loved about this book was the growth. Both Nate’s growth as a character and the progression of some of the other characters. We see Nate arrive at the cabin, all alone, looking for answers about his best friend Dodge and trying to come to terms with what actually happened. The psychological aspect of the novel was also enjoyable. Nate’s continuing memories of Dodge made Dodge a character of the novel, even though he is never really there. It was interesting to see Nate try to find his own, now that his world had been so thoroughly turned on its head.

In summary this book sadly did not make it into my list of favorites. It was entertaining enough, but very forgettable. I simply wish it had had more suspense and thrill to it, since that was what I was expecting. If you’d like to read a book about fending for yourself and trying to become independent, while being imprisoned by a snowstorm in a place where both your neighbors (the escapees) and nature is trying to get rid of you, then this would be a perfect read for you!

Also, it is worth noting that this is apparently an intergenerational sequel to the book “The Maestro”. I would definitely recommend reading that first, I have a feeling The Starlight Claim would have been a lot more enjoyable if I had some more backstory!

[Katie Alley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot and got really into it! I’m a 25yo woman who wants to start reading for enjoyment (rather than for school assignments). I selected this book to start my reading journey because the blurb was interesting, it was available on Libby, and it was fairly short.
This was an easy-read, a coming-of-age adventure/psychological thriller. I was able to picture the camp vividly in my head. I felt what the MC Nate felt - fear, anger, stress - and I found myself on edge wanting to know what happens next. This book reminded me again of how enjoyable reading can be, like TV in your head, which is what I needed from this book as I start my reading journey.
I agree with other reviews - this book is very blatant and does not really use any literary devices. There’s no hidden metaphors or analogies. Very surface-level, but still an enjoyable story.
This is a good thriller for teens, especially outdoorsy ones, but you should probably choose Hatchet by Gary Paulson over this one for your book report. Also a good book for anyone who enjoys YA survival/adventure stories and is looking for a quick easy read.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read but a very exciting one and should especially appeal to young teens. There are tense moments, which the author builds up to with his descriptive language, and the plotline is believable, even with situations that you might not think are realistic. The author points out at the end of his book that they are based upon truth and we all know that truth is stranger than fiction much of the time. The plot takes place in Canada, during the month of March, and a young man is torn between his buddy's death, the painful and self-realization of his buddy's true character, and his own survival as he faces an unexpected challenge during his first winter camping trip at the family cabin.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Survival stories (almost) never cease to pull me in. THE STARLIGHT CLAIM is no exception. Even though the reflective bits get a little dull, there's enough action to keep this one moving along at a fair clip. Nate is a sympathetic character and it's easy to root for his survival. While I saw the big twist coming from a mile away, there was still enough suspense to keep me interested. I didn't end up absolutely loving this book, but it kept me reading and cheering for Nate's triumph over man, nature, and the demons (ghosts) inside his own head.

[Lydia Lukidis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Tim Wynne-Jones creates another masterful work of literature in his new YA psychological thriller, The Starlight Claim. Fast-paced and filled with suspense egging the reader to keep turning the page, the protagonist Nate finds himself in an unbelievable situation where he comes face to face with convicts who escaped maximum-security prison. Trust me, you won't be able to put the book down!
Also check out his Governor General award-winning novel, The Maestro.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the premise of this story, but the execution was poor. The jumps between the present story and flashbacks were jarring. I wanted more from the present story and didn’t feel the flashbacks supported the main story enough to be there. I also found some of the language unsettling.

I do think there is an audience for this book, but I don’t see myself recommending it to others.

[Kate HT · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️ 2

Not exciting. Not memorable.

I would have sworn The Starlight Claim was written by a novice writer. Imagine my surprise when I found out Tim Wynne-Jones is quite the prolific author. It just didn't feel very well written to me.

Time & Place: Sudbury, Canada; Pharaoh
Language: moderate (religious profanity, 3 sh-, 2 b-)

[Junie · Rating 2 out of 5]

give me one good reason why he wouldn't have just turned around and camped out at the train station for a day, gone home, and called 911. ONE GOOD REASON.

also i couldn't follow the story well and there was too much exposition

[Darah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just don't really like survival stuff so personally not my favorite, but also how the author didn't use any profanity was a little bit weird considering it was a book about criminals. I'm probably not the target audience for this book, but I just didn't love it.

[Ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE ME A QUOTE FROM THIS BOOK THAT USES FORESHADOWING AND THE PAGE NUMBER? I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER IF YOU DO

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it uses a direct quote for the epigraph, which made me look the title up, I didn't realize this was a next-generation-sequel/companion novel to The Maestro (1995) until he started talking about how his father had built the cabin, and then I went OH NO, because I haven't actually read that one. I almost held off on reading this as a result...but it was checked in at the library where The Maestro is long weeded, so I shrugged and went for it. It works perfectly fine as a standalone, but I also have the sense that if you liked that one, this one is a wonderful follow-up.

Suffice to say, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this. Old-school YA style: just a boy, pitting his wits against some dangerous adults* (and equally dangerous weather) in the middle of nowhere, with flashbacks to a friendship but no need to force a romance anywhere into the story to fill some tired genre obligation. It's intense at times, but slow-paced at others, as the moments he's not actively fighting for his life are filled with reflection on the friend he lost. As much as I don't love that kid, Nate is such a treasure that I care what he thinks, so the balance feels both necessary and well done.

(*there's a little Home Alone in here, which one of said adults calls out, and it's so fun I don't even care, even though the stakes are MUCH higher and the violence is dialed up accordingly by the end)

Honestly, I'm a little sorry that I convinced myself not to buy this at the library sale where I ran across it, because I could still borrow it instead.

Side notes:
1. I absolutely love the cover design choice to have the lettering filled in with a starlit-sky design, albeit in a much lighter (more beautiful) shade of blue than stars are ever seen against.

2. Let's give it up for chapter titles!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Starlight Claim was an exciting survival adventure. Nate didn't intend to make the trip to the cabin alone, but when his friend is grounded, he decides not to back out. But a blizzard sets in and in subzero temperatures, Nate must not only survive the weather, but must outwit escapees from a maximum security prison who have taken refuge in his family's cabin. Thanks to his father, Nate is not without resources, both physical and mental.

from description: Four months after his best friend, Dodge, disappeared near their families’ camp in a boat accident, Nate is still haunted by nightmares. He’d been planning to make the treacherous trek to the remote campsite with a friend — his first time in winter without his survival-savvy father. But when his friend gets grounded, Nate secretly decides to brave the trip solo in a journey that’s half pilgrimage, half desperate hope he will find his missing friend when no one else could. What he doesn’t expect to find is the door to the cabin flung open and the camp occupied by strangers: three men he’s horrified to realize have escaped from a maximum-security prison. Snowed in by a blizzard and with no cell signal, Nate is confronted with troubling memories of Dodge and a stunning family secret, and realizes that his survival now depends on his wits as much as his wilderness skills. As things spiral out of control, Nate finds himself dealing with questions even bigger than who gets to leave the camp alive.

Nate discovers an unexpected ally, but not a benevolent or selfless one.

Although the main character is a teenager, I didn't realize at first that this was a YA novel; however, as with any good book, The Starlight Claim will grab your interest and hold it throughout.

Read in May; blog review scheduled for Aug. 31, 2019

NetGalley/Candlewick Press
YA/Suspense. Sept. 10, 2019. Print length: 240 pages

[Janice Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book straight through in one sitting. Here's what I can tell you without ruining the book at all. 16 year old Nate Crow had a best friend named Dodge Hoebeek and the two families built summer cabins next to each other. One day late last fall, Dodge's dad decided, against the advice of almost everyone, that he is going to try to get a fridge up to his camp. Nate is invited along for the adventure, but his father refuses to let him go, claiming that the entire idea is harebrained and much too dangerous. Turns out his dad was right because Mr Hoebeek, Dodge and his little brother died wile attempting to transport the fridge. The trouble is that Dodge's body was never found so when the story starts, Nate is planning a trip back to the camps with his friend Paul... and at some point in their trip, he intends to look for Dodge's dead body.
Paul, it turns out, can't go due to his excessive alcohol consumption while attending a party the previous evening, but Nate lies to his parents and says he is going with Paul when really he is travelling by himself. When he arrives at the camp, after a train ride and a very tough trek by snowshoe through the bush, Nate is annoyed and surprised to discover that his family's camp is occupied. His annoyance turns to concern and then fear when he eventually pieces together that the camp is occupied by two criminals from a recent prison break.
This story flows easily and quickly. There were a few things that I figured out, but there were also enough surprises to keep me interested. It would pair well with I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall.

[BreeAnn (She Just Loves Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

1 young boy.
3 dangerous criminals.
1 secluded cabin.
1 massive snow storm.
0 ways out.

That's my recap of this one! What an exciting story of survival! I was cold through this entire book as the snow raged and the characters tried to stay warm. Nate is getting the opportunity to go to his family's cabin on his own for the first time. It's a secluded location with one train that goes in and then a hike, but when he gets there, he finds men in his cabin. Realizing that they are the prisoners that recently escaped, he goes to the next closest cabin, which he knows is empty. The next few days are filled with suspense, action, and danger as he tries to survive the elements and the criminals until the storm ends he can get help.

This was an awesome story! It was exciting and heart-racing, but it also had a really emotional element. Nate was supposed to be going on this trip with his friend Dodge, but Dodge's family died in an accident on the way up to their cabin. While Nate deals with the very real dangers from the world, he also brings the reader his memories of Dodge as he grieves and tries to say goodbye.

I enjoyed the entire story. I found that I really didn't enjoy Dodge as a friend for Nate, so I didn't enjoy his memories as much, but they are important to the story, so I get it. I loved how Nate makes decisions on what to do next to survive and how he deals with the men in his camp. Overall I enjoyed this, and I would recommend it for readers that enjoy survivalist stories!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Jill Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hesitant to read this after previously reading Wynne-Jones’ bizarre book entitled The Ruinous Sweep.  However, against prior first impressions I chose to pick up his most recent read, The Starlight Claim, and I am certainly glad I did! 
After the disappearance of his best friend, Nate is eager to set out on his first unsupervised camping trip into the Canadian wilderness, hoping to gain closure or answers for himself.  But, when his friend bails at the last second, knowing his parents won’t let him go entirely alone, Nate decides to lie to his trusting parents in an effort to ensure the trip carries on as planned.  However, upon arriving at his father’s cabin in the dead of winter, it is clear nothing about this trip is going to go as planned. 
 
The Starlight Claim is an extraordinary feat of penmanship.  In a story that allows for minimal character conversing, Wynne-Jones gives readers an engaging and fast-paced novel.  Often, authors rely heavily on conversations within the pages to develop characters, however when the story is limited to a teenager relatively alone in the woods there are marginal opportunities for spoken development, instead forcing the author to show their true talent in character creation.  Well done to Tim Wynne-Jones in creating a teenage character we can simultaneously balk at and root for, as well as giving the reader som serious tips on wilderness survival. 
 
*Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

[Energy Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nate and his friends Dodge and Paul had been planning to hike to Nate's family's cabin for almost a year. Dodge and Nate had met up that way as Dodge's family had a cabin nearby. But then Dodge, Dodge's brother, and father die in a horrific accident on the water, Nate starts to spiral, plagued with nightmares. With the help of some amazing parents, he starts to get better and think about the hike they had all been planning. He and Paul plan to do the hike by themselves, only Paul gets grounded and cancels the night before.

Against his better judgment, Nate decides to go alone. He feels that because Dodge's body was never found, he could still be out there. While it is Spring, the brutal weather brought in by winter hang on tight in their part of Canada, still getting deep into the negatives at night. It's a foolish decision for Nate to go alone, especially if his family's camp isn't how they left it when they closed it up in the Fall.

This was a really fun read because once the action started, it was non-stop. Nate was great at thinking on the fly and that's due to his parents teaching him essential survival skills. Even Nate says that his father wasn't the type to just answer questions, he would make Nate puzzle it out, and that proves very helpful for him. The Starlight Claim was well-written, and once I started reading, I found it near impossible to put down. Nicely done!