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Girls Survive
Maribel Versus the Volcano
In 1980s Washington state, Mt. St. Helens is rumbling. Twelve-year-old Maribel isn't concerned at first, despite officials evacuating her neighborhood. Her family is convinced it's just a precaution, even as the mountain continues to rumble. Maribel decides to disobey orders and return home for items she and her sister left behind - just as the volcano finally erupts. As ash rains down, Maribel realizes she must learn to focus if she's going to survive.
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About the author
Sarah Hannah Gómez
6 books238 followersSarah Hannah Gómez is a Tucson-based writer, scholar, editor, and critic.
She is a Senior Editor at Kevin Anderson & Associates, the premier ghostwriting and editorial services firm. In 2024 she completed her PhD in Language, Reading, and Culture with a minor in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory at the University of Arizona. She holds MS and MA degrees from Simmons University. When not doing something related to books, she is a fitness and Pilates maven. Find her on Instagram, Bluesky, and other social media at @shgmclicious
**I only friend people I actually know IRL on this site, and I do not respond to requests for book reviews sent via this platform.**
**Reviews are personal and in no way reflect the views of my employer(s).**
She is a Senior Editor at Kevin Anderson & Associates, the premier ghostwriting and editorial services firm. In 2024 she completed her PhD in Language, Reading, and Culture with a minor in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory at the University of Arizona. She holds MS and MA degrees from Simmons University. When not doing something related to books, she is a fitness and Pilates maven. Find her on Instagram, Bluesky, and other social media at @shgmclicious
**I only friend people I actually know IRL on this site, and I do not respond to requests for book reviews sent via this platform.**
**Reviews are personal and in no way reflect the views of my employer(s).**
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February 4, 2020Maybe I'll change my tune after comps this semester, but as of now this is maybe the hardest writing project I've undertaken. Historical fiction is challenging af!
January 4, 2021
This series as a whole is great, but this particular book was a big hit with the 8-y.o.
June 29, 2021
Maribel Reyes is an ordinary girl living in the town of Cougar, Washington in 1980. She has a tough time paying attention in school and is often in trouble, much to the dismay of her sister Lupe. While stuck after school one day, Maribel and Lupe feel a terrible shaking, recognizing the signs of an earthquake. They're shaken themselves but don't think much of it. Maribel notices Mount St. Helens ha a new bulge and it begins to belch steam but no one is really worried about it. It's never erupted before. Then the police come to evacuate everyone within a 12 mile radius of the volcano and Maribel's family is forced to stay with friends in Yale for three weeks! When the family is allowed to return to pick up more belongings, Maribel is determined to help her family by borrowing a bike and heading home to collect some clothes and treasured possessions. Little does she dream of what will happen next! When the volcano erupts, it's up to Maribel to pay attention just to survive. Will she ever see her family again?
This book reads a lot like a time travel Choose Your Own Adventure novel (i.e. Prints in the Sand: My Journey with Nanea). I half expected Maribel to travel back in time to Ancient Rome to experience the eruption of Pompeii but she doesn't have to time travel to be caught in a dangerous volcanic eruption! The details of Maribel's daring escape from danger are very realistic and may be too scary for the age this book is geared towards. While Maribel is in 7th grade, the reading level is well below that - more like 4th grade. The first person account doesn't appeal to me that much but it does make the reader feel more like they're involved in the story. It's very exciting anyway. I question the author's decision not to have Maribel encounter any dead bodies. While this would be horrific, it's a true detail that should not have been omitted. There could have at least been a hint that people had died rather than stumbling over a dead body.
I picked up on a few period details, like when Maribel has to stay after school, she can't just text her sister and say "I'm in detention!" They can't call their mom until they find a phone and when Maribel is racing against the volcano, she can't call her family and friends to say she's on her way.
I don't know the demographics of this small town in Washington state but the current demographics of the county don't point to a large Latinx population. Maribel's Mexican heritage isn't central to the plot. I can see the author is Latina and I'm sure her heritage is important to her but she kind of glosses over it. I'd like to know how Maribel feels being one of the only/the only Latin kid in school. She likes hearing her Nana's stories and looking at the pictures of her mom's childhood so incorporate that into the story!
The one big thing I learned from this novel- and I'm not sure anyone in 1980 would acknowledge it- is the indigenous name of Mount St. Helen's. While it is important to remember the people who lived there before the Europeans, it seemed out of place in the story. It was an extraneous detail popped in there.
I found Maribel to be a relatable character. She would be diagnosed with ADD today but in her day, she is considered a daydreamer who doesn't want to focus. She is given detention for something she can't help. I felt rather sad for her. Maribel proves she's thoughtful, brave and kind as she experiences an adventure she'll never forget. I found her sister Lupe to be a little less sympathetic. She's the bossy older sister, obsessed with photography. Lupe doesn't have any empathy for Maribel yet Maribel is incredibly thoughtful and worries about Lupe who has asthma. Lupe just blames Maribel for ruining her plans. She grows and matures by the end of the story but she doesn't have the experience Maribel does so her character growth is rather sudden. I like their loving family, especially Nana who tells stories (off page) about her life in Mexico. I can relate because I always asked my Nonnie for stories about growing up in Italy.
Maribel is friendly with a boy, Marcus Johnson. They play frisbee and ride bikes together in the park. How refreshing to see teenagers of the opposite sex being friendly without flirting or fighting. The Johnsons are very generous but I would have left sooner if I were Maribel's family in order to preserve that friendship. I like Maribel's new friends very much, especially Elizabeth. She's at the age where she can be annoying and cute at the same time. I like how she looks up to Maribel and Maribel gets to be a big sister for a change. Their relationship is very sweet.
This book has me off to the official Visit Mount St. Helen's website to do some additional research. That's the mark of a good historical fiction book. I do wish the author had included the link in her author's note though.
This book reads a lot like a time travel Choose Your Own Adventure novel (i.e. Prints in the Sand: My Journey with Nanea). I half expected Maribel to travel back in time to Ancient Rome to experience the eruption of Pompeii but she doesn't have to time travel to be caught in a dangerous volcanic eruption! The details of Maribel's daring escape from danger are very realistic and may be too scary for the age this book is geared towards. While Maribel is in 7th grade, the reading level is well below that - more like 4th grade. The first person account doesn't appeal to me that much but it does make the reader feel more like they're involved in the story. It's very exciting anyway. I question the author's decision not to have Maribel encounter any dead bodies. While this would be horrific, it's a true detail that should not have been omitted. There could have at least been a hint that people had died rather than stumbling over a dead body.
I picked up on a few period details, like when Maribel has to stay after school, she can't just text her sister and say "I'm in detention!" They can't call their mom until they find a phone and when Maribel is racing against the volcano, she can't call her family and friends to say she's on her way.
I don't know the demographics of this small town in Washington state but the current demographics of the county don't point to a large Latinx population. Maribel's Mexican heritage isn't central to the plot. I can see the author is Latina and I'm sure her heritage is important to her but she kind of glosses over it. I'd like to know how Maribel feels being one of the only/the only Latin kid in school. She likes hearing her Nana's stories and looking at the pictures of her mom's childhood so incorporate that into the story!
The one big thing I learned from this novel- and I'm not sure anyone in 1980 would acknowledge it- is the indigenous name of Mount St. Helen's. While it is important to remember the people who lived there before the Europeans, it seemed out of place in the story. It was an extraneous detail popped in there.
I found Maribel to be a relatable character. She would be diagnosed with ADD today but in her day, she is considered a daydreamer who doesn't want to focus. She is given detention for something she can't help. I felt rather sad for her. Maribel proves she's thoughtful, brave and kind as she experiences an adventure she'll never forget. I found her sister Lupe to be a little less sympathetic. She's the bossy older sister, obsessed with photography. Lupe doesn't have any empathy for Maribel yet Maribel is incredibly thoughtful and worries about Lupe who has asthma. Lupe just blames Maribel for ruining her plans. She grows and matures by the end of the story but she doesn't have the experience Maribel does so her character growth is rather sudden. I like their loving family, especially Nana who tells stories (off page) about her life in Mexico. I can relate because I always asked my Nonnie for stories about growing up in Italy.
Maribel is friendly with a boy, Marcus Johnson. They play frisbee and ride bikes together in the park. How refreshing to see teenagers of the opposite sex being friendly without flirting or fighting. The Johnsons are very generous but I would have left sooner if I were Maribel's family in order to preserve that friendship. I like Maribel's new friends very much, especially Elizabeth. She's at the age where she can be annoying and cute at the same time. I like how she looks up to Maribel and Maribel gets to be a big sister for a change. Their relationship is very sweet.
This book has me off to the official Visit Mount St. Helen's website to do some additional research. That's the mark of a good historical fiction book. I do wish the author had included the link in her author's note though.
December 3, 2023
This was such a fun read, about a serious topic, a perfect title to recommend to kids who loved "I Survived" and "Survivor Diaries." I thought it was fascinating how the residents didn't take the evacuation warnings seriously as the volcano smoked in front of their eyes; you always wonder how it feels to live in the shadow of a volcano, and it's clearly something you get used to!
Maribel made some stupid, but believable, decisions in the book and she ended up bravely confronting her escape from those bad choices!
Maribel made some stupid, but believable, decisions in the book and she ended up bravely confronting her escape from those bad choices!
January 30, 2022
A quick but gripping read about the eruption of Mt Saint Helen’s (Lawetlat’la) in 1980, an event I remember well!
I loved the inclusion of ADHD/ADD, asthma, Mexican culture, indigenous names and knowledge in this dramatic and quite scary adventure. This well researched book will entertain young readers but also expose them to numerous new concepts and issues for discussion. Includes extensive author notes and discussion questions. A fantastic choice especially for schools.
I loved the inclusion of ADHD/ADD, asthma, Mexican culture, indigenous names and knowledge in this dramatic and quite scary adventure. This well researched book will entertain young readers but also expose them to numerous new concepts and issues for discussion. Includes extensive author notes and discussion questions. A fantastic choice especially for schools.
December 7, 2021
This book is well-written and engaging, and the author does a great job of developing her characters prior to the disaster, which raises the emotional stakes for the reader. This book taught me a lot about the Mount St. Helens explosion, because even though I was familiar with it as a historical event, I did not know many of the specific details that this book brings to life so well. The author also does a nice job of acknowledging the indigenous communities in that area and their name for the volcano, without this seeming like a preachy add-on.
However, there were two things in this book that I didn't care for. One is that I don't think the author sufficiently showed Maribel as having ADD, versus just daydreaming or struggling to focus. In the author's note, she mentions this as a specific diagnosis and shares information about it, and this caught me off guard, because I didn't see that element of the story as being that serious. I think this poses the risk of telling kids that if they are imaginative, like to daydream, and sometimes struggle to complete tasks on time, then this means that they have a disorder and need medication. I wish that the author had built up Maribel's struggles more if they were going to warrant a diagnosis at the end.
My other critique has to do with realism. Maribel starts her survival journey with a backpack full of items that she has rescued from her family's home, and has to escape the overflow of the volcanic explosion. She has to walk carefully to avoid swirling lava and debris, and because of the volcanic ash in their air, it is difficult for her to breathe. I fully expected that at some point, she would have to make the difficult decision to leave some of these things behind, but her backpack mostly disappears from the narrative.
When Maribel wakes up in the hospital, her family greets her, and she realizes that she had carried the backpack to safety. She says that she had forgotten about it in the intensity of her fight for survival, but this is not realistic at all. She walked about four miles under volcanic conditions, and there is no way that she could forget about a backpack with so much stuff in it.
I walked less than two miles in 90 degree heat with my friend once, after her car broke down by the beach. We left the car at the mechanic and walked back to our beach house, and it was an ORDEAL. I was wearing beach flip flops and had to carry my beach bag the whole way, plus the extra stuff from the car that we had stuffed in it. My friend and I made the best of our situation and still had a good time, but I did not forget about the weight of that bag for one moment, and we were taking a leisurely walk through neighborhoods by the beach. There is NO WAY that someone could forget something heavy that they are toting along when they are fighting for survival.
Kids are far less likely to notice or care about that detail than I did, but this would have been much more realistic if Maribel had needed to make hard decisions along the way, instead of being able to take everything with her that she wanted to. As an adult reader, this hugely impacted my suspension of disbelief, but despite my critiques, this is still a good installment in the series overall.
However, there were two things in this book that I didn't care for. One is that I don't think the author sufficiently showed Maribel as having ADD, versus just daydreaming or struggling to focus. In the author's note, she mentions this as a specific diagnosis and shares information about it, and this caught me off guard, because I didn't see that element of the story as being that serious. I think this poses the risk of telling kids that if they are imaginative, like to daydream, and sometimes struggle to complete tasks on time, then this means that they have a disorder and need medication. I wish that the author had built up Maribel's struggles more if they were going to warrant a diagnosis at the end.
My other critique has to do with realism. Maribel starts her survival journey with a backpack full of items that she has rescued from her family's home, and has to escape the overflow of the volcanic explosion. She has to walk carefully to avoid swirling lava and debris, and because of the volcanic ash in their air, it is difficult for her to breathe. I fully expected that at some point, she would have to make the difficult decision to leave some of these things behind, but her backpack mostly disappears from the narrative.
When Maribel wakes up in the hospital, her family greets her, and she realizes that she had carried the backpack to safety. She says that she had forgotten about it in the intensity of her fight for survival, but this is not realistic at all. She walked about four miles under volcanic conditions, and there is no way that she could forget about a backpack with so much stuff in it.
I walked less than two miles in 90 degree heat with my friend once, after her car broke down by the beach. We left the car at the mechanic and walked back to our beach house, and it was an ORDEAL. I was wearing beach flip flops and had to carry my beach bag the whole way, plus the extra stuff from the car that we had stuffed in it. My friend and I made the best of our situation and still had a good time, but I did not forget about the weight of that bag for one moment, and we were taking a leisurely walk through neighborhoods by the beach. There is NO WAY that someone could forget something heavy that they are toting along when they are fighting for survival.
Kids are far less likely to notice or care about that detail than I did, but this would have been much more realistic if Maribel had needed to make hard decisions along the way, instead of being able to take everything with her that she wanted to. As an adult reader, this hugely impacted my suspension of disbelief, but despite my critiques, this is still a good installment in the series overall.
November 19, 2024
Maribel and her family have been evacuated from their house after Mount St. Helens starts steaming and earthquakes increase in frequency. Some people think they should be allowed to return to their homes when nothing changes, and after several days Maribel's family were planning to return to their house to pick up a few more essentials they missed when they evacuated. But just as they are about to go, Maribel's grandmother falls and needs to be taken to the hospital. Maribel decides to surprise her family by biking to the house to pick up some of the things. But while she is on her secret mission, Mt. St. Helens really lets loose, and Maribel faces the struggle of her life to get back to where her family is staying.
Reading this really makes the level of ash that was spewing out of Mt. St. Helen's during the eruption come to life. It's hard to fathom, and so different from the type of volcanic eruption in TV shows and movies kids are exposed to. I like that Maribel actually runs into helpful adults and is surprised that they don't know exactly what to do. It is a very realistic portrayal of an emergency situation (and so unusual for middle grade lit to have kids helped by adults). I also appreciated that Maribel's undiagnosed ADD is authentically-depicted and there's a helpful note about it from the author in the back of the book. This will introduce modern middle grade readers to a disaster that was a frequent topic in 1980s literature but has definitely dropped out of common topics covered since then.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Maribel's grandmother falls and might have broken her hip. Maribel is treated for ash/smoke inhalation. People fall in earthquakes.
Ethnic diversity: Maribel's family are of Latinx heritage. The family Maribel meets in the ash are white (according to the illustration).
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Maribel leaves without telling anyone where she's going. Her parents talk to her about this later.
Reading this really makes the level of ash that was spewing out of Mt. St. Helen's during the eruption come to life. It's hard to fathom, and so different from the type of volcanic eruption in TV shows and movies kids are exposed to. I like that Maribel actually runs into helpful adults and is surprised that they don't know exactly what to do. It is a very realistic portrayal of an emergency situation (and so unusual for middle grade lit to have kids helped by adults). I also appreciated that Maribel's undiagnosed ADD is authentically-depicted and there's a helpful note about it from the author in the back of the book. This will introduce modern middle grade readers to a disaster that was a frequent topic in 1980s literature but has definitely dropped out of common topics covered since then.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Maribel's grandmother falls and might have broken her hip. Maribel is treated for ash/smoke inhalation. People fall in earthquakes.
Ethnic diversity: Maribel's family are of Latinx heritage. The family Maribel meets in the ash are white (according to the illustration).
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Maribel leaves without telling anyone where she's going. Her parents talk to her about this later.
September 13, 2024
Maribel a girl with ADD struggles to stay focused in class, daydreaming and having many thoughts all at once. Then the earth suddenly shakes, the residents of Cougar are evacuated due to a possible volcanic eruption. Maribel’s family left so much behind and she bravely decides to go get their prised possessions, but horror strikes as Mt. St Helen erupts.
Wow this was incredible, such a literally scary event. I really liked that Maribel connected what was happening to Pompeii, as she struggled to focus in classes it was great she had retained enough information to know how to stay as safe as possible. Reading about her being so close to the eruption, with the ash piling up on her, my heart kept racing so much, I was so worried for her.
She was so incredibly brave the whole time, she was in such a scary and dangerous situation and things could have gotten a lot worse if she hadn’t tried to use her brain to stay safe. I really liked that she found a family that were able to keep her safe, she did so much on her own it was nice she had someone protecting her too.
This was a really scary but thrilling read, I was terrified for Maribel the whole time and she was an incredible character. I liked the illustrations throughout seeing the volcano constantly in the background as it changed. This is great story written so well, you almost can feel you are there with her running through the thick piles of ash, breathing in the dirt.
Wow this was incredible, such a literally scary event. I really liked that Maribel connected what was happening to Pompeii, as she struggled to focus in classes it was great she had retained enough information to know how to stay as safe as possible. Reading about her being so close to the eruption, with the ash piling up on her, my heart kept racing so much, I was so worried for her.
She was so incredibly brave the whole time, she was in such a scary and dangerous situation and things could have gotten a lot worse if she hadn’t tried to use her brain to stay safe. I really liked that she found a family that were able to keep her safe, she did so much on her own it was nice she had someone protecting her too.
This was a really scary but thrilling read, I was terrified for Maribel the whole time and she was an incredible character. I liked the illustrations throughout seeing the volcano constantly in the background as it changed. This is great story written so well, you almost can feel you are there with her running through the thick piles of ash, breathing in the dirt.
June 21, 2021
Excellent addition to the series -- love the thoughtful inclusion and discussion of Native lands and naming, the Latinx family, the focus on near-history and a disaster very close in time and familiarity to US residents. Told a good story, and was effectively scary when describing walking through ash clouds and the approaching lahar.
February 6, 2025
The ending of this book Provide some information about however kind of irrupt and some of the destruction. It shows you how much we value life even more of our worldly possessions. I really love this book! Totally recommend the series and they are awesome books!
December 27, 2021
I feel like this book was too short. The introduction was long and the eruption didn't even happen until halfway through the book. I wish the book was longer or that the introduction wasn't so long.
August 2, 2022
A great historical fiction that helps young readers to understands the eruption of Mount St. Helene and its destruction.
September 4, 2022
This one didn’t strike me like the others in this series did.
July 16, 2023
I am loving these books!
January 15, 2022
This series is a great alternative for those who wished the I Survived series had more diversity and girl power!
January 9, 2023
I enjoyed I survived series version more than this one.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews