One of the Survivors

by Susan Shaw

24 DEAD, 2 SURVIVORS
HOW CAN YOU FIX THAT?
TELL ME HOW!

Anger. Sadness. Rage. Grief. Guilt.

Joey Campbell experiences them all, even though he knows what he should really feel is lucky. Lucky to have survived the fire that burned Village Park High School to the ground. Lucky that his best friend, Maureen, also survived, when no one else in his freshman history class managed to make it out alive.

Writing in a journal provides some solace, but Joey knows that redemption lies with the living. If only the living students and parents didn't blame him for the fire...

Startling, relevant, and honest, Joey's story is simply unforgettable.

Genres: Young Adult, Grief, Mental Health, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Death, Family

208 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 2009

About the author

I was born in a log cabin in Illinois - no that wasn't me!

I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, grew up outside of Philadelphia with two parents, along with a wild assortment of brothers and sisters and cats and dogs. I did things like take music lessons and play relievo or baseball in the sideyard with the neighborhood kids. Went to school, which I really hated, but somehow managed to get through anyway. I was smart, but, boy, you couldn't tell it by my grades.

Well, maybe I didn't do my homework, but I read. If it didn't move, I read it. Chances are, I wrote about it, too, in the diary I kept all through my childhood. I've heard that that's called taking notes.

Eventually, despite engaging in various activities called play that periodically involved knocking myself out, I grew up. This much amazed my grandmother who said I lived a charmed life.

After graduating from Radnor High School, I attended Temple University, graduating with a music education degree. During my college years, I met my husband, a young man named John with a cute smile and a wonderful sense of humor. I married him quick before he had a chance to get away. Ah, young love! Since that time, we've had one adventure after another together, raising children, one daughter and two sons, and our love is still young. Despite John's gray hair, he still looks twenty years old to me.

What do I do when I'm not writing? Visit friends, ride my bike, sometimes with John, sometimes not. Hiking. I love to attend plays, too. Some of my recent favorites: Doubt, The Drowsy Chaperone, Eggs.

Reviews

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Shaw's books are always on hard-hitting topics: a girl who has a nervous breakdown, a boy who survived horrific abuse and deprivation at his parents' hands, a girl who survived a kidnapping and brutal rape, and now a boy who with his best friend was the only survivor in his high school history class after a fire destroyed their school. Because only those two had the presence of mind to realize the shrieking alarms were NOT "just a test" but the real thing, a lot of people, angry and looking for someone to blame for the tragedy, believe this boy and his friend must have started the fire. So on top of his grief and survivor guilt, Joey must deal with the people who gather outside his house, throw garbage at him and chant "Murderer!"

But like Shaw's other books, this story is done subtly and tastefully; it may make you cry, but it's not graphic at all, and it's more about grief than horror. Her treatment of the topic makes the story suitable for younger teens and even some mature tweens, in spite of the serious issues involved. I would particularly recommend this for teens who have lost a parent, because a lot of the story is about Joey's grieving over his mother's death over a year before the fire at his school, and trying to find meaning in the way she died.

[Darcy Wishard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of Susan Shaw and her books have always been very popular in our middle school library. Once again I was not disappointed! Susan has written another poignant, and at times, gut-wrenching story.

After Joey and Maureen survive the fire that caused the death of the rest of their classmates, people start to wonder how they knew to get out. Surely only someone who had something to do with the fire would know when and how to escape.....right?

Joey tells us his story through journal entries as he describes what he is experiencing in the aftermath of the fire. At first things seem a little blurry, but as you read on it becomes clear that Joey has a story of his own and you soon find out why he and Maureen escaped the fire in their classroom that fateful day.

This story shows the need that people seem to have that when a tragedy occurs we must blame somebody...somebody must be responsible and therefore be punished. As if in some cosmic way this make things even and just.

At times frustrating (as frustrating situations are) sad, and heart-warming this story of guilt, forgiveness and redemption will stick with me for a long time. Recommended for middle school and up!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim because the cover caught my attention and the jacket flap had an interesting premise. The story is categorized as juvenile fiction, but is pretty heavy subject matter. A boy and his best friend survive a fire that claimed the entire rest of their history class. The main character is dealing with the aftermath of the event by writing in a journal. The voice of the main character really comes through. This is a thought-provoking, quick read that I enjoyed.

[Nibon · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the Survivors is a very good book to read if you like to read fiction/dairy fiction book. This book is the great choice to read so. Joey who is lucky that he is one of the survivors of the fire and Maureen who Joey likes, she happens to follow him so she survives as well............ I really enjoyed reading the book "One of the Survivors," it was interesting how he and Maureen survives. I would want to recommend those of you who like the thrilling story, this would be perfect for you.

[Century · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected more out of this, the writing I found to be horrible in the beginning. Just the repetitive talk wasn’t for me. I was going to rate it two stars and then changed my mind to three. The book gets much better by the end and it has some important things with in it that makes you stop and think.

[Missy Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

trauma, forgiveness, losing a parent

This is a very emotional story about learning to forgive yourself and others.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

They say survivors of tragic accidents suffer not only the personal trauma of the tragedy, but also feelings of guilt as the "lucky" ones who survived the event. What if that guilt is compounded by the fact that the survivors are also being accused of causing the deadly event?

Joey has already survived one fire - the one that killed his mother barely a year ago. Now he and his friend, Maureen, have survived a fire at their high school that claimed the lives of everyone else in their history class, including the teacher, Mr. Austen.

Since the two fourteen year olds were the only students in the classroom to survive, people in the community have decided to accuse them of starting the fire in the first place. The reasoning behind the accusation? How else would they have known that the fire alarm was not just a test.

That day the new fire alarm system was being tested. It started clanging before classes were even in session. Throughout the day, the fire alarm would sound, and the principal would announce over the PA that it was just a test. Joey became more and more unnerved each time the alarm went off, until finally, in history class, he snapped.

Even though Mr. Austen threatened him with detention, Joey stood up and announced he was leaving the building. Everyone knew about his mother's tragic death, but only Maureen knew Joey well enough to recognize his panic. As they both left the classroom and the building, they accepted the fact that they might be punished for their disobedience.

However, when they arrived outside to find the building was indeed on fire, their world changed forever.

ONE OF THE SURVIVORS by Susan Shaw is the story of Joey's life after the fire and his struggle to cope with the angry accusations of some in his community and to deal with his own private grief and guilt. Shaw uses a mix of Joey's personal journal entries and narrative accounts of the events surrounding the time leading up to and including the fire.

Readers will witness the emotional turmoil Joey experiences as he relives his mother's death and the senseless deaths of his fellow classmates. Shaw's control of the events and the way she gradually reveals the facts create a riveting read.

[Shane M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine living everyday with people hating you and wishing you were dead. This is how 15 year old Joey spends his everyday life. The genre of this book is realistic fiction.
I enjoyed this book because it talks about surviving and just living a hard life.


The setting of my story is the backyard of a small house in Pennsylvania, in present times. This is important to the story because it makes it more modern and allows readers to relate to it. Joey was just 14 when his school alarm went off, but his teacher refused to let the class leave because there were testing the new alarms. But something was wrong and Joey and his best friend Maureen knew it as well. Joey got up to leave the class because he knew fires very well, in fact, they'd killed his mom. The teacher yelled at Joey for getting up and said that if he leaves the class, he will receive a detention. Joey and Maureen are about to leave when they hear the teacher scream, "Detention!" Joey looks at the entire class and says "They took my mom, I'm not letting them take me." Then he leaves the room.


The first person point of view affects the story because it shows all effects of leaving the class and how he feels about it. Joey is believed to murder all of the kids after somehow knowing that there was a fire going on. A major event that changed this story is when Joey finally see's Maureen. She is the only one he trusts, and she only trusts him. The setting adds to the conflict because he lives in a small town making it seem like he can never escape.


I really liked how well the author made you feel like you were a part of the fire. Like you were in this story, and that Joey was talking to you. I was surprised when I found out how Joeys mom died, and believe it or not, she was trying to save her cat when their house was on fire. (The cat was outside hiding in a tree, by the way.) I wouldn't have changed a thing about this story, it was that good and meaningful.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars because I liked the book a lot, I just feel like there is still more to be told. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes sad stories that end with a ending you will never forget.
This book will really make you wonder what life would be like if you weren't so lucky.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am frustrated with this book. I really liked certain aspects of it. The voice of the main character, Joey, is extremely real. His reactions and observations of the tragedy he has been a part of touch me deeply. I really wanted to like this book.

However, and this is a big however, it feels as if the entire story is based upon a series of coincidences that rival A Series of Unfortunate Events. There are not one, but two tragic fires in this story which rely on double errors each time. Additionally, there are way too many stupid adults in this story. Parents, teachers, administrators--adults make mistakes of course, but this story depends upon multiple stupid mistakes that go against everything children learn from the time they are five years old.

Lastly, I know that there would be people that would blame Joey for the school fire, but it is unlikely that the school and the officials of the community would continue to allow Joey and his friend to take the blame for something so absurd for so many months, if only to avoid a lawsuit down the road. Schools tend to be very proactive about positive action, even if real negative feelings continue to simmer below the surface. In this story, Joey and his friend are seemingly abandoned by the school and the community.

While I believe in Joey's reaction, I simply don't believe in the story itself.

[Lisa Rathbun · Rating 1 out of 5]

I often enjoy YA books, but this one wasn't one of them. The situation - two teens survive a fire that killed their classmates - is sure to capture readers' attention, and the plot development, told often through journal entries, slowly reveals more and more of the details of the main character's life, but I found that it just moved too slowly. The foolish things he writes in his journal to keep his mind off the fire are boring and not well written, which makes sense since its a teen's diary but there was just too much of it. I got that he sits, stares, eats fruit, counts cars, and doesn't want to go inside the house. I didn't get that he liked to draw so when this appeared in the story it seemed in authentic. *possible spoiler* Also I didn't believe that he could go from hiding in his yard to speaking at a public memorial so quickly. And his friend wearing a VEIL seemed very 1980s. Who wears veils? Sunglasses maybe.



All that said, I could see teens being interested in the topic and I could see coming up with some good discussion topics about survivor's guilt and fate and intuition and grief. There is plenty to talk about so in a way that makes it good, but in my opinion this doesn't come close to other quality YA books (like "Speak".)

[Paige Y. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joey and Maureen were the lucky ones. The fire alarm had been constantly going off that day at school. Each time the intercom would come on, telling everyone that they were testing the new alarm system. But the last time it goes off, the intercom message is fuzzy. Mr. Austen is annoyed by the interruptions to his class and he tells everyone to ignore the alarm again. But Joey can’t. His mother died the previous year in a fire, and he and his best friend are the only people in the class to defy their teacher and evacuate their classroom. They are also the only ones to survive the fire that kills everyone else.
Needless to say, Joey is traumatized by the whole thing. Afraid to be in his house and harassed by those who blame him for the fire (looking for someone to blame, he and Maureen became the natural, albeit innocent, scapegoats) Joey cannot get past what has happened to him. How do you get over the fact that you are only one of two survivors?

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joey is one of two students in his high school history class who escape and survive the fire that destroys his school. The book starts with Joey waking up from a nightmare – seeing the school burning while he is trying to go inside and save his cat. And his mother. And all the other students in his class. The rest of the book is about Joey dealing with his grief, trying to reconnect with Maureen, the other survivor, and the blame placed on him by most of the students and much of the community. People need someone to blame and they blame Joey and Maureen – after all, they were the only survivors from their class, they must have survived because they started the fire themselves and escaped. Without being weepy or preachy, Shaw deals with a difficult situation in a way that is plausible and understandable. The book is short, just under 200 pages, and alternates between narrative and a journal Joey is advised to start to help him through his grief.

[7robbie]

I thought this was a very exciting novel. It had lots of action and suspense. At some points, it was a little bit hard to follow, but overall, it was very good. I could make a connection to this book because Joey lost his mom in this story. I know some people, who have had one of their parents die and I know how hard it is for them. One of the Survivors is about a boy named Joey, and a girl named Maureen, who are blamed for setting a fire that killed their entire history class, including their teacher, Mr. Austen. Joey and Maureen must prove that the fire was only an accident and that they are not murderers like everyone thinks they are. I would recommend this book for anyone that likes suspense and action because there was plenty of that in this book. Overall, I thought it was a fantastic book.

[Linnea Hendrickson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite caught up in this, but somehow it didn't come together the way it should in the end. Perhaps I missed something when I was reading quickly, but I didn't remember the sketch at all until it suddenly became all-important at the end. What kept me reading was the possibility that I might be listening to an unreliable narrator. That would have made the story even more horrible and probably definitely not a children's book. I also found the narrator's isolation quite unbearable. There was an air of the surreal about it all. It was interesting in what it was trying to do, but I don't think it quite succeeded. I was ultimately disappointed, although the book does stay in my mind.

[Salamah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is about this kid Joey Campbell who's mother was killed in a fire when he was younger cause she went back to get her cat Preston. Joey and his friend Maureen are in class one day when the fire alarm keeps going off and the teacher forces them to sit or be suspended. Joey and Maureen leave because Joey cannot sit there knowing his mother died in a horrible way. Anyway all the rest of the kids die in the fire and he and Maureen are blamed. The ending is positive. This story was supper slow to read and a little confusing with the writing in the journal part. I had the feeling that Joey was just a sad kid. It would be good for discussion such as how not to blame people until they get all the facts.

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such and amazing book. If you like reading tragic but heartwarming books, this is the book for you. This book is so hard to write about and not spoil it! I can really only say this, 24 dead, 2 survivors and Murderers! Everywhere he goes, even at his own house, Joey Campell will be called a Murderer, for no reason, the people don't know what even happened. But at the beginning of this book, it starts out confusing, but when you read more into it, it will start to make more sense. I like how this book is written too. This is because some chapters are realistic, but the others are about his entries into his journals. This is as much detail I can give you, if you want to know more, read it for yourself,I highly recommend this book!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just an okay book for me Kind of meh. It's short, so it's an easy read. It touches on the deep emotional trauma that Josh deals with after witnessing two life-changing fires. Understandably, he has to deal with some pretty deep, dark stuff. Luckily, he's got a loving family and a great best friend to support him. It's kind of slow, and pretty predictable. If you're like me, you'll feel really bad for Josh and Maureen throughout most of the story, but you'll feel better at the end. Like they say: what goes around, comes around.

Again, it was just okay for me. I'm glad I read it. Now, moving on to the next book.........

[Paul Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the Survivors is about two teens that were the only ones to escape a fire in their high school and everyone blames them on starting it.
The plot of this story is that, like i said, two teenagers escaped a fire in there high school and were the only ones alive in there class and everyone thinks they started it and killed everyone. They are forced to stay at their homes so they don't get ridiculed and threatened and even hurt.
I recommend this book to anyone that likes suspense novels and are looking for a good read. i like how this book lays out the plot and preforms it and stays on that plot without getting side tracked

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a book talk to middle schoolers, I was looking for a realistic fiction book with a boy protagonist and hit upon this one. It wasn't bad. Joey and Maureen are their class's sole survivors from a school fire, and the book is about Joey dealing with his survivor's guilt and past PTSD from his mother's death in a fire. It is thoughtful and sad, but suffers a bit from being too straightforward. I also have a hard time believing that the ire is on Joey and Maureen, the survivors, instead of the school for a shotty fire alarm.

It was fine, I'll still book talk it and it's good to know about.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books is similar to Walter Dean Myers, Shooter, which is a very popular read by our students (not sure if just for the length of the book or for the content - but it is popular either way). I can see recommending this to students who liked Shooter. It does start out slow, but once you get past the first 50 pages or so, it does get more in depth. And you can't help but think - Did he set the fire?

[Kim Patton · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it had a slow and confusing start, by the end it was a pretty good book. The story is written from Joey's perspective, a high school student, in the form of a journal. Appropriately, the journal rambles on for the first half until they really get to the point of the story. Joey and his neighbor, Maureen, are the only two survivors from their history class when the school burns down. This raises suspicion in the community that they were the cause of the fire.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through Joey's diary entries the reader witnesses the horrible story unfold. The whole town is punishing Joey and Maureen for surviving a devastating fire that kills their classmates. The truth is overlooked as people in pain look for a scapegoat. We later learn that Joey has recently survived another disaster. Joey is such a great kid and your heart will ache for him. Kids can be cruel, but adults also participated in the mass hatred.

[Avre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books where no one really knows what it is, but they should because it is indefinitely AMAZING! It was funny at first because the goth chic had the same name as my best friend, the cat had the same name of this short funny dude in my grade, and there were a LOT of names that were also the names of my friends so at first it was really weird. I INSANELY love this book and I actually want to read it again sometime.

[Schmee smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

personally, i thought this book was terrible. i had no hook in it whatsoever. it is about a boy named joey who complains lot about his classmates dying in a fire when he and his best friend, Maureen, survive. after the fire people start rioting and fighting about hem blaming the survivors for causing the fire. and the ending i believe the writer go lazy. over all i believe the author could have done much better.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

there was just something unsettling with the narration, which could have lead to an interesting plot twist, but didn't. i'm not sure if it was intentional, or just my take on the character. either way, i never could feel the flow of the book, or get into where it was going. an interesting look at loss and tragedy, but ultimately wrapped up in an unsatisfying way.

[Rhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, quick read which proved to be a little warm-and-fuzzier than I had imagined. Really, I just wanted to give Joey a hug, but I'm glad everything panned out the way it did. My one issue was the repetitive writing style, in which the author would just repeat certain words over and over for effect. I didn't care for that, however it seemed to die down by the end.

[Lnlisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

Two kids are the only ones from their history class to survive a fire in their school building. They're both suspected of starting the fire. The two kids are just trying to deal with the loss of their friends and teacher and the guild they each feel.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good because it's a unique story, but it's not the most exciting and can be quite slow moving. I'm talking this one to a group of 7th and 8th graders and think it'll be an easy sell because the big plot points are way different from the standard fare.

[Ms. Tongate, TLC Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad read, but you are wanting to see Joey get through this some how. His Mom died in their own house fire and now 24 students dead from a school fire. The community is brutal to Joey and Maureen, the two survivors.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

These weren't convincing people, and none of the things that happened to them were convincing either.