Notes from My Captivity

Gr 10 Up—Adrienne Cahille has one goal in mind when she accompanies her step-father Dan, a single-minded academic, on a trip to Siberia. Dan is determined to find the Osimovs, a family who had disappeared into the wilderness 30 years before and have gained almost mythic status, and in doing so regain his reputation. Adrienne is seeking a story for her college admission and emulating a journalist she admires in the hope that she can prove Dan's faith is sadly misplaced. The story takes a sharp turn when the group runs into a tragic situation and Adrienne's only hope for escape means forming a relationship with a member of the very family she had always considered a fairy tale. This is a survival story that will take readers by surprise, given that it starts with a somewhat petulant protagonist who then loses almost everyone around her. Offering danger, romance, and a few ghosts, this is a trip that will capture readers' attention. Language and sexual situations make this suitable for older teens.