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Alone
Away
A group of children investigate the threat that prompted large-scale evacuations in this powerful and dramatic companion novel to the New York Times bestselling Alone told in multiple POVs.
After an imminent yet unnamed danger forces people across Colorado to leave their homes, a group of kids including an aspiring filmmaker and a budding journalist find themselves in the same evacuation camp. As they cope with the aftermath of having their world upended, they grow curious about the mysterious threat.
And as they begin to investigate, they start to discover that there’s less truth and more cover-up to what they’re being told. Can they get to the root of the conspiracy, expose the bad actors, and bring an end to the upheaval before it’s too late?
After an imminent yet unnamed danger forces people across Colorado to leave their homes, a group of kids including an aspiring filmmaker and a budding journalist find themselves in the same evacuation camp. As they cope with the aftermath of having their world upended, they grow curious about the mysterious threat.
And as they begin to investigate, they start to discover that there’s less truth and more cover-up to what they’re being told. Can they get to the root of the conspiracy, expose the bad actors, and bring an end to the upheaval before it’s too late?
462 pages, Hardcover
First published February 11, 2025
214 people are currently reading
6730 people want to read
About the author
Megan E. Freeman
6 books336 followersMegan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week to teach poetry, and she has been a writer ever since. Her New York Times bestselling novel in verse, ALONE, won the Colorado Book Award, the Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, and Vermont Children’s Book Awards, the High Plains Book Award, is an NCTE Notable Verse Novel, and is included on over two dozen "best of" and state reading lists.
Megan is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and the author of the poetry chapbook Lessons on Sleeping Alone. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan is nationally recognized for her work leading workshops and speaking to audiences across the country.
Megan used to live in northeast Los Angeles, central Ohio, northern Norway, and on Caribbean cruise ships. Now she divides her time between northern Colorado and the Texas Gulf Coast.
Megan is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and the author of the poetry chapbook Lessons on Sleeping Alone. An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan is nationally recognized for her work leading workshops and speaking to audiences across the country.
Megan used to live in northeast Los Angeles, central Ohio, northern Norway, and on Caribbean cruise ships. Now she divides her time between northern Colorado and the Texas Gulf Coast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 394 reviews
February 21, 2025
Man, I'm actually disappointed. I was really looking forward to this one, but it just wasn't at the same level as Alone. I think Freeman tried to do too much by having 4 different characters narrate this one with entirely different styles. I think it took away from the actual pacing of the book. I felt like this was almost a skeleton of a book-- an outline of what the author wanted to occur. The events all felt like a really rushed "and now this is happening!" The narrators were WAY too advanced to be middle schoolers, too.
I also felt like the brief mentions of Maddie were sort of thrown in there to be a wink at the reader. It definitely wasn't a major part of the story, which was an odd choice for me. Maddie presents so many questions in Alone about the "imminent threat" and the awareness her parents might have about her being left behind. I was really hoping to see that realization dawn on them in the text of Away. Instead, it was just a "Apparently Maddie has been missing for 3 years! Uh oh." I actually heard myself say "really?!" out loud. I was also let down by the inconsistency of Maddie not seeing even a hint of a single soul outside of looters one (1) time for THREE (3!) YEARS in Alone, even when she ventures out to a neighboring town, but apparently there's a whole slew of children left behind who have formed an underground network across multiple cities??
Finally, I really couldn't suspend disbelief for a lot of the plot. I could see people leaving in a panic if the National Guard is personally knocking on doors. I could even see them willingly giving up their cell phones without much complaint if it was framed as some nebulous national security threat. I found it hard to believe Grandin's dad was the only obstinate person who refused to leave, but at gun point? Okay, sure. I can roll with it. It's a children's book.
I just couldn't get past people being obedient and compliant for that long with only vague explanations and non-answers from officials. They framed this whole thing as a possible terrorist threat. They made up this whole story about a deadly toxin being dispersed in Colorado. And then when someone is like "okay but what are the feds doing????" the governor has the nerve to be like "HOW DARE YOU! WE CAN HANDLE THIS OURSELVES." Uh. It doesn't work like that! What the fuck! Where is the president?! Honestly, the most unbelievable thing is nobody knowing this is happening either. A few thousand people from a small area of Colorado will definitely have a few thousand relatives living in different parts of the US. You're telling me nobody is wondering why the hell their family member suddenly fell off the face of the earth? Nobody is wondering why that part of Colorado is unreachable? Nobody is demanding that the FBI step in to provide clarity? This bare minimum warrants a natural disaster response from DC.
I may have taken this a little too seriously haha
I also felt like the brief mentions of Maddie were sort of thrown in there to be a wink at the reader. It definitely wasn't a major part of the story, which was an odd choice for me. Maddie presents so many questions in Alone about the "imminent threat" and the awareness her parents might have about her being left behind. I was really hoping to see that realization dawn on them in the text of Away. Instead, it was just a "Apparently Maddie has been missing for 3 years! Uh oh." I actually heard myself say "really?!" out loud. I was also let down by the inconsistency of Maddie not seeing even a hint of a single soul outside of looters one (1) time for THREE (3!) YEARS in Alone, even when she ventures out to a neighboring town, but apparently there's a whole slew of children left behind who have formed an underground network across multiple cities??
Finally, I really couldn't suspend disbelief for a lot of the plot. I could see people leaving in a panic if the National Guard is personally knocking on doors. I could even see them willingly giving up their cell phones without much complaint if it was framed as some nebulous national security threat. I found it hard to believe Grandin's dad was the only obstinate person who refused to leave, but at gun point? Okay, sure. I can roll with it. It's a children's book.
I just couldn't get past people being obedient and compliant for that long with only vague explanations and non-answers from officials. They framed this whole thing as a possible terrorist threat. They made up this whole story about a deadly toxin being dispersed in Colorado. And then when someone is like "okay but what are the feds doing????" the governor has the nerve to be like "HOW DARE YOU! WE CAN HANDLE THIS OURSELVES." Uh. It doesn't work like that! What the fuck! Where is the president?! Honestly, the most unbelievable thing is nobody knowing this is happening either. A few thousand people from a small area of Colorado will definitely have a few thousand relatives living in different parts of the US. You're telling me nobody is wondering why the hell their family member suddenly fell off the face of the earth? Nobody is wondering why that part of Colorado is unreachable? Nobody is demanding that the FBI step in to provide clarity? This bare minimum warrants a natural disaster response from DC.
I may have taken this a little too seriously haha
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2025
Oh WOW WOW WOW - at long last, the companion to Megan E. Freeman’s bestselling ALONE! I read it in a single sitting, utterly riveted by Harmony, Grandin, Teddy, and Ashanti’s quest to solve the mystery of their own mandatory evacuations from their Colorado towns. Told in alternating POVs, each with its own unique and distinctive style and voice, this is a non-stop thrill ride. Young fans will love the clever winks to the original story, but AWAY absolutely stands tall on its own. So grateful for the ARC - thank you Aladdin!
September 13, 2024
In 2021, Freeman’s ALONE was my favorite book of the year and I, like many others, spent much time wondering why everyone had to evacuate that Colorado town where Maddie was left behind to survive on her own. In AWAY, we get our answer and in a 4 way POV with a mixture of NIV, movie script, production diary, letters and newspaper articles. The foursome, Ashanti, Teddy, Grandin and Harmony, come together at an evacuation facility and make some astonishing discoveries. Hard to continue reviewing without giving away the way Megan Freeman decided to round out the story begun in ALONE, but readers will be creating their own explanation as clues are revealed almost making this a mystery-action-adventure. And with so many true to life motivations as well as factors that actually exist in these United States and in its leaders, it is possible to add realistic fiction to its descriptors as well!
Outstanding conclusion and highly recommended for libraries serving grades 4-8. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence.
Note: Readers could enjoy this one without having read the early ALONE, but if they then tried to go back to it, the “aloneness” would lose some of its impact. Strongly suggested to read the two books in order…but maybe have both of them close at hand so you can quickly move from one to the other!
Thanks for sharing an arc with arc-sharing group, BookAllies, Megan Freeman!
Outstanding conclusion and highly recommended for libraries serving grades 4-8. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence.
Note: Readers could enjoy this one without having read the early ALONE, but if they then tried to go back to it, the “aloneness” would lose some of its impact. Strongly suggested to read the two books in order…but maybe have both of them close at hand so you can quickly move from one to the other!
Thanks for sharing an arc with arc-sharing group, BookAllies, Megan Freeman!
February 22, 2025
Okay, this is actually a 2.5 but I'm really trying to give it the benefit of the doubt. I spent a couple of hours debating this with a friend (Thanks Toni!) and while I was really, really excited for this, I was ultimately let down. I'm not going to steal her thoughts or words in this review though, so if you want a more thorough breakdown, go read hers instead. That being said, I think my biggest problem was the switching of narratives. Freeman said in an interview that she was poet at heart and one of the things that made Alone such a breathtaking story was the author's prose. Switching between prose, and then the screenplay like text sections along with Harmony's news articles makes the whole thing a little jumbled.
I was also a little disappointed by the explanation of the plot. As a mandatory first responder that works for the government and has been through several natural disasters, you don't get to just pick and choose if the national government gets involved in your shit. And let me tell you, when people are locked up in a place with no answers as to why, they're not going to stay put. Again, speaking from experience, I've worked in hurricane shelters and despite the fact that it is flooding, and the wind is blowing up to 150 mph, people will still leave. Doesn't matter what we tell them, they're leaving. Doesn't matter if it's for their own safety (in the case of the story its not, but I digress) they. are. leaving.
I really, really wanted to like this book. Alone was one of my favorite reads over the last two years and I was so excited to hear there was going to be a sequel, but alas.
I was also a little disappointed by the explanation of the plot. As a mandatory first responder that works for the government and has been through several natural disasters, you don't get to just pick and choose if the national government gets involved in your shit. And let me tell you, when people are locked up in a place with no answers as to why, they're not going to stay put. Again, speaking from experience, I've worked in hurricane shelters and despite the fact that it is flooding, and the wind is blowing up to 150 mph, people will still leave. Doesn't matter what we tell them, they're leaving. Doesn't matter if it's for their own safety (in the case of the story its not, but I digress) they. are. leaving.
I really, really wanted to like this book. Alone was one of my favorite reads over the last two years and I was so excited to hear there was going to be a sequel, but alas.
June 14, 2024
Good job, Meg! ;)
March 18, 2025
3.5 I enjoyed Alone a lot more.
August 8, 2025
totally did not connect that one of the fmcs is friends with the mc of the first book, I feel so dumb loll
February 21, 2025
not as gripping as the first one, and I think some character's perspectives were too long compared to others, but it was interesting to see the other perspective in relation to the first book
April 16, 2025
I loved Alone so, so much. This companion novel just missed the mark for me.
What I liked: The writing style and the distinguishable voice of the four main characters.
What I didn’t like: The complete lack of regard for me as a reader who was left questioning almost everything that transpired:
-Are we supposed to believe that thousands of adults willingly had phones, internet, and freedom taken away and are just accepting it? Life seems pretty peaceful, considering they celebrate holidays and kids are in school.
-Do the adults work? Are they being paid for their work? Ashanti’s mom is a doctor, but what about someone who, say, worked at Subway? What are they doing?
-Who is supplying food and paying for it? The prisoners of the encampment? The Colorado government?
-Why would anyone agree to work (Ashanti’s doctor mom, the school staff, etc.) while being held prisoner and having food and shelter provided for them?
-Wouldn’t most of these people have families to take them in?
-No one around the rest of the state/country/world is concerned that their family members have essentially disappeared without a trace?
-Those who defiantly stayed behind are willingly living like ruffians in their evacuated hometowns, while only miles away outside of the evacuation zone, life goes on like normal?
-The President just “trusted” the Coloradian government and stayed out of the picture…what!?!
-Was no one going to figure out where the fresh water supply in California came from? “Oh! Our drought has been remedied! Praise be!”
And, most importantly: WHERE THE H*LL DID MADDIE’S MOM GET A HELICOPTER?
Why did she need a helicopter (end of Alone) if the encampments were released?
What I liked: The writing style and the distinguishable voice of the four main characters.
What I didn’t like: The complete lack of regard for me as a reader who was left questioning almost everything that transpired:
-Are we supposed to believe that thousands of adults willingly had phones, internet, and freedom taken away and are just accepting it? Life seems pretty peaceful, considering they celebrate holidays and kids are in school.
-Do the adults work? Are they being paid for their work? Ashanti’s mom is a doctor, but what about someone who, say, worked at Subway? What are they doing?
-Who is supplying food and paying for it? The prisoners of the encampment? The Colorado government?
-Why would anyone agree to work (Ashanti’s doctor mom, the school staff, etc.) while being held prisoner and having food and shelter provided for them?
-Wouldn’t most of these people have families to take them in?
-No one around the rest of the state/country/world is concerned that their family members have essentially disappeared without a trace?
-Those who defiantly stayed behind are willingly living like ruffians in their evacuated hometowns, while only miles away outside of the evacuation zone, life goes on like normal?
-The President just “trusted” the Coloradian government and stayed out of the picture…what!?!
-Was no one going to figure out where the fresh water supply in California came from? “Oh! Our drought has been remedied! Praise be!”
And, most importantly: WHERE THE H*LL DID MADDIE’S MOM GET A HELICOPTER?
Why did she need a helicopter (end of Alone) if the encampments were released?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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July 25, 2025This caught my eye a while back when I was searching for high interest YA dystopian recommendations. The structure itself could be an awesome mentor text for students -- the narrative shifts are cued not only by character but format: one character writes in poetry, one in screenplay, one in journalism/news and letters, etc. I would be intrigued to use this with students as well because it poses many thematic considerations around the power of knowledge, government control and access to information, duty/obligation.
February 7, 2025
“Anyone who says art can’t change the world never studied history.”
I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: animal death, violence, grief
I enjoyed this companion novel more than the first book, Alone. In Away, we follow the lives of a group of kids at an evacuation camp as they try to understand the true reason why they'd been sent there. Each kid had their own distinct personality and voice. I liked how as you shifted perspectives there was also a difference in how each story was told. One character, an aspiring journalist told their story in news articles, while the aspiring filmmaker's was told in a script format. However, like Alone, I felt that there were a few plot points that were unrealistic and took away from my enjoyment of the plot. While this book takes place over a long period of time there was still a sense of urgency and danger in the writing style.
I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: animal death, violence, grief
I enjoyed this companion novel more than the first book, Alone. In Away, we follow the lives of a group of kids at an evacuation camp as they try to understand the true reason why they'd been sent there. Each kid had their own distinct personality and voice. I liked how as you shifted perspectives there was also a difference in how each story was told. One character, an aspiring journalist told their story in news articles, while the aspiring filmmaker's was told in a script format. However, like Alone, I felt that there were a few plot points that were unrealistic and took away from my enjoyment of the plot. While this book takes place over a long period of time there was still a sense of urgency and danger in the writing style.
September 14, 2024
Thank you to the author and SimonKids for sharing this advanced reader’s copy with #Bookexpedition!
A companion novel to Freeman’s Alone, this middle grade novel will have readers on edge trying to figure out why Maddie’s Colorado town had to be evacuated. Set in an emergency relocation camp, four new narrators (Ashanti, Teddy, Grandin, and Harmony - each with their own storytelling voice) will slowly uncover details about the emergency threat, sharing what they’ve learned through a movie script, production diary, letters, and newspaper articles.
An incredible mystery, action, adventure story with lots of twists and turns that will have readers scrambling to get closure from Maddie’s original story.
Favorite line:
Page 301
Grandin (quietly)
Fear breeds fools.
Teddy
And adults routinely underestimate children.
Publishing February 11, 2025. Highly recommend!
A companion novel to Freeman’s Alone, this middle grade novel will have readers on edge trying to figure out why Maddie’s Colorado town had to be evacuated. Set in an emergency relocation camp, four new narrators (Ashanti, Teddy, Grandin, and Harmony - each with their own storytelling voice) will slowly uncover details about the emergency threat, sharing what they’ve learned through a movie script, production diary, letters, and newspaper articles.
An incredible mystery, action, adventure story with lots of twists and turns that will have readers scrambling to get closure from Maddie’s original story.
Favorite line:
Page 301
Grandin (quietly)
Fear breeds fools.
Teddy
And adults routinely underestimate children.
Publishing February 11, 2025. Highly recommend!
February 18, 2025
Absolutely not, I definitely didn't wait 4 years for this😭
July 9, 2025
In this companion book to Alone, we follow an assortment of kids who are among the evacuated. They are send to refugee camps around Colorado as they wait out the contamination that blanketed their towns and home. Although they are given comfort and sustenance they seemed to be cut off from news of the outside world, most particularly what is happening in their former home. Can a small group of children uncover the truth and get the adults to sit up and take notice?
This was great fun to read even if the whole premise was very hard to buy. I think young reader will love it.
This was great fun to read even if the whole premise was very hard to buy. I think young reader will love it.
eligible-in-2025
January 27, 2025This just may be our first BlueSky recommendation of 2025! https://bsky.app/profile/yabooknerd.b...
February 26, 2025
3.5 stars- I enjoyed that each main character had a different format for their writing-film script, newspaper article, verse. It is a very fast read, but the plot had holes for me that I couldn’t get over. It is written for middle level readers who probably wouldn’t notice them.
August 5, 2025
The references to The Odyssey were everything... I was bursting into EPIC songs at the doctor's office...
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September 1, 2024GREAT companion novel!
July 16, 2025
Going into this book I was already rold it was going to be bad, but this was worse than expected. I had to read it for a school project and it was awful. The main character are children who think they are the main character, I mean they are like 11 nobody actually
cares what you think. These are adults who believe childrens writing. They try to give main character energy and fail miserably at it. The book could have been amazing but was a failed opportunity. Having all the different point of views made it ten times worse, and Harmony was the only some what okay writing style and she barely wrote anything. Teddys was like a wannabe producer, and I get having big dreams but he was such a try hard.
cares what you think. These are adults who believe childrens writing. They try to give main character energy and fail miserably at it. The book could have been amazing but was a failed opportunity. Having all the different point of views made it ten times worse, and Harmony was the only some what okay writing style and she barely wrote anything. Teddys was like a wannabe producer, and I get having big dreams but he was such a try hard.
April 26, 2025
We all know the story of Maddie in Freeman’s debut, Alone. She is left in her Colorado town while everyone else is evacuated.
This is the story of a group of smart, intrepid kids who are at one of the encampments and how they begin to question the reasons why they had evacuated. This one was a really fun read. The style and writing really helped to move the story along. I enjoyed it!!
This is the story of a group of smart, intrepid kids who are at one of the encampments and how they begin to question the reasons why they had evacuated. This one was a really fun read. The style and writing really helped to move the story along. I enjoyed it!!
January 4, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this novel in verse set in Colorado, things are not going well. It's hot, there's a threat of wildfires, and we meet four kids who all have different interests. Ashantae Johnson, whose mother is a doctor, is interested in mythology, and is planning an sleepover with her friends. Grandin Stone lives out on a farm and helps his parents with the livestock. Teddy Brenkert lives with his grandmother, and the two share a love of old movies and theater. Harmony Adams-Paul wants to be a journalist and not only writes letters to her Aunt Beckie, who is working in the field, but also is researching muckrakers and writing essays about them, as well as giving her own news reports. When evacuation orders are given for an unspecified cause, all four find themselves with very few possessions, being herded into camps and made to give up their cell phones. Grandin's father is unwilling to give up his phone, and leaves the camp. After being shuttled around, Teddy and Harmony meet at Camp Rogers, and work on trying to figure out what is going on and why everyone has been made to leave their homes. Ashantae's mother is working at the camp, and Grandin is there are well. The official reason for the relocation is that there has been a toxic substance that has rendered certain areas unlivable, and there is a video shared with the residents showing a world that is slowly drying up and falling apart. When the kids notice that all of the land that the government wants to buy back is a long the river, they suspect that something else is going on. Grandin runs away, and meets some other kids who are trying to solve the mystery as well, and soon the Camp Rogers kids are putting out a zine and trying to find answers. After several years, people are unhappy being stuck in the camp. Will the truth ever come out so that they can move on with their lives?
Strengths: The voices of the different characters are all very unique, and they are easy to tell apart. Ashantae doesn't use capitalization and references lots of mythology, Grandin is very matter-of-fact, Teddy often frames scenes as storyboards or film scripts, and Harmony's point of view is delivered in letters or news reports. The evacuation is realistically portrayed; if someone came to my door and told me I had to leave, and I saw all of my neighbors packing up, I probably would, too. Camp Rogers slowly evolves over the long time that people are there, with everyone pitching in to help out. Even though the school counselor wasn't great at science, at least the attempt was made to teach children! This is very different from Alone, but readers who picked up that story will find it interesting to see what the experience of others who were not abandoned was.
Weaknesses: I found it hard to believe that Grandin's father was the only one insistent about keeping his phone. The plot only works if no one has access to information, though. It's a bit far fetched that Grandin is the only one who tries to leave to find out the truth.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like dystopian books like Hughes' A Crack in the Sky or Perry's Scavengers.
In this novel in verse set in Colorado, things are not going well. It's hot, there's a threat of wildfires, and we meet four kids who all have different interests. Ashantae Johnson, whose mother is a doctor, is interested in mythology, and is planning an sleepover with her friends. Grandin Stone lives out on a farm and helps his parents with the livestock. Teddy Brenkert lives with his grandmother, and the two share a love of old movies and theater. Harmony Adams-Paul wants to be a journalist and not only writes letters to her Aunt Beckie, who is working in the field, but also is researching muckrakers and writing essays about them, as well as giving her own news reports. When evacuation orders are given for an unspecified cause, all four find themselves with very few possessions, being herded into camps and made to give up their cell phones. Grandin's father is unwilling to give up his phone, and leaves the camp. After being shuttled around, Teddy and Harmony meet at Camp Rogers, and work on trying to figure out what is going on and why everyone has been made to leave their homes. Ashantae's mother is working at the camp, and Grandin is there are well. The official reason for the relocation is that there has been a toxic substance that has rendered certain areas unlivable, and there is a video shared with the residents showing a world that is slowly drying up and falling apart. When the kids notice that all of the land that the government wants to buy back is a long the river, they suspect that something else is going on. Grandin runs away, and meets some other kids who are trying to solve the mystery as well, and soon the Camp Rogers kids are putting out a zine and trying to find answers. After several years, people are unhappy being stuck in the camp. Will the truth ever come out so that they can move on with their lives?
Strengths: The voices of the different characters are all very unique, and they are easy to tell apart. Ashantae doesn't use capitalization and references lots of mythology, Grandin is very matter-of-fact, Teddy often frames scenes as storyboards or film scripts, and Harmony's point of view is delivered in letters or news reports. The evacuation is realistically portrayed; if someone came to my door and told me I had to leave, and I saw all of my neighbors packing up, I probably would, too. Camp Rogers slowly evolves over the long time that people are there, with everyone pitching in to help out. Even though the school counselor wasn't great at science, at least the attempt was made to teach children! This is very different from Alone, but readers who picked up that story will find it interesting to see what the experience of others who were not abandoned was.
Weaknesses: I found it hard to believe that Grandin's father was the only one insistent about keeping his phone. The plot only works if no one has access to information, though. It's a bit far fetched that Grandin is the only one who tries to leave to find out the truth.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like dystopian books like Hughes' A Crack in the Sky or Perry's Scavengers.
February 10, 2025
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book is a perfect companion to ALONE, for all those readers who loved the original story but wanted to know more about what the “imminent threat” was and exactly why everyone was evacuated! The book could also certainly stand on its own (or it could be read before Alone) because the action in this story takes place at the same time as the action in the first book.
The story follows four kids who are suddenly evacuated from their homes and sent to an emergency relocation camp. (One of the characters will be familiar to readers of Alone!) There, they stumble upon evidence that doesn’t match up with what the authorities are telling everyone, and they go on a quest to uncover the secrets of the imminent threat supposedly happening in their hometowns. The book is told in multiple formats—verse, letters and text messages, news articles and bulletins, and even scripts—which makes for an engaging journey of exploration for the reader and a very quick read. This is one of those stories that pulls the reader into the mystery so they don’t want to stop turning the pages—and the formatting makes it possible to read in just a few sittings. There’s plenty of action and mystery, but also a whole lot of heart, as readers will fall in love with these characters and be rooting for them the whole time (I especially loved sensitive Grandin and his quest to find his father after they get separated).
A fantastic companion novel, but also a riveting read in its own right!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! (But I also bought a copy of my own!)
This book is a perfect companion to ALONE, for all those readers who loved the original story but wanted to know more about what the “imminent threat” was and exactly why everyone was evacuated! The book could also certainly stand on its own (or it could be read before Alone) because the action in this story takes place at the same time as the action in the first book.
The story follows four kids who are suddenly evacuated from their homes and sent to an emergency relocation camp. (One of the characters will be familiar to readers of Alone!) There, they stumble upon evidence that doesn’t match up with what the authorities are telling everyone, and they go on a quest to uncover the secrets of the imminent threat supposedly happening in their hometowns. The book is told in multiple formats—verse, letters and text messages, news articles and bulletins, and even scripts—which makes for an engaging journey of exploration for the reader and a very quick read. This is one of those stories that pulls the reader into the mystery so they don’t want to stop turning the pages—and the formatting makes it possible to read in just a few sittings. There’s plenty of action and mystery, but also a whole lot of heart, as readers will fall in love with these characters and be rooting for them the whole time (I especially loved sensitive Grandin and his quest to find his father after they get separated).
A fantastic companion novel, but also a riveting read in its own right!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! (But I also bought a copy of my own!)
February 23, 2025
5 stars. Random thoughts:
Truth is always stranger than fiction
Each kid different style of writing/poem/font
Grandin: mama cow dies after birthing calf, not enough rain in creek and green pastures, boy of few words
Ashanti: secret sleepover but gets stomach flu and can’t go, likes mythology
Teddy: everyone in Hollywood was a triple threat back then and we are a long way from Hollywood, my friend
Wants to be filmmaker
Harmony: wants to be a reporter, parents divorcing. The absence of something in nothing is everything
Evacuation have to turn in cell phones
Unanswered questions, unquestioned answers
Everyone in evacuation camp is fine: Freaked out, Insecure, Nervous, Exhausted
Making art is the best stress reliever
Grandin finds puppies and that brings the 4 characters together
Been in center over a year
Kids covertly investigating possible conspiracy to cover up water grab in CO during near drought
When we don’t know what we don’t know, how do we know when we’ve failed
Follow the money
Stealing the water is stealing the source of ourselves
They may steal our river, seize our homes, but they can’t hijack our future
Last few pages state Maddie, Ashanti’s sleep over friend wasn’t anywhere
Water was the new gold
Like wizard of oz tie in
Where are they now section!
Truth is always stranger than fiction
Each kid different style of writing/poem/font
Grandin: mama cow dies after birthing calf, not enough rain in creek and green pastures, boy of few words
Ashanti: secret sleepover but gets stomach flu and can’t go, likes mythology
Teddy: everyone in Hollywood was a triple threat back then and we are a long way from Hollywood, my friend
Wants to be filmmaker
Harmony: wants to be a reporter, parents divorcing. The absence of something in nothing is everything
Evacuation have to turn in cell phones
Unanswered questions, unquestioned answers
Everyone in evacuation camp is fine: Freaked out, Insecure, Nervous, Exhausted
Making art is the best stress reliever
Grandin finds puppies and that brings the 4 characters together
Been in center over a year
Kids covertly investigating possible conspiracy to cover up water grab in CO during near drought
When we don’t know what we don’t know, how do we know when we’ve failed
Follow the money
Stealing the water is stealing the source of ourselves
They may steal our river, seize our homes, but they can’t hijack our future
Last few pages state Maddie, Ashanti’s sleep over friend wasn’t anywhere
Water was the new gold
Like wizard of oz tie in
Where are they now section!
February 16, 2025
Away is the companion book to Alone. A middle-grade fiction told from four POVs all in different writing styles of children experiencing life during a sudden, statewide evacuation.
The varied prose helped distinguish the voices and personalities of these four kids, as well as introduced different writing styles to the targeted audience age. I felt the story flowed well with the combination of these combined styles.
I was a bit doubtful of some of the accurate developments/access to recources and knowledge of the 12 year old characters, and specifically the younger character (5 yrs old I believe). But in the acknowledgements, the author states a young beta group of middle schoolers read and gave their feedback to the story, so if they enjoyed it, that's most relevant to its success.
Overall, I enjoyed the messaging of: teamwork, determination, curiosity and inquisitiveness.
Big thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (#Simonkids) and to Goodreads Giveaways for the ARC.
The varied prose helped distinguish the voices and personalities of these four kids, as well as introduced different writing styles to the targeted audience age. I felt the story flowed well with the combination of these combined styles.
I was a bit doubtful of some of the accurate developments/access to recources and knowledge of the 12 year old characters, and specifically the younger character (5 yrs old I believe). But in the acknowledgements, the author states a young beta group of middle schoolers read and gave their feedback to the story, so if they enjoyed it, that's most relevant to its success.
Overall, I enjoyed the messaging of: teamwork, determination, curiosity and inquisitiveness.
Big thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (#Simonkids) and to Goodreads Giveaways for the ARC.
April 9, 2025
I knew this book would be great, but I didn’t expect it to love it even more than it’s predecessor, ALONE.
AWAY was brilliantly plotted and executed. The verse, was, as expected, superb. Freeman really showed herself as an exceptional poet with this one thanks to her varying styles between Ashanti, Grandin, and, occasionally, Teddy. The found-document style of Harmony’s articles and Teddy’s scripts were a delight to read as well. Each character’s voice shone through beautifully with every single scenario.
I would love to see Freeman continue to write verse novels, especially ones with such empowered young characters who carry equally powerful lessons we all need to hear.
If nothing else, novels like AWAY give us a beautiful reminder that no matter how far we wander, “the compass of our hearts point home.” ❤️
AWAY was brilliantly plotted and executed. The verse, was, as expected, superb. Freeman really showed herself as an exceptional poet with this one thanks to her varying styles between Ashanti, Grandin, and, occasionally, Teddy. The found-document style of Harmony’s articles and Teddy’s scripts were a delight to read as well. Each character’s voice shone through beautifully with every single scenario.
I would love to see Freeman continue to write verse novels, especially ones with such empowered young characters who carry equally powerful lessons we all need to hear.
If nothing else, novels like AWAY give us a beautiful reminder that no matter how far we wander, “the compass of our hearts point home.” ❤️
February 26, 2025
2.75 stars: I was so excited for this companion story. The first book is so gripping, and I really enjoyed it. This story was very ambitious. It follows four different perspectives. I liked all the perspectives and the characters were very interesting. One character is even a type one diabetic! Sadly, the story did not feel very believable. I don’t think most people would react the way the characters did in the book. Everything seemed too easy. In the first book, the main character faced so many challenges and it felt realistic for the situation. But in this story it felt unbelievably smooth and the camp was very uninteresting. Overall, I liked the characters and the small details, but the plot and conflicts were very flat. I still look forward to more stories from this author. Her writing is very beautiful and powerful.
March 27, 2025
The companion novel to Alone.
🎥
An unidentified danger forces Colorado residents to evacuate their homes, live in an evacuation camp and give up their cell phones and all access to the outside world. Four kids band together to investigate what’s really going on after the realize they’ve been there for months and live in a camp has become the status quo for too many. The more they dig the more conspiracies and coverups they find.
🎬
This MG novel in verse included poetry mixed with prose, a movie script, production diary, letters and newspaper articles. The audiobook is narrated by a full cast and is a great way to read this one. This dystopian book hit a little too close to home for the current state of our nation. Definitely impactful and shows how much we underestimate kids.
CW: animal death, violence, grief, parental deaths (off page)
I liked the first one a lot better :/
🎥
An unidentified danger forces Colorado residents to evacuate their homes, live in an evacuation camp and give up their cell phones and all access to the outside world. Four kids band together to investigate what’s really going on after the realize they’ve been there for months and live in a camp has become the status quo for too many. The more they dig the more conspiracies and coverups they find.
🎬
This MG novel in verse included poetry mixed with prose, a movie script, production diary, letters and newspaper articles. The audiobook is narrated by a full cast and is a great way to read this one. This dystopian book hit a little too close to home for the current state of our nation. Definitely impactful and shows how much we underestimate kids.
CW: animal death, violence, grief, parental deaths (off page)
I liked the first one a lot better :/
June 17, 2025
Half of Colorado is evacuated into camps and it's the tweens that figure out the behind the scenes reasons.
A little far fetched, yes. But suspenseful and interesting still, also yes.
I loved the way the story is told through the different kids - some in poetry, one in the form of a screenplay and one in the form of news articles and letters to an aunt.
My only real grip here is that the timeline is so long - a couple of years - and no adult saw the red flags, the rest of the world didn't question where their friends and relatives went? Odd.
It wasn't until I was almost done that I realized this is the companion novel to Alone - which follows a teen who is left behind during the evacuation.
A little far fetched, yes. But suspenseful and interesting still, also yes.
I loved the way the story is told through the different kids - some in poetry, one in the form of a screenplay and one in the form of news articles and letters to an aunt.
My only real grip here is that the timeline is so long - a couple of years - and no adult saw the red flags, the rest of the world didn't question where their friends and relatives went? Odd.
It wasn't until I was almost done that I realized this is the companion novel to Alone - which follows a teen who is left behind during the evacuation.
August 23, 2025
I’ve gone back and forth between 2-3 stars- probably 2.5 rounded up. The entire premise with conspiracy and stealing of water for CA was fine- but the execution and dialogue style was what I did not like. Having all the points of view and style just had too much going on and I had to suspend a lot of belief- which I’m usually willing to do more than most readers- was just too much for this title. I think it should have been set many years earlier to make it more believable. I did like all the Wizard of Oz and Nellie Bly references. The solution just came too easily for these kids to really buy into a present day storyline. I liked the style of Alone much better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2025
Megan E. Freeman's Alone is a thought-provoking story that blends high-stakes mystery with themes of resilience, truth, and courage. Centered around a group of young evacuees—including a passionate filmmaker and an inquisitive journalist—this novel captures the uncertainty and tension of a world turned upside down by an unnamed threat.
As the kids begin to question the official story, their investigation uncovers more questions than answers. Freeman balances suspense with deeply human moments, showing how even in the darkest times, young people can lead with empathy, determination, and strength.
One of the book’s most unique and engaging features is its use of multiple formats to reflect each character’s voice—shifting between prose, verse, and even play script. It also weaves in written correspondence between a character and her aunt, adding variety to the storytelling.
Alone is not only a compelling and timely read—it’s a powerful reminder of the importance of asking questions, seeking the truth, and standing up for what’s right.
As the kids begin to question the official story, their investigation uncovers more questions than answers. Freeman balances suspense with deeply human moments, showing how even in the darkest times, young people can lead with empathy, determination, and strength.
One of the book’s most unique and engaging features is its use of multiple formats to reflect each character’s voice—shifting between prose, verse, and even play script. It also weaves in written correspondence between a character and her aunt, adding variety to the storytelling.
Alone is not only a compelling and timely read—it’s a powerful reminder of the importance of asking questions, seeking the truth, and standing up for what’s right.
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