Rules for Vanishing

Whispers of Lucy are everywhere. And the game. People in clots, heads leaned together.

I ve timed things so that I arrive just before the bell, and the hallway is emptying out as the threat of tardy slips overwhelms the urge to gossip. A few stragglers give me odd looks. Odder than usual.I bet she sent it, I imagine them whispering. She s obsessed.

The game. Lucy Gallows. And Wednesday is the anniversary. It doesn t take a genius. I d probably blame me, too.

I slide into first period and take my seat, as close to the back corner as I can get.

Hey. Sara. Trina sits at the group table in front of mine, and she has to twist around in her seat and lean to talk to me. Her blue eyes are piercing in their exquisite concern, her blonde hair swept up in a casual ponytail that looks more glamorous than anything I ve managed since the days when she would sit behind me for hours, coercing my mousy hair into french braids and fishtails. How are you doing?

Fine, I mutter. I can t look her in the eye. Her expression is too painfully sympathetic. It would be one thing if it was a performance, but it s genuine. And it s there every time she looks at me, like she s worried that I m going to crumple under the strain of my personal tragedies at any moment.

I don t think you did it, she says, leaning closer. Which means that people are already saying that I did.

I didn t.

She nods slowly. Don t let anyone give you crap for it, she says.

How do you suggest I stop them? I ask. She flinches back a little, but she s spared the need to answer by the second bell, marking the beginning of class. She straightens in her seat. I slouch down as Mr. Vincent launches into his daily preamble, complete with the terrible joke he inflicts on us every day.

and he says, Me? I&

Times bestselling author
 
I couldn t set this book down the words actually made me shiver. It s Hatchetmeets The Revenant, infused with fierce, undaunted girl power. S.A. Bodeen, award-winning author of The Raft

If Hatchet was your favorite book in grade school, but you wish it was filled with much more girl power, then I Am Still Alive is the book you've been waiting for. Bustle

"A gripping adventure." The Wall Street Journal

* "A taut, gripping page-turner with a strong female hero to root for." Kirkus, starred review

* "With masterful pacing, rich characterization, a dynamic voice, and a thrilling blend of wilderness survival and revenge, this is an engrossing read from a writer to watch." Booklist, starred review

"A gripping tale of endurance and discovery of inner strength." School Library Journal

"[A] striking first novel. Marshall s immersive descriptions will hook readers into this exhilarating survival story." Publishers Weekly

"Marshall s thrilling tale is also a deeply moving story about coming to terms with imperfections (both in oneself and in others) and about finding true resourcefulness and inner strength. BookPage