The Living (The Living Series)

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(as of Oct 02, 2026 05:07:42 UTC – Details)


Newbery Award-winning author Matt de la Peña’s The Living is “a rare thing: a plot-driven YA with characters worthy of a John Green novel.” [Entertainment Weekly, A-]
   Shy takes the summer job to make some money. A few months on a luxury cruise liner–how bad can it be? Bikinis, free food, maybe even a girl or two . . . every cruise has a fresh crop of passengers, after all. He’ll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom and sister out with the bills.  
  But then, an earthquake more massive than any ever recorded hits California and Shy’s life is changed forever.
The earthquake is only the beginning. Twenty-four hours and a catastrophic chain of events later, Shy is lost at sea, fighting to survive–and stuck with her.
  She’s blond and she’s rich, and never in her life would she have dreamed she’d be adrift in the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by death and completely dependent on a guy like Shy.
  And Shy hasn’t even faced the worst yet.
  Look for the thrilling sequel, The Hunted, in bookstores now!
Praise for The Living:
“De la Peña has created a rare thing: a plot-driven YA with characters worthy of a John Green novel.”-Entertainment Weekly, A-
 
“Action is first and foremost. . . . De la Peña can uncork delicate but vivid scenes.” —The New York Times
“[The Living] is special because of its extraordinary protagonist, Shy, who I haven’t been able to shake from my mind in the weeks since I read the book.”-John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars
“There’s no way to classify The Living. It’s everything I love mixed into one fantastic, relentless, action-packed story. As always with Matt, the characters are the best part. So real. I loved this book.”-James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series
[STAR] “An addictive page-turner and character-driven literary novel with broad appeal for fans of both.”-Kirkus Reviews, Starred
[STAR] “An excellent, enthralling ride…a great read for those looking for adventure and survival stories.”-VOYA, Starred
A Pura Belpré Author Honor Award Winner
An ALSC Notable Children’s Book Pick
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ember
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 6, 2015
Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385741219
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385741217
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.9 ounces
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 – 17 years
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.68 x 8.25 inches
Part of series ‏ : ‎ The Living Series
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 – 12
Best Sellers Rank: #340,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #329 in Teen & Young Adult Survival Stories #416 in Teen & Young Adult Friendship Fiction #476 in Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction Action & Adventure
Customer Reviews: 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (432) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Customers find this book engaging with well-developed characters, unexpected twists, and plenty of action. Moreover, they appreciate its fast-paced nature, with one customer finishing it in just two days, and another noting how the story threads all join in the end. However, opinions about the writing style are mixed, with some praising it while others express concerns.