About the book
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
Editions of The Living
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780385741200
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780385741217
- AltFormat
- ISBN 9780375989919
- EBook
- ISBN 9780375984358
Read an Excerpt
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
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Living about?
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
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Living?
Children’s, Teenage and Educational > Children’s / Teenage fiction and true stories > Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories
Where can I read a sample of The Living?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780385741200
Is The Living part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series The Living Series
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Living?
Matt de la Peña
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Living is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780385741200) and paperback(ISBN 9780385741217) and altformat(ISBN 9780375989919) and ebook(ISBN 9780375984358)
Where can I buy The Living online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy The Living from below
Where can I buy The Living?