I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall is an amazing page-turner! From the beginning this book grabbed me and didn't let go. It's the kind of story that had me staying up late to read, sitting outside in the shade to read, read, read, reading to finish because I couldn't put this novel down. It starts with a BANG--literally, when strangers kill Jess's father, leaving her stranded in the wilderness of Canada with his dog, Bo. She's still recovering from a car accident that killed her mother, so she doesn't walk well, and she's a city girl so she's not great at hunting and fishing. How will she handle a Canadian winter alone without shelter or food?
If you’re looking for more books like I Am Still Alive, you’ve come to the right place. I have a great list that will satisfy your hunger for more wilderness survival thrillers.
Against the Pack by Khristina Chess
“All I knew with absolute confidence was that I could move and she couldn’t. If I stayed, we might both die waiting. If I left, we might both die alone. If I left, she might die alone, but I might find help and live. Or I might find help in time, lead them to the shelter, and we might both live.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Against the Pack
While walking on a rural road, Melender and her mom are attacked by a pack of dogs—forced over a near-vertical hillside into a ravine. Now they’re trapped. Wounded. Stranded on a narrow ledge with no food, no water, no shelter. No phone. No way out.
No one knows where they are. No one even knows they’re missing.
The only thing Melender has is her will to survive.
She doesn’t want to leave her critically injured mom behind, but if she doesn’t find help soon, neither of them will make it.
OH MY GOSH—this book is impossible to put down! Against the Pack is a pulse-pounding survival thriller that grips you from the first page and never lets go. Melender is gritty, determined, and unforgettable, and her journey is as emotional as it is harrowing. As the hours stretch into days, the novel doesn’t just test her endurance—it unravels the complicated, raw truths of her relationship with her mother.
If you love high-stakes stories that test a character’s self-reliance, Against the Pack is an action-packed, emotionally intense YA thriller that will keep you on edge until the very last page. Melender’s fight to survive isn’t just physical—it’s psychological, raw, and deeply personal. Fans of I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall will love this one!
Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis
“Living things will fight to stay that way.” ― Mindy McGinnis, quote from Be Not Far From Me
Be Not Far from Me is a fast and engaging read about a girl who is lost and wounded in the woods. There are some plot points that seem a bit problematic, but the story is so compelling that I couldn't put this book down. There was a moment near the end when I became as lost as Ashley and wasn't sure how things would end for her anymore.
I was impressed by a novel that progressed almost entirely with just one character. Ashley carried the weight of the narrative and the conflict on her shoulders by herself. Alone and barefoot.
If you’re looking for books like I Am Still Alive, be sure to check out this YA book about survival that pits a lone quick-witted, tough-talking teen against nature’s elements. In fact, Mindy McGinnis is such a great author that she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined by Danielle Young-Ullman
In this absorbing novel, a broken mother-daughter relationship drives everything that’s happening, both in the present and in the past. The present is awful. Ingrid has been sent away to a 3-week wilderness program for at-risk teens, although she didn’t realize what she was signing up for at the time, and now she’s wet, miserable, mosquito-bitten, and trapped with a misfit group in the middle of nowhere. But she’s determined to see things through to prove something to her mother and earn the carrot, which is permission to attend a music school abroad.
The past is a complicated story about her mother’s beautiful opera voice and depression and its impact on Ingrid. There is a strong codependency relationship between the mother and daughter, since the mother is a depressed diva. From an early age, Ingrid took care of her mother since no father was in the picture.
I loved the mystery about how Ingrid ended up in the wilderness, and I was rooting for her to make it out.
Fans of I Am Still Alive will enjoy this YA book about survival that offers real character depth and heartbreak.
The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes
Three teenagers are separated from their church youth group and survive for 7 days in the wilderness. Along their journey, they find forgiveness with each other and also love. And faith. Although the story has a strong plot element of fighting nature to survive (storms, poison ivy, etc.), the real story is one of character transformation in the distance between lost and found.
Readers who are looking for books like I Am Still Alive will love this one.
Switchback by Danika Stone
I enjoyed the fast pacing of this YA survival story, and I was invested in seeing Vale and Ash get out alive. As with other books this list, many disasters and obstacles kept the tension taut through the length of the novel.
If you’re looking for books similar to I Am Still Alive, this one is a must-read.
Other Great Books for Fans of I Am Still Alive
For a few other lists of great books for fans of I Am Still Alive, check out the Books Similar to I Am Still Alive list on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which lists other reviews of YA contemporary books about tough topics for teens, including my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited.
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.