I’ve come across a compelling YA. Damselfly by Chandra Prasad is a book that combines aspects of the TV show “Lost” and the book Lord of the Flies. Samantha Mishra finds herself in the middle of the jungle holding a glass eye. And doesn’t remember why. It just gets better from there.

Sam is traveling with her private school’s fencing group to Japan when their plane crashes on an island presumably in the South Pacific. Members make gruesome discoveries of those that didn’t make it, but manage to piece together the remaining passengers into a real game of “Survivor”. Waiting to be rescued, tensions from the social make-up of private school and the “real world” start to take their toll. A lurking menace stalks them before they can safely be rescued from the island. Can they figure the mystery before they are found?

This was an interesting take on a girl’s version of the “Lord of the Flies”. I liked the tension and social clicks being challenged and played with just to survive in the jungle, sort of like a “Breakfast Club” on a deserted island. I enjoyed the girl power perspective in this book, finally, giving a new POV missing from the classic. In the end, it was fun to see how all gets rectified. I’d recommend this for YA readers that enjoy a new spin on old concepts.

**I received an ARC copy for an honest review.

The release date for this book is on March 27, 2018. It is available for preorder at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and Kobo.com.