In a way, all books are about survival. But for my newest book, NOT IF I SAVE YOU FIRST, I decided to tackle the issue head-on when I wrote about what happens when the president’s son is kidnapped in the Alaskan wilderness and only a Secret Service Agent’s daughter can save him.
Ally Carter by Liz Ligon
So how does Maddie save Logan? And what can we all learn from her?
There really is safety in numbers. Even just one person can make a difference—especially if it’s the right person. (If you don’t believe me, ask Logan and Maddie!)
Notice things. Whether it’s paying attention while crossing the street or just noticing what your BFF needs for her birthday, paying attention can not only help you to survive—it can also help you to thrive.
Memorize phone numbers. Most of us will never be stranded in the middle of an icy wilderness, but you might find yourself with a busted phone or a dead battery—in which case you’re really going to need to have a few phone numbers stored in your head.
Pretty much anything can be a weapon if you think about it. Car keys. Heavy shopping bags. Nail files. But, most of all, your brain. Being able to keep calm under pressure and think outside the box are essential in tense situations.
Take what’s useful to you; leave the rest behind. There will be a lot of hard knocks and tough lessons. Try to learn what will be useful to you in the future, but don’t be afraid to leave behind anything that might weigh you down.
Pretty much everyone is going to underestimate you. That’s okay. Let ‘em. No one expected Maddie to be able to fight and think and turn the tables on the bad guys. People are going to underestimate you, too. You might as well use that to your advantage.
Layers are good. Sure, if you’re in Alaska and the storm of the century is moving in then having lots of layers can keep you alive. But the best people have lots layers too. Never let anyone tell you that just because you’re into X you can’t also be good at Y.
It’s never too soon (or too late) to learn. Maddie started learning how to save Logan six years before he ever showed up in Alaska. There’s no way to know what skills you’re going to need in the future, but the more skills you have the more helpful they’re going to be (even in not-so-obvious ways).
Being “girly” isn’t a liability. Did you know that tights can be used to catch fish and fingernail polish remover is great for starting fires? We live in a world where women are a lot more likely to be considered “strong” if they’re strong in “masculine” ways. But that’s not true. Not even a little bit.
It’s not about not getting knocked down—it’s about getting up. As cheesy and cliché as it sounds, it’s nonetheless true. You’re going to get knocked down sometimes. There’s just no way around it. But the key to survival lies in not staying down.
