Fiction Survival Stories

It's the most important rule of scuba diving: If you don't feel right, don't go down. So after her father falls ill, 12-year-old Julie Sims must take over and lead two of his clients on a dive miles off the coast of Alabama while her father stays behind in the boat. When the clients, a reckless boy Julie's age and his equally foolhardy father, disregard Julie's instructions during the dive, she quickly realizes she's in over her head. And once she surfaces, things only get worse: One of the clients is in serious condition, and their dive boat has vanished.

A powerful EMP attack leaves the city in chaos, plunging society into darkness and uncertainty. Stephanie Dupont, a podcast host who exposed government secrets, must navigate the crumbling streets of Chicago with her teenage brother and a frightened stranger. With limited supplies, rising violence, and no power, they race against time to escape the city and find safety. As societal order collapses, Stephanie must confront her beliefs and decide whom she can trust. Will they survive the journey, or will the city’s descent into anarchy consume them all?

Nim lives on an island in the middle of the wide blue sea, shared by only her father, Jack, a marine iguana called Fred, a sea lion called Selkie, a turtle called Chica, and a satellite dish for her e-mail. No one else in the world lives quite like Nim, and she wouldn't swap places with anyone.

Gutsy and her friends, along with Benny and his crew, have just survived a massive attack on New Alamo by the Night Army - a mix of mindless shambling los muertos and sentient half-zombie ravagers. She's also reeling from the revelation that the residents of her town were the lab rats of the biological testing facility linked to creating the most dangerous zom, the Raggedy Man, who controls all of the living dead. And the first raid was only a test. The real Night Army is coming, and this time, it'll be a handful of survivors against seven billion zombies.

Pawns in a millennia-old struggle, the young people known only as the Birthday Children were genetically engineered to survive on the planet Omeyocan - but they were never meant to live there. They were made to be “overwritten”, their minds wiped and replaced by the consciousnesses of the monsters who created them. Em changed all of that.

Fox kit O-370 hungers for a life of adventure, like those lived long ago by Mia and Uly. But on the Farm, foxes know only the safety of their wire dens and the promise of eternal happiness in the White Barn. Or so they’re told. When O-370 gets free of his cage, he witnesses the gruesome reality awaiting all the Farm’s foxes and narrowly escapes with his life. In a nearby suburb, young Cozy and her skulk are facing an unknown danger, one that hunts foxes.

Abelard Hassam di Chirico Flint - Abel, for short - is a rich and silly mouse. He spends most of his days just having fun, going to picnics with his wife, playing croquet with friends, and dancing at parties. Unlike most other mice, Abel has never had to work for anything. All that changes one blustery fall day when his wife’s scarf flutters away in a gust of wind. Abel races off to rescue it and is swept away in a rainstorm. When the storm is over, Abel finds himself washed up a deserted island.

Ridiculed by his peers and family, Garret Witmer fights to prove his theory to be true. Armed with a military background and skills to survive in the post-apocalyptic world, Garrett has no idea that what he’s about to face will be much more devastating than he anticipated. As tensions rise among people, disaster is not only imminent but inevitable. Will Garrett be able to convince his friends and family to trust his instincts and follow his lead before lives are lost? Can he keep his doubting family safe from harm? Find out in this action-packed post-apocalyptic thrill ride!

The adventures of Julie's wolves continue as a new wolf leader takes over the pack. The black alpha Kapu, whom Julie once nursed back to health, is a natural leader. Kapu is strong and wise, but if his pack is to survive, he must lead it through many dangers: near starvation, rabies, rival wolves, and worst of all, humans. The wolves share a strong sense of community, including a deep love of pups, and an understanding of the ancient ways necessary to their survival.

In a world ravaged by the undead, survival isn't just about brute strength—it's about the will to keep humanity alive. Big Jim Richards thought he had seen it all. But as he fights to maintain a fragile order in a chaotic new reality, he'll face threats that challenge not just his leadership, but his very soul. Flesh-eating monsters lurking in every shadow, nature itself turning against the survivors, and ruthless raiders eyeing their hard-won sanctuary. Just when hope seems within reach, an old enemy emerges from the ashes of the past, threatening to topple everything Jim and his people ...

Twelve-year-old Sora and her family live under an iron set of rules: No travel without a permit. No criticism of the government. No absences from Communist meetings. Wear red. Hang pictures of the Great Leader. Don't trust your neighbors. Don't speak your mind. You are being watched. But war is coming, war between North and South Korea, between the Soviets and the Americans. War causes chaos - so war is the perfect time to escape. The plan is simple: Sora and her family will walk for weeks from their tiny northern village to the South Korean city of Busan.

Thirteen-year-old Mark Harrison has a week to hike across the desert. He will meet his parents on the other side. By his fourth day, he’s made good time. As he settles in for the night, he gazes up at the stars, feeling completely content. Suddenly, a blue light streams from the sky, jolting Mark into another dimension. Now, in a land filled with strange jungle animals and primitive tribes, Mark desperately battles hunger, armed enemies, and superhuman powers.

From Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner Katherine Rundell comes an exciting new novel about a group of kids who must survive in the Amazon after their plane crashes. Fred, Con, Lila, and Max are on their way back to England from Manaus when the plane they're on crashes and the pilot dies upon landing. For days they survive alone, until Fred finds a map that leads them to a ruined city, and to a secret.

Two siblings battle stormy weather and a hungry crocodile when they’re trapped overnight in the branches of a tree. From bestselling authors Juliet Fry and Scott Peters comes a gripping tale of survival for young readers. On a stormy night in Australia's Northern Territory, teen siblings Jade and Noah find themselves in a harrowing predicament. High up in a tree, they huddle together as the wind howls and the rain pours down. Below them, lurking in the river, a hungry crocodile patiently waits for an opportunity. Jade and Noah may know a lot about crocs and the bush, but right now, ...

The courageous groups of teens made their way home in a post-apocalyptic adventure story of survival after an EMP had virtually shut down modern technology across North America. What they find there after their long, dangerous journeys leaves them stunned. Their reunion begins in a hail of gunfire and only gets worse from there. The teens are shocked to learn that their town is under siege and their families, friends, and neighbors are being held hostage and some used as slaves.

Scout, once a stray puppy with a troubled past, has grown into one of the best search-and-rescue dogs in Mississippi. And now he's ready for bigger and better things: Scout is joining the National Guard. But Scout's new life as a K9 recruit is far from easy as he adjusts to his challenging training and a brand-new family. Twelve-year-old Matt is determined to help Scout feel at home in Nevada, but when a terrifying flash flood hits town, the pair must save the day and prove their worth.

After seeing their mother loaded into an ambulance because of Bull, her terrifying boyfriend, Jake and Taylor Wilder know they are no longer safe. So they go in search of their father, who has been living off the grid in Wyoming. After jumping trains, hitching a ride with a truck driver, and hiding in the luggage compartment of a tour bus, the boys finally find him in Grand Teton National Park. Just as the boys are getting used to their father's lifestyle - and his "my way is the only way" attitude - they learn that their mother is still alive.

When a tornado watch is issued one Tuesday evening in June, 12-year-old Dan Hatch and his best friend, Arthur, don't think much of it. After all, tornado warnings are a way of life during the summer in Grand Island, Nebraska. But soon enough things change and little do they know that even if they do survive the storm, their ordeal will have only just begun.

The I Escaped Series: The World's Favorite Escapes Three friends battle stormy weather and a hungry Komodo dragon when they're trapped overnight atop a barren rock. From bestselling authors Ellie Crowe and Scott Peters comes a gripping tale of survival for young readers. On a stormy night in Indonesia, American teenagers Jake and Tay and their local dive guide find themselves in a harrowing predicament. High on a rock in the ocean, they huddle together as the wind howls and the rain pours down. Below them, lurking in the water, a hungry Komodo dragon waits for an opportunity. Jake and ...

Glitches are appearing across the Minecraft server. Blocks are flickering unexpectedly and randomly disappearing. To make matters worse, villagers are claiming that their entire villages have mysteriously vanished, and they desperately need Gameknight999's help. What's causing the server to overload and glitch, and where have all the NPCs gone? The User-that-is-not-a-user suspects the two questions are related, and that somehow Herobrine's henchmen are responsible.