The Stranded by Sarah Daniels has a lot of potential, but I found the execution to be lacking. The residents aboard the ship Arcadia have been at sea for 40 years after a virus and war plagues Europe. Floating off the cost of the Federated States (formerly the United States), no one is will allow the passengers to disembark onto firm land.

The story rotates between three points of view. Nik's dad was taken away when he was a boy because he was planning a rebellion and now Nik has taken up the cause. Esther is a rule follower and her hopes hinge on acceptance into medical school in the Federated States. Hadley is basically the ships enforcer and the villain in the story.

Where I struggled to connect with the book was in the details. The plot starts with the rebellion, and wile there is some before information thrown in, I never got a clear picture of how the ship operated. There are different levels and each level is determined by wealth and power. Beyond that, I don't really get it. I was also recently on a cruise ship for vacation and struggled to envision how it could have been broken down into this class system while still functioning.

The story felt a bit long. The beginning had a lot of action and angst, while the middle dragged a bit and the ending was a massive cliffhanger. Thankfully the next book is out so you don't have to wait to see how it all turns out.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for the gifted review copy.