It's been a year since the mass shooting that changed Nora's life forever. Her mother is dead, and her father now has a limp from a bullet wound and a fear of other people. He just wants to keep Nora safe, and the only way to do that is to keep her home with him all the time.
Nora is still struggling with her own grief and anger, maintaining the walls she built to protect herself. It's a lonely place to be, and she still doesn't feel safe. The shooter is a rabid beast haunting her every step.
This trip is the first time they've gone rock climbing or even hiking since her mother died, and Nora's happiness is tinged with grief as she thinks about her broken family, reduced by one. She's excited to explore the slot canyon her dad found for them to discover. The narrow walls create shade in the Arizona desert and a whole new ecosystem to explore.
When a flash flood strikes with no warning, Nora is left alone and clinging to the side of the canyon as her father is washed away on a fast-moving current of water. Her father is gone. Her supplies are gone. The desert is filled with danger, and the threat of dehydration looms over her.
As Nora battles the desert for survival, she battles her own PTSD. She will have to be strong and smart if she wants to survive.
Dusti Bowling's book was a wonderful surprise. It is a visceral story of grief and survival. It's a verse novel told with few words, but the imagery and the emotions are real. Anyone struggling with grief or PTSD will identify with Nora, and every reader will urge her on as she fights for survival. Highly recommended!
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