
Parents should reach for this book when their teenager is struggling to navigate the aftermath of a family tragedy or a sibling's life-altering injury. It is a vital resource for families dealing with the complex guilt and identity shifts that occur when a once-healthy family dynamic is permanently changed by disability. The story follows Molly, her brother Guy, and her best friend as they embark on a grueling hike along the Pacific Crest Trail after Guy suffers a traumatic brain injury. As a realistic contemporary novel, it explores raw grief, the weight of responsibility, and the nuance of Indigenous identity within a Michif/Metis context. Parents will appreciate its honest, secular approach to mental health and healing. While the emotional intensity is high, making it most suitable for ages 14 and up, the book offers a powerful roadmap for resilience and the realization that while we cannot go back to who we were, we can find a new way forward together.
Survival situations involving hiking, wildlife, and physical exhaustion.
A developing queer romance between the protagonist and her best friend.
Deals heavily with grief, trauma, and the 'loss' of a sibling's former personality.
The challenges and frustrations of living with a traumatic brain injury, mentions of a past fatal accident involving another hiker, depictions of physical peril and injury in the wilderness, emotional volatility and anger stemming from trauma, and a character recounts a past experience of racial profiling.
A 16 or 17 year old who feels the crushing weight of responsibility for a sibling, or a teen navigating the complex anger and sadness that follows a family member's life-altering medical crisis.
This book can be read cold by most older teens, but parents may want to preview scenes where Guy experiences intense frustration and anger related to his physical limitations, as these moments are visceral and raw. A parent hears their child express resentment toward a sibling with a disability, or sees their child withdrawing into self-blame after an accident they couldn't prevent.
Younger teens (14) will focus on the survival elements and the romance, while older teens (17+) will more deeply resonate with the heavy themes of identity, the transition to adulthood, and the burden of being a caregiver.
Unlike many stories about disability that focus on the person with the injury, this book centers on the sibling's perspective and features a Michif/Métis character navigating trauma and recovery.
Molly and her twin brother Guy have always shared a passion for the outdoors, but their bond is strained after Guy survives a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that leaves him with permanent physical and cognitive changes. Joined by Molly’s best friend and love interest, the trio embarks on a trek along the Pacific Crest Trail. The journey is as much about surviving the wilderness as it is about Molly confronting her guilt and the grief of losing the version of her brother she once knew.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
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