What the Other Three Don’t Know

Gr 8 Up–Indie’s forced to go rafting for her journalism class with three other high school seniors—on the same river that killed her mother. The students don’t have much in common but do begin to bond. A bear eats their food the first night, making meals uncomfortably small until the check-in point. Unfortunately, before the teens can reach it, the river turns deadly. The five-day trip becomes a nightmare when rapids and flash flooding threaten everyone. Now the group will have to work together if they want to get out of Hell’s Canyon alive. The first three-quarters of the book focus on character development, as readers learn about the secrets kept by each member of the group, but the action picks up later. Grief, physical disabilities, family drama, sexual identity, forgiveness, and survival skills all play a role in shaping the characters. As secret after secret is revealed, each character finds release, and a chance to embrace a more authentic self.