Great Falls by Steve Watkins is an adventure story that I read in a
day. The main characters are two brothers,
Shane who attends high school and plays football, and Jeremy, a Marine Captain awarded
the Purple Heart who has completed three tours of duty and is clearly
experiencing signs of PTSD. Jeremy is
seven years older than Shane and the two have always bonded over their dislike
of their step-father, an authoritarian bully figure they call the Colonel.
Jeremy is married with two young
daughters, but struggles to spend time with them and to control his
emotions. Instead, it is often Shane who
steps in and helps Annie with chores and caring for the children. The brothers
also share a passion for football and end up running off together after one of
Shane’s high school games. They head to a
cabin in rural Virginia with an M-16, a 9mm gun and end up eventually navigating
white water on the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. Great Falls will intrigue even
reluctant young adult readers; fast-paced and full of suspense, the story also
explores the serious issues of PTSD and the disturbing impact on soldiers and
their families.
Great Falls received a starred
review from Kirkus and is recommended for readers grades 8 and up by School
Library Journal.
No comments:
Post a Comment