Book excerpt: Two grieving brothers learn the importance of family and the power of white water. When their parents are killed in a car accident, Scott and his brother Gregg are sent to live with an uncle they never knew they had. Hurt, angry, and confused, they leave a comfortable life in the California suburbs and head to the remote Colorado Rockies, where their uncle runs a white-water rafting company. Scott, forced to confront his loss and face an uncertain future, determines to make the best of a difficult situation. But his brother Gregg, burying his grief deep inside, begins to drift away from the only family he has left. As they become acquainted with the power and unpredictability of the river and begin to learn the skills of maneuvering the rapids, the brothers discover that it is harder than they ever dreamed to master the art of survival—both on and off the water. Award-winning author S. L. Rottman has crafted an absorbing young adult novel that powerfully depicts the complexity of grieving and the value of family.