This Junior Library Guild selection written by a woman who is a musher herself has a visually striking cover and a story that matches it. Terry Lynn Johnson writes outdoor adventures for young adults and works as a Conservation Officer near Whitefish Falls, Ontario. You can find out more about Terry Lynn Johnson by visiting her website where she has information about her books and articles as well as photos and links and a nice blog too.
Fourteen year old Victoria Secord (an Alaskan dogsled racer) is on a routine outing with her dogs when she comes across an injured "city boy" and gets lost in a freak snowstorm. As the temperature drops and her meager food supply runs out, she realizes it is up to her to find a way to save them all. Victoria is an independent and self-reliant young lady, and thanks to the excellent training she received from her father is fairly well equipped to survive in the Alaskan bush. But she is carrying some extra emotional baggage of her own during this struggle because she still hasn't come to terms with her father's tragic death in that same unforgiving wilderness.
The author does an excellent job of weaving together a tale of wilderness survival, dog team lore, and a coming of age story of a girl with heart and backbone who by the end of the story has come to terms with the loss of her beloved father and finds within herself the strength and fortitude to not only survive, but thrive. This has been called the female version of Hatchet, and her writing has been compared to Gary Paulsen, Farley Mowat, and Jean Craighead George; noteworthy praise indeed.
I highly recommend this suspenseful tale that is an intense page turner and makes you feel like you are mushing along with Victoria, Bean, Drift, and the others as they try to fight their way to safety through the Alaskan wilderness.
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