Wilderness Hacks (Wilderness Hacks #1)

To navigate sudden disaster, two youths must put aside their mutual dislike and work together in Brorsen’s suspenseful debut. Since the siblings’ father’s death from illness a year before this book’s start, 12-year-old Sadie will do just about anything to cheer up her autistic nine-year-old brother Silas, who’s keenly interested in honing his survival skills. But while Sadie is game to cook and eat bugs with Si, she’s reluctant to audition for a guest spot on his favorite YouTube channel, Rad Wilderness. Nevertheless, she agrees, and to her horror is selected to join 13-year-old influencer Rad on a trip into the Colorado Rockies. Sadie’s first impression of Rad is grim: his charming persona is an act, and he hides behind clever camera cheats to make himself look like a seasoned survivalist. The kids’ skills are put to the test, however, when an earthquake turns their guided whitewater rafting trip into a deadly battle against nature. The white-cued leads’ alternating POVs—rendered via urgent, experience-informed prose—immediately establish contrasting personalities and reveal deeper facets of each characters’ internality. Heady topics such as injury, grief, and death are handled with grit and grace across a rip-roaring plot, resulting in a gripping adventure. Ages 8–12. Agent: Lori Kilkelly, LK Literary. (Mar.)