• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 12 to 18

Bruised and battling hypothermia, Bass and Rosie must seek shelter and work together to survive until they can be rescued. If they can be rescued.

Sixteen-year-old shy, socially awkward trans teen Bass reluctantly skips school and goes on a boat trip with his adventure-seeking girlfriend, Rosie. When a sudden storm smashes their boat on a rocky shore off a deserted island, Bass and Rosie struggle to make it to safety. After a horrible night, Rosie, an experienced climber, decides to scale a steep cliff to find help. She falls and injures herself badly. Now Bass has to find the strength and courage to swim around a dangerous headland and make his way back to civilization before it’s too late.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Tash McAdam is a Welsh Canadian author of several books for young people, including Blood Sport in the Orca Soundings line and The Psionics series (Nine Star Press). Tash identifies as trans and queer and uses the neutral pronoun they. They teach high school English and computer science and have a couple of black belts in karate. They live in Vancouver.

Tash McAdam's profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection
• Commended, Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Quick Picks
• Commended, BC Books for BC Schools
• Commended, Junior Library Guild (JLG) Gold Standard Selection

“Readers looking for a fast-paced and exciting perilous romance will come away satisfied.”

Kirkus Reviews

“Recommended to readers who enjoy realistic fiction…LGBTQ+ students, especially those who identify as trans, may see themselves reflected in the characters. Recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials