Switchback is a story of friendship, adventure, and survival. Ash and Vale have been best friends since Kindergarten. Ash is a gamer, whose easy temperament and goofy antics allow him escape from any severe torment from his classmates. After years of bullying, Vale makes no effort to ingratiate herself within the dominant social high school cliques. Set in Canada, a required overnight hiking trip for their sophomore PE class becomes a four-day test of survival when Ash and Vale become separated from their group. Despite the harrowing ordeal the pair withstands, there is not a great deal of personal growth or character development by the conclusion of Switchback. The writing is quick paced, and the suspense elements keep the reader engaged and wanting to learn what happens next. The ability for the relatively inexperienced teenagers to extricate themselves from extremely tenuous situations in the Canadian wilderness is fairly implausible; however, the author keeps the scenarios enough within the realm of believability so as not to turn the reader off. Vale self-identifies as aro-ace, aromantic and asexual, which removes the element of sexual tension from the teens’ friendship. It allows the plot to primarily focus on their survival skills, keeping this novel appealing to teens looking for a good survival story.

Reviewed by Jennifer Benham, Prince Memorial Library, Cumberland