No Way Out

An outdoor adventure leads to disaster in Ruckman's latest work. Amy, her fiance Rick, brother Ben and four others trek through Utah's Zion Narrows. They admire stunning canyons and sparkling streams until rain begins to fall. The resulting flood turns their leisurely hike into a life-threatening struggle. In her fight for survival, Amy painfully confronts another issue: Rick is not the person she thinks he is. This book may strike some readers as odd; the main characters range in age from early teens to late 30s or so, but their personalities and appearances are never fully drawn. Amy's discoveries about Rick are not subtle, and while his newfound flaws are obvious to her, readers never knew Rick's original character. The story line is suspenseful and the landscape is vivid, but the characters don't measure up. Ages 11-up. (July)