First published 2024
Nick Chase and Jess Hardy watch the ocean rise into a wall of destruction. The tsunami races toward their coastal town, and they have seconds to run. They scramble into the forested hills above the bay just as the wave crashes over everything below. Their neighborhood vanishes under churning water. Houses, cars, and lives disappear in minutes. The water recedes, leaving behind a wasteland of debris and mud. Nick and Jess must navigate this broken terrain to reach safety. Every step brings new dangers in a landscape transformed beyond recognition. Then they discover an elderly couple stranded in the wreckage, unable to move on their own. Now Nick and Jess face an impossible choice. They can barely survive on their own, but they cannot abandon two people who will die without help. The four of them must work together to escape the devastation. Their journey becomes a test of courage, resourcefulness, and the bonds that form when people refuse to give up on each other.
Genres: adventure, contemporary, action
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, unlikely-allies
Setting: Coastal Town
Period: Contemporary
192 pages · Hardcover · Scholastic Press
Content warnings: death, violence