Panic
A YA
novel about desert survival
(2013)
The greatest killer of the desert
is not rattlesnakes or thirst — it's panic! Three teenagers
learn this tragic lesson the hard way when they go unprepared
into the Arizona desert in August to dig up Indian artifacts
for some quick cash.
With a broken tie-rod on an ancient
pickup miles from nowhere, no hope for help, and few supplies,
the three struggle to survive: a football hero too spoiled
to grow up; a cute girl who belongs to the 'in' crowd; and
a lesbian with a bad crush.
They deal with heat-stroke, a
dust storm, lack of food and water, blisters, and a panic
attack ending in the middle of a jumping cactus patch before
they stumble into the aftermath of a murder. The effort of
getting to safety and help goes beyond sheer determination
for the teenagers to the simple act of placing one foot in
front of the other until even that is no longer possible.
Praise
for Sue's novel
"A good book with realistic
description of three teens and their interactions that would
be satisfying to YA's. (It is billed as Lesbian YA.) However,
as an adult reader and admirer of the Arizona desert, I was
also intrigued by the power of the desert sun and the medical
treatments available within the desert flora, all rendered
vividly and accurately by the author who writes from real
experience with the desert."
~Bookhug
