Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Great Falls by Steve Watkins

Shane's older brother, Jeremy, has done three tours as a Marine.  On his last one, he saved a life and earned a Purple Heart.  His helmet cam caught it all and the video made it to YouTube.  Now, everyone in town just sees Jeremy as a hero, including his step dad, but he's living in the family basement, not at home with his wife and kids, and he carries his gun with him everywhere.  He doesn't like crowded areas and he drinks a lot.  Shane is worried about him and because Jeremy has always been there for him, he is determined to be there for his brother.  He covers for him.  He helps with his wife and kids.  He defends him.
When Shane has the worst football game of his life, he is relieved to see his brother waiting for him in his truck.  Jeremy claims that he just wants to go up to the hunting cabin they used to go to, just get away for a while, and Shane goes along with it.  That's just the first step in a crazy journey.  It is almost immediately apparent that the trip was a bad idea.  Soon they're renting a canoe and buying camping gear and heading down the river.  Shane just isn't sure if they are running away from something or toward something.
However, I did have some problems with it.  Shane is so passive.  It's understandable because Jeremy is the older brother who has always taken care of him and because his step father runs a tight ship. It felt like Jeremy was making bad decisions that were obviously bad.  I know that it was a way of showing Shane's devotion to his brother but I wanted to shake him.  
It was exciting, fast paced, and well written.  -RYQ

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