Trigger Warning: This book deals heavily with suicide and suicidal thoughts.
The Rapids is the story of a fourteen year old girl, Tamika, who has been living in foster care. While standing on the banks of the Missouri river in a deep depressive state, she encounters Jesse and Mala, a young couple on a kayaking trip. They are voyaging from the source of the river down to the sea. She joins the couple, although this makes her a runaway. As they kayak down the river, the group encounters a series of dangerous situations on the river, and Tamika is faced with whether she will carry out her plan of drowning herself, or if she will decide to live.

This is a fast-paced, easy to read, large font book that will interest readers who like adventure and “teens in trouble” plots.