When I read, I want to feel a range of emotions; excitement, misery, and all that's in between. I want to breathe the characters' air and see the world through their eyes. I want to forget the time and the bills I have to pay.

Admittedly, this is a lot to ask of words on a page. Yet Mark Rubinstein meets this challenge in a way that feels effortless. His writing has a literary flavor, using just the right word at just the right time. We aren't given lots of descriptive adverbs and adjectives. The writing is lighter, yet far more powerful because of this.

The story is about brotherly love and admiration. It's also about adventure and the kind of freedom reserved mainly for the youth, before responsibilities and experience keep us from crossing that line in the sand. We have suspense and drama, joy and sadness. Most importantly, we have depth. These characters made me care about their story. They made me think and feel. I will remember them. And that is the best gift any author can give. ( )