PRAISE
"Chock-full of snowboarding action...A snowboarder himself, Ross cranks up the pacing and suspense." - Booklist, July 2011
"Setting and snowboarding are the stars in this novel: mountain conditions and scenery are vividly described, from dangerous weather to spectacular vistas. The writing is crisp, and the plot moves along quickly." - School Library Journal, August 2011
SYNOPSIS
Alex’s goal in life is simple: to snowboard all day, every day.
His ultimate dream is to be part of the Back Country Patrol, an elite group of snowboarders who patrol the un-groomed slopes of British Columbia. But first, he and three other young hopefuls (Dave, Bryce and Hope) must endure a series of tests, which takes them to remote and dangerous terrain. When Bryce disappears, the teens are left with Sam, their dubiously qualified instructor, and no links to the outside world. As Alex and Hope scramble to find out what happened to Bryce, they must confront their own fears of the whiteout conditions and the ominous, mysterious drop.
Where it came from: The Drop was the first YA novel I ever attempted. Before this I'd worked on a number of adult literary novels and mysteries. None of them seemed to work quite as I wanted them to. Writing The Drop was something completely different. I could see the plot from the beginning, the characters felt real, the situations were not that far from what I could imagine happening. Plus, I'd always wanted to jump out of a helicopter. Now I have, and it is as exciting as I imagined it would be. I really enjoyed the way the book came together and was extremely happy when Orca picked it up.
