Black River Falls

Seventeen-year-old Cardinal has escaped the virus that ravaged his town, leaving its victims alive but without their memories. He chooses to remain in the quarantined zone, caring for a group of orphaned kids in a mountain camp with the help of the former brutal school bully, now transformed by the virus into his best friend. But then a strong-willed and mysterious young woman appears, and the closed-off world Cardinal has created begins to crumble. A thrilling, fast-paced work of speculative fiction for teens, from a bestselling author, Black River Falls is an unforgettable story about survival, identity, and family.

"Hirsch is skilled at creating lost protagonists who need a jolt, and fans will appreciate this quiet, well-rendered look at a boy who's suffering more from being stuck in his own memories than the townsfolk who lost all of their own." --Bulletin "In this fast-paced novel, Hirsch (The Darkest Path) has created a terrifying reality that explores identity, memory, morality, and what it means to be a family." --Publishers Weekly "Hirsch allows the backstory to unfold slowly, salting clues as to Card's family and his former relationship with Greer. But he also interjects a sweet love story and tricky ethical and moral decisions throughout this thought-provoking novel of family and survival--and superhero comics." --Booklist "Both a gripping, suspenseful thriller and a poignant meditation on memory and attachment." --Eliot Schrefer, two-time National Book Award finalist and New York Times best-selling author of Endangered and Threatened "Who are you if you don't have your memories? With incredible characters and fascinating twists, Black River Falls is a powerful story you won't be able to forget." --Joelle Charbonneau, New York Times best-selling author of The Testing trilogy and Need "Jeff Hirsch's Black River Falls is fabulous! Fresh. Original. And dare I say memorable. I could not put it down!" --Roland Smith, New York Times best-selling author of Peak and The Edge "Smart and full of heart, this book is for readers who love pondering the big mysteries, even in the darkest of places." --Martha Brockenbrough, author of The Game of Love and Death --

Jeff Hirsch is the bestselling author of The Eleventh Plague and The Darkest Path. He lives in Beacon, New York. www.jeff-hirsch.com