JD McNeill

Tut thought about Alex's question, "Can't speak, or won't?" He didn't know the answer. All he knew was that when he tried to speak, he got scared. Not just a little frightened, but more like horrified, the same feeling he got when he stayed in a boat too long.

A moving story of friendship, loss, and survival

Tut and Alex make an odd pair. Tut does more than keep his grief over his mother's death to himself-he keeps everything, even his voice, to himself. Alex, on the other hand, is talkative, outgoing, and in-your-face, which is exactly where Tut doesn't want her. Tut hasn't much choice in the matter because Alex isn't going anywhere. But just when Alex has wiggled her way into Tut's life, suddenly she seems to have her own need for escape. Now Alex is in trouble and the only way for Tut to help her is to get back into a boat. Is he willing to risk everything for his only friend? That's what he's desperately trying to figure out. And what if it's just too late?

J. D. McNeill weaves a compelling story of loss and survival, peopled with one-of-a-kind characters, in this auspicious debut.