What would you do if your best friend suddenly stopped talking? When life was finally becoming easier, then something happened, and Eric Calhoune was in for a ride.

Eric had to figure out why Sarah Byrnes had stopped talking, but the only person he could think of who would know anything was Dale Thornton. He’s the kind of guy most people stay away from because he’ll beat you up if you get on his nerves. But after Sarah Byrnes and Eric drifted apart in high school, they became close, and learned that they had something in common; Abusive fathers.

After Eric had a talk with Dale, and found out how bad Sarah Byrnes’s dad really was, he had to tell someone. He decided to tell Lemry, his swimming coach and CAT class teacher. But that didn’t go down with Sarah Byrnes as well as Eric had expected. However, since Lemry already knew about Sarah Byrnes’s experience, this was the perfect time for them to do something Sarah Byrnes had always dreamed of doing; Finding her mom. Then all their problems would be solved, and they could live happily without Virgil Byrnes, her terrible father. But with someone like Mr. Byrnes in the picture, who would do anything to get his daughter “safely” home, could it possibly be that easy?

Even though the flashbacks tended to get confusing at times, they were a major part of the story, and the book just wouldn’t be the same without them. This fictional book written by Chris Crutcher is a well written piece that shows true friendship, teamwork, and understanding. I highly recommend it for anyone who is in for an adventure, but if you’re not very familiar with swimming terms, it might confuse you a little bit.