Great Falls

Great Falls is a powerful young adult novel exploring the devastating impact of war on veterans and their families. It follows Shane, a teenager trying to save his older brother, Jeremy, a combat veteran struggling with severe PTSD and alcoholism. What begins as an overnight camping trip escalates into a days-long, perilous canoe journey down the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. Shane grapples with Jeremy's erratic behavior, the presence of a loaded gun, and his own fear, all while trying to convince his brother to seek help. This book offers a stark, realistic look at mental health struggles, sibling love, and the immense challenge of supporting a loved one through crisis.

One brother home from war. The other desperate to save him. A gripping journey together to the river's end. Shane has always worshiped his big brother, Jeremy. But three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken their toll, and the easy-go-lucky brother Shane knew has been replaced by a surly drunk who carries his loaded 9mm with him everywhere and lives in the basement because he can’t face life with his wife and two small children. When Jeremy shows up after Shane’s football game and offers to take him to the family cabin overnight, Shane goes along — both to get away from a humiliation on the field and to keep an eye on Jeremy, who’s AWOL from his job at Quantico and seems to have a shorter fuse than ever. But as the camping trip turns into a days-long canoe trip down the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, Shane realizes he’s in way over his head — and has no idea how to persuade Jeremy to return home and get the help he needs before it’s too late. In a novel at once gripping and heartbreaking, Steve Watkins offers a stark exploration of the unseen injuries left by war.