Off the Rails is a gripping middle‑grade wilderness adventure that delivers real emotional depth and high‑stakes survival. With two cousins who learn to rely on each other in the harsh Montana wilderness, this story offers tension, heart, and meaningful growth, a fantastic read for boys, girls, and older kids who love outdoor adventures.
About the Book
Two Texas cousins, Davy and Anderson, set out for what was supposed to be a dream trip to Montana. But one impulsive leap into the wilderness becomes the start of a dangerous, emotionally charged survival journey neither boy is prepared for. As wolves circle, temperatures drop, and mistakes pile up, the boys must rely on their strengths and each other to make it out alive.
Book HookUp Book Review: Off the Rails
Off the Rails is a gripping middle‑grade wilderness adventure with true crossover appeal, the kind of story that keeps you turning pages while rooting hard for two boys who are learning, growing, and stumbling their way through danger.
Davy and Anderson are wonderfully different. Davy is the planner — the reader, the thinker, the one who knows better. Anderson is impulsive, emotional, and driven by instinct, especially when he hears a wolf pup caught in a rusty trap. His compassion overrides caution, and even though Davy knows the risks, he follows because he cares. Their dynamic is layered, believable, and at times painfully real. I felt for Anderson, but I also understood Davy’s frustration. Some of Davy’s corrections felt sharp, even unfair, but that’s what makes their relationship authentic, two boys trying to navigate fear, responsibility, and each other.
The survival elements are intense and immersive. The Montana wilderness feels like a character in its own right. Unforgiving, beautiful, and vast. The wolves circling at night, the blizzard closing in, the moment they realize they’ve missed waving down the next train and there won’t be another… all of it is age‑appropriate danger that feels real. Anderson’s instinctive ideas, like burying the burning log to warm the ground, balance beautifully with Davy’s knowledge. Their mistakes make sense for their age, and their growth feels earned.
I’ll admit, when the plane finally spotted them, my eyes stung. I was fully invested in their survival, their bond, and their hope. And the ending, especially Danny’s compassion toward the old man connected to a decades‑old tragedy, was the perfect emotional finish.
This is a story about consequences, courage, family bonds, and learning to respect each other’s strengths. Not perfect boys, but changed boys. And that’s what makes it powerful.
While this book targets middle‑grade readers, I think older kids, and girls as much as boys, will love this wilderness adventure. It’s layered, heartfelt, and emotionally engaging.
BookHookUp Content Note
✅Clean fiction.
✅No profanity.
✅No graphic violence.
✅No sexual content.
✅Themes of danger, survival, and compassion.
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I recieved a copy of this book from Great Escapes Book Tours with no compensation, and all opinions are my own. Book HookUp participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and as an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
There is a King Sumo Giveaway for this tour.
Prize - $25.00 Amazon Gift Card
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Similar Books You May Enjoy
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The Wolf Keepers by Elise Broach — A heartfelt adventure involving wildlife, danger, and mystery. (Ages 9 and up)
About the Author: Susan Count
Susan Count is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Texas Association of Authors. She takes studying the craft of writing seriously. Revision is her super-power.
Ms. Count has published Texas Boys Adventures, Dream Horse Adventures, and Dream Pony Riders. All series are for young readers ages 8 – 14.
Susan is a life-long equestrian and owned by a Rocky Mountain Horse that is kind-hearted enough to take her on long, forested trail rides. She says the only thing more fun than riding might be writing adventure stories for children.
Answer to why did I write Off The Rails
Ten of my novels are horse books for girls. But on the rare occasions that I do an event book table, I’m inevitable asked if I’ve written any books for boys. So, I wrote this two book series (Texas Boys Adventures) because you asked and kept asking. You and my four grandsons. Finding wholesome books that will engage 8- to 12-year-old boys is a parental challenge.
I’m so old school. Let the kids keep their childhood for as long as possible. I believe in protecting their young hearts and minds. Give them adventures where they learn to build friendships and be the hero of their own stories. Capture their interest and then encourage and
strengthen them to grow into the arrows they are destined to be.
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Buy Link - Amazon