Jake King is a full-fledged adrenaline junkie. He'll jump off of a waterfall, ride his bike down the side of a mountain, rock climb without harnesses.anything to feel the rush. Besides his best friend and secret love of his life, the beautiful Salome Lee, getting his adrenaline pumping is the only thing that clears his head. So when he's offered a spot on a hotshot crew of firefighters who rappel into wildfires, it's the perfect opportunity. Never mind that the crew members call themselves the Immortals, and that they have a habit of dying young. Salome knows there's more to the crew's mortality rate than bad luck, and to save Jake, she puts their friendship - and their unspoken romance - on the line. But to Jake, firefighting is like breathing pure adrenaline. And if he doesn't stop soon, they could all get burned. . . .

From School Library JournalGr 8 UpJake is a daredevil who feels the constant need for an adrenaline rush. His reckless stunts have made him the town pariah; he's hurt others and gotten himself expelled. Then a situation arises, and Jake has a chance to prove his mettle with an elite crew of firefighters who rappel from helicopters into raging wildfires. The irony is that in the midst of the firefighting season Jake develops a healthy respect for danger as his relationship with longtime friend Salome evolves, and he finally feels as though he has something to lose. Fighting fires is risky work, but the unauthorized method that the team leader has devised to weed out the weak is even more brutal and dangerous. The fast-paced story moves back and forth through time and while readers come to understand Jake, sympathizing with his dysfunctional family requires more of a stretch. Some of the plot twists are confusing, e.g., the relationship between Salome and Jake's older brother is never made clear. However, teen readers, especially guys with a penchant for extreme adventure, may well overlook any shortcomings and plunge into the heart-pounding action as Jake battles blazes and uncovers sinister activity among his fellow firefighters.Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From BooklistEighteen-year-old Jakes latest stunt got him kicked out of school, but thats small potatoes to a kid who scales bare mountain rock in the pouring rain and dives off treacherous waterfalls without blinking. Its all for the rush, which erases the itching numbness of normal life; when free-falling, he thinks: Im Jake King, small and stupid and reeling with a glorious panic. Though he has avoided the firefighting life of his father and older brotherand much of their townnow it seems like the only way to salvage his troubled life. Just like that, he is hired on to a hotshot heli-rappeling crew alongside men so badass they debate dinner choices while beating back blazes. Quickly Jake clashes with Mox, the leader of an elite group called the Immortals, as well as a secret society called the Rush Cluba grim brotherhood of daredevils that Jake is simultaneously attracted to and repelled by. Friesens thrill ride benefits from its unusual setting and its pulse-pounding action (and romance!), making it go down like a six-pack of Red Bull. Grades 9-12. --Daniel Kraus