Leaving Blythe River by Catherine Ryan Hyde also proved to be a surprisingly good read.  Although a coming-of-age story, the novel doesn’t read like a young adult book.

I had the pleasure to live in Colorado for several years, and I still miss the wilderness.  The novel seems to accurately portray the realities of a similar wilderness — both the beautiful and the harsh.  The characters were also realistic and engaging, from the protagonist to the motley team helping him to his father.