Jess Cooper is sent to live with her father in Alaska after a car crash kills her mother and leaves her badly injured. Jess is skeptical when she arrives in Alaska and her father isn't there to get her; instead a friend takes her deep into the Canadian wilderness where her father is living off the grid. Jess is furious that she has to live with a father she barely knows in such an isolated area; but then there's an accident and she is left alone, without her father, and their cabin burnt to the ground.

In converging timelines, Jess tells the story of how she came to live with her father (what she calls Before) and what happens after their cabin has been destroyed (After). Eventually the timelines merge and the book becomes fully centered on Jess' survival. Tiny mistakes could be lethal, but Jess' mental strength and sheer determination compensate for her weakened physical state. This is a darker survival tale with a strong female character to root for. Fans of Gary Paulsen's survival stories will certainly enjoy this book.