How would it feel to be stuck in the middle of hundreds of mountains for three months? Would you die? Would you survive? Would you resort to cannibalism? Well, that is what a group of Uruguayan teenagers had to experience to survive in the Andes.

When these rugby players set off on a plane to Chile, they knew it would be a dangerous trip. They needed to fly over the immense mountains, knowing that a previous plane had disappeared just a month before.

Flying through the mountains the turbulence became terrible, then suddenly a wing fell off, and the plane went down. There were survivors, but many died. As more and more people died from wounds and weather, the boys realized they had no food and were in the middle of nowhere. All they knew was that Chile was to their west. The only way to stay alive was to eat their former teammates and friends. The boys formed a very strong bond, enduring avalanches and even more deaths.

When they realized that they must be rescued, two of the strongest and most daring set out. Walking miles in the snowy mountains, the two endured many challenges but came out on top.

This book is about survival, brains, and trust. It is intense, thrilling, and touching, all at the same time. Piers Paul Read captures the imagery of the landscape as well as the deaths. The boys went from being a tough rugby team to a family who cared for one another. The book caught my eye and its intensity never left.