"A highly recommended, emotionally compelling survival tale." - Midwest Book Review A story about the damaging effects of unresolved grief and the wide-ranging impact of gun violence, MacKenzie’s Last Run shows how vital communication is to emotional health in a survival story that is as much about the survival of a family as it is about the survival of a young teen. It focuses on thirteen-year-old MacKenzie (Mac) Lawrence, who has slowly withdrawn from everyone since his father’s death in a mass shooting more than a year before. He’s too ashamed to tell Mom and twin sister Tessa that it’s his fault Dad is dead--if it hadn’t been for him Dad wouldn’t have been anywhere near the mall that terrible day. Mom and Tessa are submerged in their own mourning at first, but when they finally begin to function again, they don’t understand Mac’s sullen, snarky behavior, which continues to escalate, destroying even his once-close tie with his twin. Then Mom announces her plans to remarry. Mac erupts in a fury and runs away to force her to break off the engagement. Unfortunately, nothing goes as planned. He ends up seriously injured, miles from home, and unable to call for help. Tessa sets out on a desperate search to find him. But she’d better hurry, because Mac is running out of time. MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW - Driven by strong characters, the story proves both compelling and entertaining as Mac and Tessa's lives coalesce in different ways, and as their decisions change their futures. The lessons embedded in the story invite young readers to consider their own lives and choices from different angles. The result is a winning story in a highly recommended, emotionally compelling survival tale . It should be on the reading lists of young people ages 11 and up who look for stories of not just suspense, but revelation. "In an emotional, gripping, and important story , Rosengren shares what we rarely see years after a mass shooting: the long-term impact on the family left behind. Heart-pounding, fast-paced, and unputdownable , this story provides an eye-opening view into rebuilding life from the ashes of guilt and grief in order to redefine family, love, and, most of all, hope for a future." - Liza Weimer, author of the multi-awarding winning The Assignment MacKenzie's Last Run , a page-turner appropriate for ages ten and up, is expertly told in alternating points of view, shifting between thirteen-year-old Mac and his twin sister, Tessa. The twins lost their father during a mass shooting at a mall. Mac, especially, suffers emotionally since his father was at the mall because of a request he'd made. Mac's grief adversely affects his relationship with his twin and his mother. When his mother announces her intention to remarry, Mac plans to run away and force her to break the engagement. He steals off in the middle of the night, but almost immediately sustains injuries that will become life-threatening. MacKenzie's Last Run is a survival story of the best kind; one that shows both emotional and physical struggles. Sadly, it's also a timely novel. Author Gayle Rosengren has dedicated it to all those who have lost a loved one through gun violence. Recommended for those who enjoy suspense. Would make a great classroom read." - Amy Laundrie, author of Stranded on Castaway Island Gayle Rosengren grew up in Chicago, majored in creative writing in college, and worked for several years in the teen services department of her local library. She especially loved sharing her passion for reading, turning reluctant readers into enthusiastic ones by introducing each one to just the right book. Non-fiction or fiction. Mysteries, suspense, humor, historical, or―her particular favorite―survival stories, wherein the main character must call on every ounce of their strength to save themselves in a life-threatening situation. Given how much she enjoys reading survival stories, it was probably just a matter of time before she wrote one. MacKenzie’s Last Run is that story.