Matt has struck gold! Matt is counting down the days until he turns sixteen. He's been living with foster parents in the Yukon River valley in their isolated cabin. Matt is done with helping his abusive foster dad run the traplines so he can make money selling animal furs. He can't wait to start a new life on his own in the city. Then Matt discovers a large gold nugget and everything changes. But what seems like a dream come true and an easy way out quickly turns into a nightmare that will put Matt's wilderness survival skills to the test.

Sigmund Brouwer is the award-winning author of over 100 books for young readers, with close to five million books in print. He has won a Christy Book of the Year and an Arthur Ellis Award, and some of his titles were finalists for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award (twice) and the Red Maple Award. For years, Sigmund has captivated students with his Story Ninja writing program during his school visits, reaching over one million students since 1990. His many books in the Orca Sports, Orca Soundings and Orca Currents lines have changed the lives of countless striving readers. Sigmund lives in Red Deer, Alberta.