The story begins with Ellie backpacking alone through the Adirondack mountains, a twelve-day adventure looked forward to. Using a map to explore 'off the beaten path', she comes upon a beautiful waterfall in the middle of the forest. The spot was pristine and Ellie pitches her tent to savor the beauty and serenity of it all. Soon another backpacker stumbles into her site and tries to befriend the young lady. Ellie wants to be alone and insists that he leaves after eating a meal.

That night, Ellie is awakened by a commotion outside of the tent and thinks it's either a bear or the returning backpacker. When she catches a glimpse of the extremely large shadow in the moonlight, it takes her breath away. Thus begins a friendship that nobody would believe. Danger still lurks in the shadows. Will she and her new friend survive?

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It flowed well and kept my interest from the very first paragraph until the unexpected ending. ELUSIVE GUARDIANS is well worth the read and recommended for any age group. ( )