“There’s no place I’d rather be, he thought. And also: Something is not right.”
Best friends since a hike during college orientation, Wynn and Jack decide to take a semester off and enjoy a trip of a lifetime. They decide to canoe the Maskwa River in Northern Canada without the restrictions of deadlines. However, in The River, the trip becomes a race against time when they spot a wildfire of gigantic proportions heading toward the river. If they can’t get to a part that’s wide enough across before the fire hits, they could get trapped in the flash as the fire reaches across the river.
A few months ago, I saw several people highly recommend The River as a very good read. I put it on my to-read list and waited those months for the book to become available as an ebook from my local library. I’ve not read any books by Heller before and didn’t really know much about the book before delving in.
As the young men realize they need to hurry down the river, they also feel called to tell a couple they heard fighting a few miles before about the fire so they can get out in time, too. However, no one is there anymore so they continue on. Then, the man finds them and tells them his wife was lost. Something doesn’t feel right and as they investigate what the man tells them, they find themselves trapped in a survival scenario even the biggest prepper would not see coming.
It only took me a few nights to finish The River. The pace of the book is steady and kept me guessing as to what would happen next. It is a captivating tale and I can see why it’s a popular read. Now I need to find someone else who’s read it so I can talk to someone about it!
Have you read The River? What was the most surprising part for you? Comment below!