Friday, June 23, 2017

Review: The River at Night

The River at Night
Erica Ferencik
Published January 10, 2017
A high-stakes drama set against the harsh beauty of the Maine wilderness, charting the journey of four friends as they fight to survive the aftermath of a white water rafting accident, The River at Night is a nonstop and unforgettable thriller. - from Goodreads
I love a good survival story, and that's what I was expecting from The River at Night - but it quickly became more like a horror movie!

The story starts off a bit slow as we're introduced to the four main characters, a group of late 30-something women, who decide to go on a whitewater rafting trip in basically an uncharted area of Maine.  For me, red flags were already going up - they are literally going to be in the middle of nowhere with only a new and very young guide.

The action picks up quickly and doesn't stop once the group starts their rafting trip.  Not long into their trip, a freak accident kills their guide on the river and their raft and supplies are lost, leaving the four women stranded.  Should they try to find the raft downriver, or should they try to hike back to where they pushed in, assuming they could even find it? 

When the women see a campfire not far from them in the woods, they think their prayers have been answered, but in reality, things are about to go from bad to terrifying.  This part of the novel, where the women meet these two creepy people in the woods, totally cut off from civilization, is where the book went a bit off the rails for me.  It read a bit like a slasher film and was more than a little unbelievable.  However, the short length of the book kept the story moving quickly, and so I actually didn't mind it that much.

I appreciated that the author took the time to develop the characters, despite the nature of the book.  I felt like I really got to know each distinct woman - the tough-as-nails Rachel, the kind-hearted Sandra, the adventure-loving Pia, and the timid narrator Wini.  I understood their motivations, and their feelings and reactions felt very true-to-life.  I was really rooting for all of them!

The River at Night is a great summer thriller (even though it came out in January!).  If you're looking for a quick, suspenseful read, check this one out.

4 stars

14 comments:

  1. I love books like this, too! There is something about survival stories that draw me in. I haven't heard of this one before and your review has me really intrigued. Thanks for sharing this one. :)

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    1. Thanks! This book was really good, I couldn't stop reading it!

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  2. Oh, I hadn't heard of this one before but I love survival stories too. The part about meeting the creepy people in the woods definitely got my attention and actually gave me chills as I was reading. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to put this one down once I started reading it. Great review!

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    1. It was definitely action-packed and I needed to know what happened next!

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  3. I considered this one. I think it sounds entertaining, but I am not up for a slasher type read. Glad you enjoyed it for the most part.

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    1. Yeah, I wasn't really expecting the slasher part of it, it's probably a good thing to know before going in!

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  4. *shiverS* This is not exactly what I thought it would be. Thanks for the heads up, might miss this one.

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    1. You're welcome, I mean, I didn't want to spoil anything but I felt like it was a good thing to know about the book!

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  5. Oh I absolutely love the look of this book! I adore thrillers, and this looks so good and action-packed, which I LOVE.
    Amazing review, Angela :) Thanks for bringing this book to my attention!

    Amy @ A Magical World Of Words

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    1. You're welcome! Yes, this book moved very quickly after the intro part. Pretty different from the psychological thrillers I usually read!

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  6. I didn't know what this was about, the first half sounds interesting but the creepy dudes part not so much. Great review!

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    1. Thanks! Yeah, the creepy people in the woods part kind of came out of nowhere, I wasn't expecting it!

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  7. Okay I'm intrigued! Slasher stories and movies are so unbelievable but they have this mystery and adrenaline pumping feel to them that is kind of a guilty pleasure for me :P I will be checking this out!!

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I'm so glad you stopped by, and I would love to hear your thoughts! Comments are always greatly appreciated!