In this “hypnotic, violent, unsparing” (A.J. Banner, USA TODAY bestselling author) thriller from the author of the “haunting, twisting thrill ride” (Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author) The River at Night, a young woman leaves behind everything she knows to take on the Bolivian jungle, but her excursion abroad quickly turns into a fight for her life. Lily Bushwold thought she’d … life.
Lily Bushwold thought she’d found the antidote to endless foster care and group homes: a gig teaching English in Cochabamba, Bolivia. As soon as she could steal enough cash for the plane, she was on it.
But the program was a scam. And bonding with other broke, rudderless girls in the local youth hostel wasn’t the answer. Falling crazy in love with Omar, a savvy, handsome local who’d left his life as a hunter in Ayachero–a remote jungle village–to try city life: this was the last thing Lily could have imagined.
When Omar learns that a jaguar had killed his four-year-old nephew in Ayachero, he gives Lily a choice: stay alone in the unforgiving city, or travel to the last in the ever-more-isolated string of river towns in the jungles of Bolivia. Thirty-foot anacondas? Puppy-sized spiders? Vengeful shamans with unspeakable powers? None of it matters to love-struck Lily. She follows Omar to a ruthless new world of lawless poachers, bullheaded missionaries, and desperate indigenous tribes driven to the brink of extinction. To survive, Lily must navigate the jungle–and all its residents–using only her wits and resilience.
“Gripping, breathtaking, and exquisitely told–Into the Jungle pulls you into another world, returning you forever transformed” (Wendy Walker, USA TODAY bestselling author).
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At its heart this is a love story between Lily and Omar whose unlikely bond lasts through terrifying obstacles and life-threatening challenges in the blistering heat of the Bolivian jungle. The magic and menace of the Amazon is brought to life by Erica Ferencik’s lush prose as Lily fights gargantuan spiders, screeching howler monkeys, killer pigs, and her own past demons in an alien atmosphere. But this novel also skillfully reveals how the collision of poachers with the inhabitants of a complex ecosystem endangers the way of life and livelihoods of native communities. Gripping, riveting, and absolutely heart-racing, Into the Jungle demonstrates love’s endurance and its ability to build strength and astonishing resilience.
I was lured in, caught off guard, and ensnared by Lily and Omar, their love story, and their journey deep into the pulsing heart of Bolivia and the Amazon. The menacing pace and ripe, dripping prose made every brush with danger—the two-, four-, six-, and eight-legged variety; the whispering, biting, slithering kind—that much more enthralling. I spent hours balled up and tense, hunched over every word, deliciously creeped out, and finally out for blood. Stay alert: You won’t want to miss one thrilling detail of Into The Jungle.
Wild and ferocious and incredibly brave! The talented Erica Ferencik ventures into the deepest recesses of passion, fear, and primal survival. This tale of resilience and power will haunt and inspire you— and sometimes terrify you. A complete tour de force and rivetingly compelling, this dark adventure reveals the astonishing risks people take for love.
Everything about this book was fascinating–the characters, wildlife, Bolivian culture (city and jungle), and the page-turning storyline. Such a great read!
A captivating and thrilling adventure of a young woman’s journey of love; for the man she follows into the jungle, the nature she must embrace, and herself…this book was beautiful on so many levels. A gorgeous and seductive read that transports the reader thoroughly into its pages.
Different and enchanting read
Into the Jungle is an intense and fascinating love story set against the dark unrelenting wilderness of the Amazon. With a mix of adventure and magic that captivates the reader from the start, Erica Ferencik paints a vivid picture of life in one of the most remote corners of the planet. But spiders, snakes, and jaguars are nothing compared to the jungle’s most lethal predator—humans. If you liked The River at Night, this one should be next on your TBR list.
So vivid in detail, I had to double check that it was a novel and not non-fiction!
Very different from what I usually read but a great story.
Another great book from Erica Ferncik – Though a bit different from The River at Night
There are a few authors I read immediately – as soon as they come out with a book, I get it, and read it, no matter where I am.
Ruth Ware comes out with a book, I read it – usually in day or two.
Yuval Noah Harari comes out with a book, I read it – usually in a month or two.
Erica Ferencik is a new addition to that level, but the difference between her and most of my favorites is her versatility.
With Ruth Ware, you get a mystery that unfolds with every chapter. With Yuval Noah Harari, you get an explanation of the world that gives insight with every paragraph.
With Ferencik? You can get a few things, because this book is quite different than her first – The River at Night. Despite similar titles, with the same amount of syllables – despite similar premises – these books are very different.
The River at Night is a Literary Thriller, Into the Jungle is a Literary love story, with thrills here and there
The River at Night flew forward like a raging river, because something was always chasing the characters – a bad guy, another bad guy who turns out to be the real bad guy, or the environment itself.
The River at Night qualified as Literary Fiction because of the insights it yielded, but if you have to place it in a library, you’d place it in the thrillers section.
Into the Jungle begins with that premise – a woman goes into a remote Amazonian village and must survive, but it is a bit more than a thriller.
There’s a bad guy or two, but they come and go.
There’s a chase here and there, but it ends.
What remains is the character Lily’s tale, her adjustment to village life, and her love with Omar.
Put this book in the Literary Fiction area of the library, maybe in the love story area as well.
But there is one common theme that the book holds with The River at Night – and that is Erica Ferencik’s ability to understand how people actually act, and bring it to the page in a somewhat disturbing way.
Ferencik’s characters are real – for better and for worse
The River at Night held the dynamics of mid-career women meeting each other for a trip, and they acted like people do. They make mistakes, they form alliances, they act in their own self-interest at the expenses of the others.
It’s disturbing because you see their actions in those around you, and in your own life.
Of course – it helps you avoid them, but in any case –
There is the same feel in Into the Jungle.
One of my favorite disturbing scenes is when the main character Lily is leaving for the jungle, and her two best insta party friends are supposed to see her off.
Only one shows.
Lily has been partying with these girls non stop for a few months, and one could not even make the time to say good bye.
It’s disturbing because we’ve all been there – we’ve been thrown into situations where we develop quick party friends, bound only by our youth and need to party with someone else – but when the smallest bit of real life creeps in – those party friends vanish.
That’s disturbing, because we’ve all been there.
And then there is Lily herself – born without a real family – she just doesn’t understand certain things about life – because no one was ever there to tell her.
She makes bad decisions that characters don’t always do – thought Ferencik’s main characters find a way to be likeable – so you don’t worry about her decisions.
But still – Ferencik’s character act like real people, for better or for worse – and it adds to the strength of her work. Into the Jungle is no exception.
In short – I recommend this one
Though Into the Jungle is not a thriller in the mold of The River at Night – it will keep you turning the page.
Keep in mind though that Ferencik’s versatility means you’ll be turning the page for another reason.
But it will bring you along – and I recommend it!
Take a deep breath—Into the Jungle is a vivid plunge into a wondrous and eerie world. Gorgeously written, richly atmospheric, and absolutely enthralling.
Into the Jungle nails with great verve the rigors and joy of travel into the uncharted depths of South America’s rainforest and the spiritual lives of its people. Erica Ferencik has written a gem of a book. I couldn’t put it down.
Into the Jungle is a haunting and authoritative exploration of the power and limitations of love—not only between two people, but between individuals and communities, and the wild and unpredictable earth they inhabit. Compulsively readable, this book takes you deep into the fierce and fragile Amazon, and you’ll be riveted till the very end.
Lush, arresting, and uniquely terrifying, Into the Jungle is an unforgettable story of love and survival set in a Bolivian jungle so vividly rendered that you can practically hear the howler monkeys.
I read Erica Ferencik’s Into the Jungle in one breathless sitting and when I finished, I wanted to stand up and cheer. Not only for Lily Bushwold’s amazing resilience and courage in the face of unimaginable hardships and challenges, but most of all, for Ferencik’s astonishing storytelling ability. Rich, raw, and real, Into the Jungle is a rip-roaring adventure like nothing I’ve read, with a heroine readers won’t soon forget. Highly recommended!
Absolutely intense! Into the Jungle plunges the reader deep into the heart of the Amazon in an adventure as lush and layered as the foliage itself. An extraordinary book with an unusual love story at its center, you’ll be on the edge of your seat until the very last word.
Riveting, real, and drenched in adventure and magic, Into the Jungle transports the reader to a wet, lush world of jaguars and anacondas, shamans and poachers, terror and wonder. The action is non-stop, the characters unforgettable, and Erica Ferencik’s prose dazzles. I couldn’t put it down!
Gripping, breathtaking, and exquisitely told—Into The Jungle pulls you into another world, returning you forever transformed.
With its fascinating characters and its unique setting—a steaming, chattering, enchanted world of rich green where darkness lures beneath the surface—this is not just any story. It is a journey into the heart of the jungle and the brutal, life-altering wisdom that can be found there. I find this book as mesmerising as the gaze of an anaconda.
From page one, I was completely under the spell of Erica’s prose. Her protagonist, Lily, is instantly compelling—tough, wounded, brave, terrified, lost, and—once she enters the jungle—found, to her surprise. Like the jungle of the title, the moment you step into Erica’s novel, it closes around you and demands that you pay attention. I feel lucky to be among the very first readers of Into the Jungle, and I can’t wait to sing its praises to anyone who will listen.