A Nominee for the 2020 Edgar Allan Poe AwardsNATIONAL BESTSELLER“A fiery tour de force… I could not put this book down. It truly was terrifying and unutterably beautiful.” –Alison Borden, The Denver PostFrom the best-selling author of The Dog Stars, the story of two college students on a wilderness canoe trip–a gripping tale of a friendship tested by fire, white water, and violenceWynn and Jack … by fire, white water, and violence
Wynn and Jack have been best friends since freshman orientation, bonded by their shared love of mountains, books, and fishing. Wynn is a gentle giant, a Vermont kid never happier than when his feet are in the water. Jack is more rugged, raised on a ranch in Colorado where sleeping under the stars and cooking on a fire came as naturally to him as breathing. When they decide to canoe the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate long days of leisurely paddling and picking blueberries, and nights of stargazing and reading paperback Westerns. But a wildfire making its way across the forest adds unexpected urgency to the journey. When they hear a man and woman arguing on the fog-shrouded riverbank and decide to warn them about the fire, their search for the pair turns up nothing and no one. But: The next day a man appears on the river, paddling alone. Is this the man they heard? And, if he is, where is the woman? From this charged beginning, master storyteller Peter Heller unspools a headlong, heart-pounding story of desperate wilderness survival.
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Peter Heller’s description of two young men’s journey down a remote river in Canada has some of the most stunning descriptions of a wildfire I’ve ever read–especially affecting considering the fires in Australia. A well-written book with a gripping narrative–highly recommended.
This book has me absolutely hooked on Peter Heller’s writing! The storyline, pacing, language and characters all combine to produce an intelligent but soooo suspenseful story! You won’t want to put this book down. And then you will want to read everything he had written. And then you will want him to write more!
Beautifully written, full of surprising twists.
Great Read, I highly recommend The River
I got this book because my husband loved whitewater canoeing and taught me a thing or two in that area. I’m no expert, but I always made it back home, lol.
This book is wonderful. It explores so much: friendship, loss, learning, growth, handling tough situations, integrity, and strength.
It’s the story of two very close friends who set off together to take on their dream canoe trip in a wild, beautiful land but who stumble into a situation that will change them forever. Awesome writing that pulls you into every choice they make. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author and, as an author myself, feel I learned a thing or two!!
I loved this story of two friends on a canoe trip in northern Canada that turns mysterious and deadly. It’s a story filled with both tragedy and beauty.
So fast paced… I read it in one setting. Unputdownable!
Oh, how I envy Heller’s writing skill–he is 3 for 3 for the books of his I have read!
Great plot and characters, plus suspense, mystery, adventure and raw nature. In the telling of this tale, Heller demonstrates his understanding of rivers, wildfires, wilderness, fishing and hunting as well as the bond and dynamic of friendship. Rich with descriptive details, the reader can share the character’s visions and experiences–be in that canoe and feel the energy of the current and see the uncontrived beauty of the landscape. The jacket promises “a headlong, heart-pounding tale of desperate wilderness survival,” and it does not disappoint. A gripping read you cannot put down!
“The River” by Peter Heller has a very strong narrative pull. Heller uses the time-tested metaphor of the journey and makes it his own by mirroring the twists and turns and heart-pounding rapids and falls—as well as introspection inducing calm stretches—of the natural phenomenon for which the novel is named.
This book is truly an adventure. I love Peter Heller’s descriptions of wild places and forlorn hearts!
Jack and Wynn are best friends who love adventures. Jack is from Colorado and Wynn grew up in Vermont, which is what drew me to the book being from Vermont. Neither are ready to head back to college, so they head on a canoe trip in Northern Canada on the Maskwa River. Both experienced canoers, their experience can’t compare when a wildfire is tearing through the are.
In addition to worrying about the wildfire, there are others also canoeing on the river. There are two drunks that the guys would rather steer clear of and what appears to be a husband and wife, they’re arguing, so the boys keep moving along. Until guilt tells them they should let the couple know about the wildfire. This delay in their trip delays the distance they can be putting between them and the fire. After not being able to find the couple, they continue on. Only to find a single man canoeing down the river straight towards them. Why is this man alone and why is he so agitated?
The River was a fun read, I loved Heller’s descriptions of the river, the wildlife, and the knowledge of Wynn and Jack about canoeing, fishing, and camping. They had an excellent friendship and the recounting of their friendship made the book so much more meaningful. For me, it would have been a perfect read, but then I felt the book ended too abruptly. I feel like the last part of the book was rushed to an ending, which was a disappointment. Aside from the ending, it’s a great read.
Thanks to Penguin’s First To Read program for a free digital copy of this book. The following is my honest review:
I had no idea what to expect going into this book. I think I figured it would be a mystery sort of story based on the description. In reality, it was that to some extent but I would definitely characterize it as more of a wilderness survival story.
Jack and Wynn are two college aged men going on the trip of a lifetime. They’ve researched and planned and are looking forward to canoeing down a great river. When a massive fire threatens to overcome them before they can make it to safety, the boys need to rethink everything. To complicate matters more, they overhear a couple arguing and think something sinister has happened to the woman.
It would be a mistake to think that this story is about the boys getting caught up in the mystery of the fighting couple. While it is to some extent, it’s so much more about their relationship with one another, and the life experiences that have made them the men they are today. Heller does an amazing job bringing these boys to life and making you fall in love with them. He keeps you on the edge of your seat while taking you on a spectacular journey of their attempt to survive both wilderness and man. At times, you can cut the tension with a knife. At other points, your heart wants to break right open as you empathize with their struggles.
If I had any complaint, it would be that I sometimes found myself bogged down in the detail or a bit confused by the narrative. Not really the author’s fault. It has more to do with my unfamiliarity of certain things in the great outdoors like portages and other intricacies associated with canoeing. It didn’t really matter though because the story itself was just too good to let small matters interfere with the overall feel of it.
This was a great read and highly recommended.
Not bad. I really didn’t think much about the plot. But the details involving the canoeing, fishing, outdoor survival and most of all the forest fire were intriguing. That alone was worth the read.
This is a gripping story with a well-devised plot, and Heller’s first-hand knowledge of wilderness and paddling adds to the vividness and reality. The writing style tends to be clunky in parts, and I could do without the repetition of the Skoal™ product placement (seriously, “dip” or “snuff” could have just as easily worked — or maybe just omit the blue-collar stereotypes that add nothing to what are pretty well-developed characters), but those issues aside, this is a good read and I didn’t want to put it down once I got going.