The River is a gripping thriller set in the Canadian wilderness that pits two college students against a massive wildfire and a possible murderer. You’ll have a hard time putting down this page turner!

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I read The River as part of the 2023 Thoughtful Reading Challenge. August’s challenge was to read a book that involves camping in honor of National S’mores Day (August 10). While there wasn’t a marshmallow in sight, this novel has plenty of extreme camping.

Here’s a quick summary of The River:

Jack and Wynn have been best friends ever since meeting during freshman orientation at Dartmouth. They quickly bonded over their love of literature and the great outdoors. These two Ivy Leaguers have some serious survival skills! As my husband would say, we would want them on our tribe during a zombie apocalypse.

The two decide to take the Fall semester off during their senior year so they can canoe a section of a river in northern Canada. This place is isolated, with very few towns and fellow adventurers on their route. Plus, this section of the river has a reputation for taking its toll on those who travel it.

Their trip begins just as they wanted it to. They were leisurely making their way up the river, taking plenty of time to fish and relax. But one day, Jack climbs high up in a tree to scout their route and sees a gigantic fire in the distance. The leisurely canoe trip now becomes a race up the river to beat the fire.

But their race against time becomes more complicated due to other travelers, including two drunk “Texans” who don’t heed their warning about the fire. And then one morning, while paddling through thick fog, they hear a couple arguing on the shore. Soon after, the man who was part of the argument paddles to their camp and claims his wife went missing.

This is when things really go wrong for Jack and Wynn. They’re honorable young men who know the dangers of being left alone in the wilderness, so they backtrack to try to find the missing woman. Thus begins a cat and mouse game with a deadly wildfire and violent men.

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Whew! The River is such a great book! I really looked forward to reading every day to find out what was in store for these two not-so-happy campers. And the answer was usually: plenty of challenges that would test their skills and fortitude.

Jack and Wynn were exceptionally well-developed and likable in their own ways. Jack grew up on a ranch in Colorado and his personality has been shaped by a tragedy in his past. While Jack is innately suspicious of other people, gentle giant Wynn wants to believe that everyone is good and tries to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. The two are great characters, but both of their personalities put them in danger.

Running from the fire could have provided plenty of suspense, but the author amped up the thrills with the (potentially) murderous husband. Every bend in the river represented a possible ambush, and Jack and Wynn didn’t know if he was a threat or just a man caught up in a tragedy. The drunk Texans were also a wildcard because you don’t know if they are good or bad. More suspense!

I also enjoyed Peter Heller’s writing style, although it takes a little getting used to because he doesn’t stick to traditional punctuation rules. I would describe his writing style as blunt, efficient, and highly effective.

As you’ve probably guessed, I strongly recommend The River to people who enjoy thrilling thrillers. Great choice, George!

What about you? Did you read a book that involved camping this month? Please tell us about it in the comments section.

**Reminder: September’s challenge is to read a book written by J. R. R. Tolkien. So many great options!

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