Review: The River at Night by Erica Ferencik

It's so easy to get stuck in the motions of daily life.  We have jobs, responsibilities, and relationships that need constant attention.  Sometimes you just need a little getaway to recharge your batteries and renew your vigor for life.  The characters is The River at Night by Erica Ferencik are searching for just such a getaway, but they got much more than they bargained for in the Allagash wilderness of rural Maine.

In this suspenseful survival story, four average, middle-aged women embark on an adventure in the name of tradition.  They hire a guide to lead them as they white-water raft their way through the unfamiliar terrain.  Mixed with emotions of fear and excitement, the women plan to use this vacation as a reprieve from the struggles of their daily lives: addiction, loneliness, illness, and abusive relationships.  When plans go terribly awry, these women are faced with dangers they did not prepare themselves for.  They must lean on each other for support as they try to survive the elements and unforeseen violence that's waiting for them in the woods.  This novel is like a female rendition of "Deliverance" and it lives up to its expectations.

From the moment I read Gary Paulsen's Hatchet in the fifth grade, I've always been drawn to survival stories. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There were slow parts here and there, but the characters were deep and real. Each woman had a unique story and believable flaws. Ferencik did a great job making the characters relatable to the targeted female audience. The tension continued to build on itself throughout the last two-thirds of the book, and I found myself staying up late into the night so I could read just one more chapter.  There was quite a bit of violence, but I never felt as if it was unnecessary or just thrown in for the shock value.  Everything that happened to this group of friends advanced the plot and kept me turning the pages. If you're looking for a page-turning summer read, you could certainly do much worse than The River at Night.

My Rating: ★★★★☆