River Thunder

By:

Synopsis
The cast from Downriver (Atheneum, 1991) has been asked to work as interns by "Discovery Unlimited" owner Al, rejoining him for a raft trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Their joyful reunion at the launch site is stressed almost to the breaking point when they find out that Troy, the manipulative, buffed, bad boy who nearly sank their earlier escapade, has bankrolled this trip, and that Al is not involved at all. Setting aside misgivings about Troy's duplicity, they row off, settling into a realistic rhythm of river work, problem solving, play, and stress management. The characters are interesting individuals who have changed in mostly positive ways since their first trip together. Jessie gains confidence and knowledge with each challenge. Troy's problems escalate with the rising level of the water, and it's gradually revealed that he has stalked Jessie throughout the previous summer, obsessed with making his fantasy of a relationship with her take shape. The climactic resolution with Troy comes just before they plummet through Lava Falls, which, if predictably plotted, is thrillingly told. The culture of the commercial canyon runners is aptly described. From the raft-eating big drop on the cover to the author's informative note at the end, the vivid descriptions deliver high-volume excitement sure to entice many readers into booking a ride on any subsequent sequels.
Copyright:
1997

Book Details

Book Quality:
Excellent
Book Size:
203 Pages
ISBN-13:
9780385323161
Publisher:
Random House
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Will Hobbs
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Children's Books, Literature and Fiction
Grade Levels:
Seventh grade, Eighth grade, Ninth grade, Tenth grade, Eleventh grade, Twelfth grade
Submitted By:
Anastasia S.
Proofread By:
Grandma Cindy
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

Reviews

5 out of 5

By on

As the long synopsis says, this is a sequel to Downriver, but it isn't necessary to have read that to enjoy this. The story, in my opinion, is less about the interactions of the older teens and their friends, and how they mature, though that perhaps was the author's intent, as it is about Colorado river-rafting in the Grand Canyon. The challenges of every rapid and whirlpool and falls are met; cooperation among the group and between groups they meet on the way; the dangers; the thought processes as how to best meet each challenge--it may not sound interesting but it was fascinating and exciting, and I was sorry when the book ended. I'm almost ready to sign up for a rafting trip myself.