Downriver
- Book Review,
by Will Hobbs
From Publishers Weekly
Abandoning a wilderness education program, a group of teenagers set off on a challenging trek in this suspenseful adventure yarn. Ages 12-up. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-- Eight problem kids (four boys, four girls, high school age) have been sent to a camp called Discovery Unlimited where they are to meet problems, make responsible decisions, and develop as adults. "Hoods in the Woods" the kids call themselves. Action occurs in the outback of southwestern Colorado and northern Arizona as Al, their adult leader, programs the group first to climb Storm King Peak (which nearly results in fatalities) and then to raft the white water of the San Juan River. The Hoods decide rafting the Colorado River will be wilder; so they steal Al's van and equipment, drive to the put-in at Lee's Ferry, sneak past the park rangers, inflate their rafts, and seven embark--one deserts. Rafting the wild Colorado is heady but difficult and dangerous. Misadventures develop the kids, but also breed disasters. So when the rangers capture the group near Havasu Creek, not all resent the rescue. The book is exquisitely plotted, with nail-biting suspense and excitement. Jean Craighead George's River Rats (Dutton, 1979; o.p.) is similar but lacks such intricate development of characters and interpersonal relationships. --George Gleason, Department of English, Southwest Missouri State University, SpringfieldCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From AudioFile
Alarmed by changes in her behavior and choice of friends, Jessie's father sends her to a wilderness survival school for troubled youth. But the rebellious teens elude their guide, steal the rafting gear and set off to tackle the wild river of the Grand Canyon on their own. Christina Moore reads with expressiveness and energy, providing each teen character with a distinctive voice, tinged by ethnic, urban or regional accents. She less ably conveys emotional honesty with the adult male roles and veers toward stereotyping with New Age flower child Star. But teens won't mind; they'll plunge into the excitement of the river-rafting and the psychological power plays, enjoying the suspense of the tale and the personalities of characters given added vitality by Moore's narration. D.M.L. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine
Book Description
No adults, no permit, no river map. Just some "borrowed" gear from Discovery Unlimited, the outdoor education program Jessie and her new companions have just ditched. Jessie and the others are having the time of their lives floating beneath sheer red walls, exploring unknown caves and dangerous waterfalls, and plunging through the Grand Canyon's roaring rapids. No one, including Troy, who emerges as the group's magnetic and ultimately frightening leader, can forsee the challenges and conflicts.What will be the consequences of their reckless adventure?
Card catalog description
Fifteen-year-old Jessie and the other rebellious teenage members of a wilderness survival school team abandon their adult leader, hijack his boats, and try to run the dangerous white water at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
From the Inside Flap
No adults, no permit, no river map. Just some "borrowed" gear from Discovery Unlimited, the outdoor education program Jessie and her new companions have just ditched. Jessie and the others are having the time of their lives floating beneath sheer red walls, exploring unknown caves and dangerous waterfalls, and plunging through the Grand Canyon's roaring rapids. No one, including Troy, who emerges as the group's magnetic and ultimately frightening leader, can forsee the challenges and conflicts.
What will be the consequences of their reckless adventure?
About the Author
Will Hobbs is the award-winning author of several novels, including the Avon titles Bearstone, Kokopelli's Flute, and Far North, and the American Library Association has recognized four of Will's novels as Best Books for Young Adults. His novel Downriver was chosen as one of the ALA's 100 Best of the Best Books of the past 25 years. Winner of the California Young Reader Medal, Downriver was an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists. Downriver has been nominated for state awards in Texas, Utah, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington. Hobbs lived in many places during his youth, including Alaska, Texas and California. He and his wife, Jean, now live in the mountains outside of Durango, Colorado. Downriver and River Thunder draw heavily on Hobbs' own experience rafting down the Colorado and also demonstrate his tremendous love of and respect for nature.
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