My take on: The River at Night

Four friends head off for a little fun and a little adventure. Sounds like a good idea right? But what if that weekend getaway turned into a nightmare? Stripped of all your worldly possessions, food, and water, what would you do to survive? Is it every man, woman, and child for themselves? Or would you find some way to rely on each other?

That's the scenario Wini, Pia, Sandra, and Rachel, are facing in The River at Night by Erica Ferencik.

In the past, Wini, Pia, Sandra, and Rachel went for the typical girls getaway: beaches, sun, sand, and alcohol. Thanks to Pia's adventurous spirit, the tropics have been replaced with a camping and rafting trip. In the midst of a divorce, Wini is reluctant to rough it out in the woods. And Pia's plan, isn't exactly well thought out. Which I found a bit odd for modern women. But of course they all go, otherwise there would be no point to this book.

The trip starts out fine. They trek from their big-city lives to a small town in Maine, where some of the locals aren't so welcoming. But their young river guide, Rory, makes up for that. He and Pia clearly have a lot of mutual affection, much to the chagrin of Wini, Sandra, and Rachel. Sometimes the lovebirds don't seem to realize not everyone wants to see and hear their lust for each other, leading to a lot of tension in the group. But all of that has to be put aside once they venture out on the river. Rory makes it clear that all of the bickering has to stop once they're in the water. The surging rapids are in charge and everyone will have to listen and work together.

What should be a unique experience for Wini, Pia, Sandra, and Rachel becomes a fight for survival. A freak accident leaves the four women alone with nothing but their helmets and the clothes on their backs to survive. It's at this point where the book comes alive for me. It was a little slow for me and I was waiting for the hook. For the suspense. The closest comparisons I can think of to this book are the movies Deliverance and The River Wild. In both movies, everything starts out sunshine and roses and then everything turns to %&*^ (insert your four-letter word of choice)!!

There are moments when I thought these women would turn on each other. Who do they trust? Themselves? The woods? Or two mysterious strangers who might have ulterior motives? I won't go into detail on that one, I think that would be giving away too much. Anyway you slice it, these women will never be the same after this trip. If they do survive, how can they go back to normal life after such a traumatic experience?

The wilderness and the river are like extra characters, every time the women venture into both it threatens to consume them literally and figuratively. There are moments when all of them feel like giving up. Just let the elements take them. But just when you think they're at their lowest points they come back. At its core, this is about friendship and learning who you are when everything has been taken away. It's a suspenseful and enjoyable read.

Rating: Superb

Note: I received an e-galley from Wunderkind PR in exchange for an honest review.