The River (Heller) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Heller explores human relationships buffeted by outside forces in his suspenseful latest.… [W]ith its evocative descriptions of nature’s splendor and brutality, Heller… beautifully depicts the powers that can drive humans apart—and those that compel them to return repeatedly to one another.
Publishers Weekly


★ Using an artist's eye to describe Jack and Wynn's wilderness world, Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist Heller has transformed his own outdoor experiences into a heart-pounding adventure that's hard to put down. —Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Grand Junction, CO
Library Journal


Heller once again chronicles life-or-death adventure with empathy for the natural world and the characters who people it. He writes most mightily of the boys’ friendship and their beloved, uncompromising wilderness, depicting those layers of life that lie far beyond what is more commonly seen.
Booklist


★ Heller has such a solid grasp of nature (both human and the outdoors) that the storytelling feels fresh and affecting. [He] speaks soberly to the random perils of everyday living. An exhilarating tale delivered with the pace of a thriller and the wisdom of a grizzled nature guide.
Kirkus Reviews


★ Peter Heller has struck gold again.… Masterly paced and artfully told, The River is a page-turner that demands the reader slow down…  [It thrills as Heller invites his characters to confront their own mortality without losing sight of the deep connections between humans and their environment. —Lauren Bufferd
BookPage