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Library | Material Type | Item Barcode | Shelf Number | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library | Teen Fiction Book Hardback | 120791001985088 | T BEA | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Veronica Severance feels cut off from the world. Forced to move from the city to rural Oregon with her parents, she is haunted by loneliness and by the chilling sounds of the Santiam, the river that runs through her backyard.
Through the fog of isolation, Ronnie finds herself becoming close with Karen, a young girl who she babysits. But when she discovers Karen's body on the banks of the Santiam, the victim of a supposed accident, Ronnie feels compelled to uncover the truth.
As she becomes increasingly obsessed with solving Karen's death, Ronnie is led deeper and deeper into the woods surrounding the river and to the dark secret hidden within its midst.
The River is a darkly atmospheric story of murder, isolation, obsession and dark secrets that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8-10-Veronica Severance misses Starbucks, shopping, and school, but her mom's Patchwork Inn is a local hit and the rest of her family seems to be flourishing since their move to rural Oregon. Miserable, Ronnie finds comfort in two things-running and her young neighbor, Karen, for whom she babysits. The 10-year-old is an inquisitive explorer who can turn the most mundane task into an adventure. Despite their differences, the two become fast friends. Then Karen's body is found in the river and Ronnie is left alone and lost. Struggling to understand her place in this new world, she sets out to discover what happened to the child and learns that the darkness of the city might not be so far away after all. Beaufrand has written an engaging mystery, but the story's real strength and beauty come from the healing nature of family and unexpected friendships. Teens will easily empathize with Ronnie's displacement, but hopefully will learn the same lesson: sometimes the things we want aren't the things we need.-Terri Clark, Smoky Hill Library, Centennial, CO (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Stuck in the boonies, light years from a Starbucks, teenager Ronnie Severance misses her old life...the way things used to be. Before her father's breakdown. Before her mom moved the family from the city to a podunk town where "the boredom was enough to make a person want to learn to appreciate watery beer and date a guy who chewed Skoal." The only upside to life in Hoodoo, Oregon, is Ronnie's ten-year-old neighbor, Karen. A precocious explorer whom Ronnie likens to Sacajawea, Karen acts as the lonely teenager's guide, introducing her to the wild beauty of rural Oregon and the Santiam River. When Ronnie finds Karen's body in the river and learns that she was murdered, the heartbroken teen systematically scours the Santiam and its banks for clues: "a larger footprint, a casually dropped match. Something that would ignite the whole town and light the way to what really happened." Beaufrand has a knack for scene-setting, and her characters are nicely realized; even Karen, who mostly appears in flashbacks, is fully drawn. Plenty of suspense and a good guy/bad guy romantic subplot make for a riveting read. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
"Run, Ronnie, run," whispers the river. And Ronnie runs. Daily, long-distance jogs help her come to terms with her father's psychological crisis, the sudden addition of two foster siblings and the family's abrupt transition from city-dwellers to country innkeepers. Running helps Ronnie cope, and she looks forward to it until the day her carefree run turns into a mad dash for help. In desperation, Ronnie runs to the Ranger's office to report the discovery of her young friend Karen's body in the river. Ronnie has to run yet again, this time for her life, when she crosses the path of some dangerous criminals as she searches for clues about what happened to Karen. In insightful and often surprisingly funny prose, Beaufrand presents the search for Karen's killer, interspersing it with Ronnie's memories of special times she enjoyed with Karen. Supporting characters, including Ronnie's troubled friend Gretchen and foster brother/potential boyfriend Toms, are not fleshed out as much as one might hope, but the story is really about Ronnie, and she feels entirely real. Compelling. (Suspense. YA) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Following her father's emotional breakdown, Veronica moves with her family from Portland to tiny Hoodoo, Oregon, where her parents open an inn. Her father's condition improves and her mother, a celebrity chef, is just fine, thank you. But Ronnie is bereft, unable to get over all the things she's left behind in the big city. And then the young girl she's been babysitting dies an accidental drowning, the authorities think, but Ronnie's not so sure and sets out to investigate. Beaufrand does a nice job of building suspense and integrating a gradually developing romance that surprises Ronnie and will satisfy readers. Less rewarding is the gradual unraveling of the plot and an ending that is at once predictable and anticlimactic. Nevertheless, the characters are appealing, the setting is well realized, and there is more than enough suspense to satisfy most mystery fans.--Cart, Michael Copyright 2010 Booklist