Book Review: Wild River 

By Rodman Philbrick 

4 Stars 

Wild River by Rodman Philbrick is one of many from The Wild series. In this book, Daniel is on a river rafting trip sponsored by the famous inventor, Bryon James, when he wakes in the middle of the night to a flood. The dam has broken, causing massive waves to sweep the campsite away. His counsellors are gone, and soon it's just him and his peers. Together, they must find a way to survive, but that proves to be rather difficult when they run into problems such as low supplies, steep ravines, and arguments that cause them to often differ rather than work together. 

Along with these problems, they must handle nature's challenges and the growing tension and doubt between the group. Throughout the book, they attempt to head through the mountains in hopes that safety is waiting for them on the other side. The storyline explores themes such as loss, survival, and trust.   

I originally chose this novel because I like books based on real events of surviving real-world scenarios. I also thought the cover art was pretty neat.  As someone who is invested in a lot of survival-related media, I especially enjoyed this one because of the suspenseful cliffhangers and plot twists in each chapter. I found myself frequently wondering if the group could see past their differences and how they would make it down the river.  If you enjoy the I Survived books, you might like Philbrick's The Wild series, since they both hold themes of natural disaster and survival. If you do read the book and decide you like it, Philbrick has multiple others you can choose from, such as Wildfire and his latest edition to The Wild series, Wild Wave. Wildfire is similar to Wild River, following twelve-year-old Sam on his way to summer camp when a sudden forest fire breaks out during the bus evacuation. Now stuck in the deep forest, Sam must rely on skills learned from his father. 

Reviewed by Aryana 

View in Library Catalogue: Print