Genre: Adventure/ Suspense
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Pub. Date: April 2, 2024

The book’s blurb compares Matt Riordan to Jack London. Indeed, there are similarities between “Call of the Wild” and “The North Line.” In the 1990s, Adam, a college student needing quick money, finds work on an Alaskan commercial fishing boat in the unforgiving Bering Sea, which sits at the edge of the world. The author will make you feel the strong winds, freezing temperatures, and icy waters. I learned that these combinations make for some of the most ferocious waves on the planet, where the water can rise and fall 30 feet on a typical day. The vivid authenticity of the writing is superb. I was surprised that this book is the author’s debut novel.

Although his thumbnail is ripped off on his first day, Adam finds that day’s adventure and labor exhilarating. He also enjoys crude comradery with his crewmembers, feeling they possess hard-earned knowledge. However, Adam is thrown into a despicable fight when a fisherman’s strike threatens the entire season. By the novel’s end, Adam will no longer have teeth and no longer resemble the college student he once was.

“Some lines should not be crossed, even at the ragged edge of civilization.” The surprise ending seems to say survival of the fittest is cruel. This novel is recommended (even if you know nothing about commercial fishing for a living, as I didn’t). It would be best to go in knowing you will be fascinated and repulsed simultaneously.

A gritty and immersive thriller with a stunning sense of place. Perfect for fans of The Deadliest Catch, S.A. Cosby, and Sebastian Junger.

OMG! What an awesome and exciting book! Don't hesitate to get this and start reading it. I want to read it again! What a debut to start your writing career with. How I loved the ending also! To start off with you may think it's slow but worth every minute to me as I learned a lot of how Ocean fishing works! Such a hard job and not only thrilling but very dangerous. The entire book pretty much keeps to the boat and ocean in the story and you may even get sea sick yourself! I am so happy I got to read it, thank you and highly recommend to all.

3.5 Stars, rounded up

Imagine you're facing your final year of college. You've lost your free-ride scholarship. What would you do?

Although Adam knows nothing about the fishing industry, he's desperate to earn the $26,000.00 he needs for his tuition. This leads to his decision to join an Alaskan fishing crew that promises quick money. Adam is shocked to find he find he likes the challenge of the dangerous work and harsh lifestyle. He's witnessing a whole new side of himself!

The North Line is a riveting and graphic look into the fishing industry. I found it to be a well-written book, although I may never eat fish again...

Many thanks to both #HyperionAvenue and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The North Line The expected publication date is April 2, 2024.

College student Adam is in a bind and needs to get money together quick so he joins the crew of an Alaskan fishing boat in the unforgiving Bering Sea. There, the dangerous work and harsh lifestyle teaches him a lesson about his true self and he realizes he maybe isn’t the person that he thought he was living his life off at college.. He soon realizes that the hard work of catching fish excites him and has him second guessing where he thought his life was headed for him only to have it almost taken away from due to a strike that could shut down his whole first season and with that strike comes a whole other wave of danger and violence…

I really enjoyed this book.. I could honestly picture the characters and setting vividly due to the authors descriptions. I enjoyed the characters and the story line. It had me waiting for something big to happen…I felt like he did a good job of describing what it entails to be a deckhand and captain on a boat and what it takes to make a living as a fisherman. He didn’t sugar coat it and make it seem like it was an easy job that just anybody could go out and do it.

I did however find myself having to go back and read sections because I sometimes felt it jumped from one thing right to the next and I would feel like I missed something.. It did feel like it dragged on quite a bit to get to point. The ending was a surprise but kind of a let down.. I would have loved to been given a little more to see what came of what happens with not only of Adam but also Nash and Cole.It was however a great read and I look forward to reading more off Matt Riordan’s books.

In need of money, Adam books himself a flight out to the coast to join the crew of a fishing boat in the Bearing Sea. As Adam learns the ropes- literally and figuratively- a strike begins, and he starts to observe cutthroat dynamics amongst his crew and the others. To make the money he needs, Adam will have to navigate the sea and the business.

I really enjoyed the way this book jumped right into the action. I loved the way the author described the environment and the job in a way that makes you feel like you're there in the thick of it. It's a physically brutal job and the personal challenges on top of the work build a major challenge for a newcomer. I did find that the middle of the book dragged quite a bit. The idea of the strike is introduced very early, but push doesn't really come to shove until the last 1/4th of the book. Things to pick up and get going for that last 1/4th though, I couldn't put it down, and the very end escalated quickly and left me pretty surprised.

The only thing I noted was that the age and/or setting was a little confusing. I started reading the book as if it was set present-day, and nothing really betrayed that (no cell phones or recreational high-tech stuff on board anyway so I guess time doesn't come up a lot) and since Adam was a college kid I got a little confused when Adam says he was born in 1968. So I guess this book is actually set in the late 80's/early 90's? I don't think it had any impact on the plot I was just surprised.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book and thought it was especially amazing since it's a debut. I would definitely read more from this author!

Five star review!!
In "The North Line," Matt Riordan delivers a captivating tale set against the unforgiving backdrop of Alaska's Bering Sea. Through the eyes of protagonist Adam, readers are thrust into a world where survival depends on more than just physical endurance—it demands a reckoning with one's own identity.
As Adam joins a fishing crew in pursuit of quick money, he discovers that the harsh environment strips away all illusions, leaving only raw truth. Riordan's vivid prose vividly captures the brutal beauty of the Alaskan wilderness and the gritty existence of those who inhabit it.
But "The North Line" is more than a survival story; it's a profound exploration of human resilience and the quest for self-discovery. With richly drawn characters and powerful themes, Riordan crafts a gripping narrative that lingers in the mind long after the final page.
This a masterful novel that seamlessly blends adventure, introspection, and hope. Riordan's debut is not to be missed—a riveting journey into the heart of the wild, and the depths of the human spirit.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I am giving this four stars, but it's more like 3.5 rounded up. The book is an exciting adventure where, strangely enough, not much really happens in terms of plot. College student Adam must earn some quick money to return to school, so he ventures to Alaska to get on a fishing boat. The writing is beautiful (profanities aside), but maybe a little too dense with description and detail about the fishing industry and the rough characters who try to make money at it. Despite the fact that I found that aspect becoming more and more tedious with no end in sight, I did enjoy Adam and his cohorts. If high adventure on the cold Alaskan sea excites you, you will love this book and certainly learn a lot about boats in the process. Matt Riordan is on my radar. Recommended.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

At first I thought the book was a coming of age story set in an extremely difficult environment fishing for Herring and Salmon in the Bering Sea. All the main characters were extremely well drawn and believable.
The descriptions of Adam, Nash, and Cole and the villain owner of the boats- Kaid- as they broke with the strike were frightening.
As it turned out it was a thriller.. The last 20 pages were beyond what I saw coming and the ending lacked full closure with the main characters. I guess the reader can imagine various different endings depending on how one chooses to deal with the question of fairness in the world ….. particularly among this group of fisherman who have already compromised their morals.
I will remember this book for a long time and it would make a great movie.

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue publishing and NetGalley for this arc!
If you love the show Deadliest Catch then this is the novel for you!! Big open, deadly sea, rough men risking their lives to catch fish to make money just to survive. It was exciting and the depth of the characters were really well developed. While not everything in this book was suited for me, I still really enjoyed the adventure!

UNBELIEVABLE!
In this very manly novel you will be completely immersed in the world of cold, arctic fishing during and Alaskan summer. Maybe you too thought for a moment that working in Alaska would be an easy way to pay for college? I think people my age remember reading ads or hearing stories. Matt Riordan is here to tell the tale - it ain't easy.

Adam is a college student who has fallen from grace and needs to make up the difference of a lost scholarship. He follows up on a lead and a favor and finds himself in Alaska joining a summer fishing boat with little knowledge nor skill. He may not have realized that the fisherman have very little food, very little sleep and no showering during the season... but he will learn, and so will we.

Join Adam as he counts on his own gut and athleticism to power him through something that does not seem humanly possible. A nightmare that keeps going - work that is back breaking, literally bone break and never ending for a boss that he simply cannot trust. When he is pushed to his very limit he needs to make a choice - what would you do?

This novel is so good, I cannot believe it is a debut! I would love to know more, I would like to go back - mind you, I never EVER want to fish or live on a boat like that but I would like to read on as someone else pushes their limits. Simply Amazing!
#hyperion #thenorthline #mattriordan

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Good read. Adam's focus was "The money— that was his North Star." But there was so much more to fishing on the Bering Sea than just fishing.

3.75☆

“You know what I regret most in my whole life?”
“What’s that?”
“Everything I ever did for the money.”

I love books set in Alaska and I love supporting debut authors!

Adam can make you believe just about anything; he even lies to himself! It’s not until he’s forced to experience the danger and harsh reality of life on the unforgiving Bering Sea that Adam comes face to face with himself.

Adam got caught selling ecstasy pills at a Supertramp concert and lost his lacrosse scholarship. He discovered that with a drug conviction, he doesn’t qualify for financial aid. In a desperate attempt to raise $26,000 in three months to pay for his senior year, he’s forced to head to Alaska where he’s heard he can make this kind of money in a short time.

He’s a greenhorn.

Hired on the run-down Miami Vice herring trawler, Adam is quickly submerged in the life of a fisherman as Captain Nash and deckhand Cole take him under their wing. When the trawler catches fire and they are forced to sell their catch to ensure their safety, it’s just the beginning of the trials he experiences.

To say that this is not what Adam expected is putting it mildly. However, it’s just what he needs. Adam learns to endure hardships rather than run away from challenges. He also learns what it means to dig in and do what it takes to become who he wants to be. In short, Alaska makes him a man.

I was riveted. I should have been more prepared for the colourful language as it was a shock at first. I overlooked it as I was hooked in the story. I appreciated a chance to learn about something I knew very little about and came away with a fresh appreciation for all those who do this for a living.

I was gifted this copy by Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This well-written novel provides a vivid glimpse of a world I didn’t know that much about.

Adam lost his lacrosse scholarship at the end of his junior year after he’s busted for a side hustle that was less than legal—the scholarship pays tuition, but that’s not the only expense a college student has. Even though Adam isn’t super excited about some sort of office job awaiting him, if he doesn’t graduate, he’ll be back with all the other losers in his hometown he’s desperately trying to escape. He needs a lot of money to pay his own tuition, so when the opportunity to work on a commercial fishing boat arises, he seizes it. There is a very clear bad guy in this novel, and every other character is not exactly a villain or a victim, but as the story goes on, it gets more and more harrowing. The description of the physical and emotional cost of reeling fish in—you only have a limited window of opportunity—is gruesome. It’s suspenseful in a unique way from suspense novels.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this book, which RELEAESES APRIL2, 2024.

surprising and unique thriller, not very much typical in any way shape anad form, te fishing is well done. thanks for the arc.

This was an incredible read. Adam needs to raise $26,000 in order to pay for his last year of college himself after he loses his athletic scholarship due to his own stupidity. He has a friend who gets him in touch with a man who can get him a job on a fishing boat in Alaska, where some good and quick money can be made during the brief herring and salmon fishing season.

The description of the fishing was amazing. I cannot even fathom doing something like this and I will never eat salmon again without thinking about this book. This is a job that would try any mans patience and stamina.

The owner of the boats he works on is not a nice man and the price to pay may not be worth it. I could not put this book down and you will not be able to either.

My thanks to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the ARC. I really appreciate it.

Matt Riordan does a great job in writing this book, it had everything that I enjoyed from a debut novel. It had a element of fear that I really enjoyed reading this and always think the Sea is a terrifying place. I loved how it felt like a feel of Jack London and had that survival feel to it. I could see the personal experience in this book and thought it was a great story overall.

The North Line by Matt Riordan
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
When Adam loses his full ride scholarship due to a poor decision in his Junior Year at Danby, he finds that he needs to come up with the money on his own to pay for his final year, and he want to pay cash before the year starts. A friend tells him about her uncle who owns some fishing boats in Alaska that will help him earn the cash. Upon arriving in Alaska, he is setup with a small crew to fish Herring. The short season promises him money but for a lot of work wrought with danger. He soon finds himself drawn in to the adventure, work and comradery. When a strike threatens to end the season before it even begins, Adam and his newfound friends, find themselves in a war between crews and even each other.

AMAZING!!! This suspense thriller is one to start early on a day you have nothing going on, because once you pick it up, you will want to read straight through. I loved the idea behind this one but had no idea how quickly and deeply I would become immersed in the story of Adam and the route he took to make his life go on from his mistakes. Adam showed just how far someone motivated enough to persevere through a difficult situation is willing to go. The only issue for the entire book for me was a few questions that I would have loved to have answered before it was all over. Easily my favorite of the 94 I've read this year.

Upon finishing this book, I could only say “wow”. I started this expecting a mystery/thriller about the sea, maybe even a locked-room mystery (which I’m actually getting a little tired of). I wouldn’t call this a mystery or a thriller. It was thrilling and suspenseful, but not a typical thriller. That doesn’t matter though - this is a fantastic book!

Adam is an Ivy League lacrosse player, who was caught selling party drugs on campus. They are allowing him to finish his senior year, but his lacrosse scholarship? Gone. If he wants to return, he has to pay for it himself…to the tune of $26,000.

Through a mutual connection, he soon finds himself on the shore of the Bering Sea, waiting for a fishing boat to pick him up. He is going out on the ocean to play a little “Deadliest Catch”, because he can’t think of any other way to make the kind of money he needs over his summer break. That’s when we get into the story, and learn about this industry right along with Adam.

I know a book about a college kid doing some extreme fishing may not sound too exciting, but this was a fascinating book. Not only were the characters great, it was really cool to learn more about these kind of fishers and how the business side works. You have to be able to get your hands dirty, in more ways than one, to be successful at the job. People don’t risk their lives every year to make friends, they do it to make money. Mess with the money, and things can get choppy on the high seas.

I thought the ending was smart and unexpected, but also a little bit of a letdown as it was just a few pages and left a few questions. That’s my only complaint about this dramatic and exciting story, as the rest was amazing. 4.5 stars, rounded up for being an incredible debut!

(Thank you to Hyperion Avenue, Matt Riordan and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on April 2, 2024.)

This book made me take a step back and look at life with a totally new perspective. I am not sure I would truly call this book a mystery/thriller, but it was definitely suspenseful. I did not at all see the ending coming, and at the same time, I loved it. I was actually shocked that I was on the last page and it was over. A poignant portrayal of life at see, this novel evoked deep thinking and feeling. It is not the type of book I would usually read, but I highly recommend a story like this to get a perspective on the struggles some people face to make a living.