The River at Night is a roller-coaster ride through white water rafting in the beautiful state of Maine. It's a physiological thriller that I'm sure if it was a movie I would have been covering my face several times throughout.

It is written in first person from the point of view of Wini who is not an adventure/outdoors person but her friends talk her into taking this trip. She should have not things were going to go badly. The poor girl.

This is a thriller in every sense of the word so If that's your kind of book, pick up The River at Night today!!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.

WOW! This book blew me away! The pervasive sense of dread leading up to the action packed climax had me reeling! I couldn't sleep because I wanted to finish this book. The characters are real and relatable; we all know someone like each of them. This made it painful when something happened to put them in danger - you actually care!! The setting is a character in itself and MAN what a character! The reader feels RIGHT THERE.... you experience every moment with the characters as if you're one of them. It was terrifying. I will NOT be camping anytime soon!!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
I find myself foolishly agonizing over whether to give this book 2 or 3 stars. Ended up with 3 because it was not unreadable and parts were interesting. The author appears to have some knowledge of white water rafting as the parts about rafting were very good. Overall, I found the plot contrived and not believable. I was not in love with the characters. They were not fully developed and not very likable. Midlife crisis chick lit that just never really took off.

Blasé almost in predictability, not a narrative I'd recommend ahead of similar more neatly crafted ones in this genre.

This is the book that you read and realize that you are holding your breath and reading as fast as you can. It will infiltrate your dreams.

So very sorry, I requested this by mistake. I mixed up the title with another book and this isn't my cup of tea, I wouldn't do it justice.

Thank you for the opportunity, again sorry for the mix up

A tension filled gal pal adventure-gone-wrong — a sort of “Deliverance” for the new millennium. Note to self: do not go whitewater rafting.

The following review appeared on my blog on January 13, 2017:

There's no doubt that Winifred Allen needs a vacation. Grieving both the loss of her brother and the end of her marriage, the 39-year-old could use a break. An extreme river rafting adventure isn't quite what she had in mind, but when her BFFs suggest it for an upcoming girl's trip, Wini can't talk her way out of going. Reluctantly, she joins her three besties as they head into Maine's Allagash Wilderness.

Wini's concern grows when she meets the river guide, 20-year-old college student Rory Ekhart. He's nice to look at, sure, but does he know what he's doing? It's not long before they find out. A freak accident leaves the group stranded in the woods. Soon, they're struggling to survive—against nature, each other, and a host of other dangers lurking in the wilderness. Can they all make it out alive? Or will their gal pal adventure mean the end of their friendship forever?

I enjoy a good man vs. nature survival story where ordinary people have to dig deep for the will to survive an extraordinary situation. The River at Night, a debut novel by Erica Ferencik, tells just such a story. Naturally, it's an exciting, fast-paced adventure tale full of twists and turns, danger and drama. Yes, it's far-fetched—I mean, would a group of inexperienced middle-aged women really sign up for an extreme, week-long outdoor adventure led by a kid they know little about? And what is the likelihood that everything would go wrong pretty much right from the start? Well, it makes for a thrilling story, anyway. In the end, I didn't love The River at Night, but it did keep me engrossed and guessing—two hallmarks of a good, gripping page turner.

(Readalikes: I can't think of any specific books, but The River at Night did remind me of the movie The River Wild)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language, violence, blood/gore, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The River at Night from the generous folks at Scout Press/Simon and Schuster via those at Wunderkind PR and NetGalley. Thank you!

This book wasn't what I expected. Overall, I enjoyed the story & premise of friends getting together for "girl time"... but the violence implied and written about was kind of hard to read. However, that being said, I couldn't put the book down & stayed up all night reading the book. Must read book if you enjoy being on the edge of your seat & not wanting to stop until you get to the end.

This was a fast-paced and scary story. I really liked it a lot and I got swept into the story right away.

Do you know the feeling of the river's swell against your body, even when you've been out of it for hours? Chafed the skin under your arms and thighs on the inner tube? Felt the panic when the river separated you from your family or friends, taking you on a separate current, leaving you falling behind? Then get ready and pack your Dramamine because this story's going to take you on a sick ride.

Even in the beginning, our narrator Winnie's account of the group dynamics and the planned trip gave me a bad feeling. Even her gut instinct kept telling her to bail. However, their friend Pia was like a mystical pied piper, luring Winnie, Rachel, and Sandra into following her even when they all doubted her. It was like riding a rollercoaster of fear and pride because no one wanted to be the one to turn down her down. It was like she bullied them into accepting a dare.

Just like my friend Liz says: "You know if you don't come we'll talk about you."

Their ramshackle accommodations and Pia's increasing infatuation with their twenty-year-old guide Rory was irritating. But things quickly got worse, and before they knew it, they were fighting the river and the elements just to get out alive. There are worse things out there in the beautiful Maine wilderness than bears.

A fast-paced explosive read that will leave you feeling like you were in the storm with them. Great book! Thanks

Wini, Pia, Rachel, and Sandra have always taken trips together, but white water rafting is a new one for them. At Pia's insistence, the four women are heading off on a five day trip that'll be packed with camping, hiking, and rafting - on a river very few have the opportunity to ride. And in spite of her many reservations, Wini agrees to go.

Unfortunately, an accident on the river turns their vacation into a dangerous fight for survival.

Oh, Wini. You're something of a creature after my own heart. I am notorious amongst our friends for being a bit of a stick in the mud when it comes to outdoor activities. I'm not into camping at all and frankly I'm a bit too out of shape to really enjoy hiking. Nope, I'm happy at home with my books - where it's warm and not icky.

And that brings me to rafting and why my friends would hate that I even read this book. Our good friends are rafting guides! And they're constantly trying to get me out on the river! And it's one thing I might actually do - if we were canoeing the mellow Whiskey Chitto back home, that is.

So see, Wini and I are simpatico!

The River at Night begins with a bit of a Descent feeling to it. Which I loved! Pia is gung ho for the trip: Pia chose everything, including the guide (the son of her father's friend). And the fact that it's a river many don't raft (because of the access to a put-in, supposedly) is a big red flag for the reader. And then there's a weird run in with an area hunter before they arrive at their destination, emphasizing again the fact that almost no one rafts this river...

But it turns out the river may not be their biggest concern. With all kinds of beasties and creatures roaming the wilds of Maine, there's plenty for Wini to fear.

Things get off to a good start for the women. In spite of reservations, they're in high spirits and excited to spend time together. Of course things go downhill fast. Just one day into the trip, in fact.

I loved The River at Night! I thought it was a fabulous debut and absolutely great page-turning fun! The characters are fabulously drawn, as are the relationships between them. These are women who have known each other for over a decade - the best of friends - but as with all friends there's an underlying tension between them. I think Ferencik captures that well, illustrating the bonds and friction that make up close relationships. And while there's not much time to focus on each woman's background (it is a rather slim read - just under 300 pages - and there's the whole rafting trip gone wrong to focus on), I found that Ferencik did manage to inject quite a bit of detail (subtle and otherwise) about each of them and their histories. I felt comfortable with these women, like I knew them and knew them well!

Of course all of that adds to the overall experience of this read, and again it was a page-turning one. The story is packed with tension and action, enough so that I desperately wanted to finish in one sitting - I was close, up again and finishing at 5 am!

Favorite Quotes:

I slept caged in a dream of violence with no narrative, like a scrap of old film with only a few frames still visible.

She tended to marry well – divorce even better – but never seemed to truly settle into domestic peace.

I wondered how the sky could feel so vast at times, so alive with the complex narrative of clouds and sun, moon and stars; at others, so nothing, so commonplace and unremarkable. Was it because of where we were, or because I so seldom looked up?

Full on darkness, and all its terrors. I suddenly understood cultures that believed in demons and chimeras, werewolves and gollums. With no walls around us, no light or source of warmth, what besides the monstrous makes sense. Every sound was a beast.


My Review:

The River At Night was enthralling, smartly written, and hypnotically descriptive. Lushly detailed with words that painted each vivid scene to involve every one of my five senses. I not only experienced a movie reel running in my head – I could hear, feel, taste, and smell each item mentioned. It was magic. Ms. Ferencik is a master wordsmith with an arsenal of beautiful terms and a robust vocabulary that flowed and danced into an intriguing and compelling story. The writing was stellar, witty, deftly crafted, and often poetic, and at other times it crackled and popped with clever ironic observations and insights rife with underlying humor. Written from a first person POV, I either inhabited or was close beside Wini from beginning to end. I was there paddling along in the raft with them and saw the forest through her eyes, felt the coldness leech into her bones, and sensed her fear as well as the sorrows and losses that gripped her heart. I was transported. I just wish I could have been expending the same amount of calories as well.

4.25-4.5 STARS

Once a year, Wini and her 3 best friends--Rachel, Sandra & Pia--embark upon an adventurous girl’s trip at the prompting of the group’s “leader,” Pia. This year, Pia’s idea of “fun” is a white water rafting trip in a remote area of Maine. Although filled with trepidation, Wini pushes her fears aside, and reluctantly agrees to go.

Many of the rapids that the group will be traversing, can be treacherous at best. Luckily for them, their guide Rory, has navigated the rapids successfully several times before. Experienced and knowledgeable about the potential perils that the group might face, Rory is diligent in his guidance and instructions. But when the unforeseen suddenly occurs, the 4 women are left all alone, forced to overcome numerous obstacles in their search to find a way back home.

The very premise of the story was intriguing and enough to draw me in right from the start. I liked the concept of 4 women battling nature in their attempt to beat the odds. The characters were unique and diverse but not always likeable. In fact, some were downright annoying. But it was Wini that stood out amongst the rest. In both mind and spirit, Wini prevailed as the strongest of the group. While initially timid and unsure, ultimately, she dug deep and found her inner strength.

For more than half the book, I found the story thrilling and engaging. But then, suddenly, the story veered in another direction, taking a turn towards the absurd. What I initially thought would be a story of man vs nature, quickly turned into a story of man vs man. Still, I found “The River at Night” to be a unique and captivating read and one I would highly recommend.

Ok mystery but not special enough to spend a tight book budget on.

Scrappymags 3 word review: Run!!!!! (One word. Booooyah!)

Shortest Summary Ever: 4 friends in their 40's acquiesce to the pleadings of their girl-pack leader (the pretty one, of course) and embark on an Outward Bound-like white water rafting trip in Maine. Bad stuff goes down. That's pretty much the basics.

What's good under the hood: The dynamic of the friendships between the girls is massively relatable. I could easily picture my college gal-pal crew on an adventure like this, though regrettably, while I'm not the pretty one, an adventure like this sounds like one of my classic hair-brained ideas. Sorry girls. The bickering and grievances between the girls is dead-on; heck who hasn't had sister-like tiffs with their friends? This made me giggle as I could easily swap the book characters with my crew.

The River is a quick read, compact and would be a great audio book for in the car (unless you're on your way to a white water rafting trip). Sharply paced. Direct. Edge-of-your-seat moments though not too scary (again, unless you're about to go white water rafting). Definitely worth the read.

Highly recommended to: adventure seekers, female readers with a tight group of friends (book would 80% appeal to women I believe), those who like outdoor adventure or dream of it, those who want a quick escape book.

What's bad or made me mad: I actually wanted more. Not quite Deliverance more (that movie scarred me for life), but I wanted to be more terrified. The problem was I accidentally read a review that compared the book to Deliverance. I HATE that because I believe that's what set my expectation level and that made me think the absolute worst, so what ensued wasn't well.. that bad. I think the problem is that terror level would require a longer book which many authors (ok publishers) seem to avoid but I prefer intense and riveting more than quick and efficient. This book could have ruined my white-water rafting goals for life.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books for an advanced copy in exchange for this review.

"The thing is I don't mind the occasional twinge, because it takes me back there, to all that happened on that river in those woods, and reminds me that there are things that I should never forget. Not that I ever could."

Looking for a book that will keep you up past your bedtime? I just finished reading "The River at Night" and holy smokes, I couldn't put it down! This book is a suspenseful thrill ride and it surprised me in so many ways!

Suspenseful!

While reading "The River at Night", I immediately related to the narrator, Winifred. I'm not much of an outdoors-y type, and felt for her trepidation regarding the trip from the start. I was shocked by the complete lack of training and preparation that the characters in this book experienced prior to hitting the river. One of my reads in 2016, "Braving It" followed a father and daughter as they trained to spend time in Alaska, part of which included preparing for a canoeing trip. ( P.S. If you enjoy living vicariously through people doing outdoorsy things, I recommend this book!) The contrast between the months of preparation that the father/ daughter completed and the quick pep talk the girls in this book received from their guide, Rory- made me incredibly nervous for them- even though I knew full well that their trip would not go as planned! The author, Eric Ferencik, did such an amazing job building suspense throughout this book.

Dynamic Characters

I really enjoyed reading the characters Ferencik crafted in this novel. Each of the women on the trip is unique and struggles during their harrowing journey in their own way. I'm kind of *the worst* at confusing characters, jumbling them up and forgetting who is who, particularly when they are all female/ male etc. And I did not have that problem at all with this group. In the course of the novel, you meet several other characters in the woods, each of whom is just as interesting, and in some way unexpected, as the main group of characters. So hard to discuss without spoilers! - but be prepared from some hair raising twists!

It felt so real...

Part of the excellent feeling of suspense throughout the book, it just how real the setting feels! The thanks at the end of the book, includes a note by the author for the people of Maine whom she visited with during her time writing this book. It was clear that a lot of care went into the details of the river and the forest, and this comes through in a way that made me feel like I was right there with the characters!

" What did the mountains care about our plan to climb them, rafting the waters that divided them? They had eternity before us, and eternity after us. We were nothing to them."

Things I Felt Were A Little Off

I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it to another reader- but there were a couple of things that I felt were a little off. First, going back to my reading about other river canoeing preparations - who in their right mind would trust this guy, Rory, to take them down the river? I wish that there had been a tad more explanation there, because I found it hard to suspend my disbelief that much. Also, there is a weird inner monologue Winnie has about her friend's grappling with alcoholism that was bizarrely unfeeling and fairly rude that didn't fit for me with her character. The most frustrating part, however, was one of the character's concerns about the guide having a gun on the trip. Um, you're alone in the middle of the woods- concerned just moments ago about a bear- and you're going to give the guide a hard time about protecting the group?! Yeesh!

Girls Getaway - 4.5 stars...

I love outdoor adventure/survival stories so when I saw this one featured whitewater rafting in Maine I couldn't pass it up.

Four friends- Pia, Rachel, Sandra & Wini, all in their mid 30s, are fed up with their current lives and just need a break to have some serious girl fun. Pia, the daring, adventerous ringleader thinks they should all go on a 5-day whitewater rafting trip down a very secluded river with no public access that's owned by a friend of her father's; and where she leads they follow.

When an accident happens on their second day on the water though, their 'girls getaway' takes a very different turn. But that's only the beginning of their nightmare, someone out there doesn't want them to get-a-way at all...

I got so engrossed in this story and the outdoor, off-the-grid setting, I read right through to 91% before I even came up for air! So I would say it was definitely a page turner with just the right amount of suspense and action. There was a bit of girl drama though as the girls emotions were frayed and put to the test. I'm usually never a fan of drama, real or fictional, but this wasn't over the top and I felt like most was actually inherent to the story.

There was also a little bit of humor in the story and I found myself laughing at a few parts, especially the witty snipes that occurred during and after the sex scene on the first night camping at the river. That was hilarious! I think most people have been there before and can appreciate the similarities. I don't want to spoil the scene so I'm not going to go into any details, you'll have just read it.

I thought the ending especially with the 'mother' left a little room for maybe a possible sequel. If there ever is a second book, I would definitely like to read it. I also thought the story would make a great movie and would love to see it in the theater.

First of all, I just want to say that these women are totally cray cray. White water rafting with a guide who has only done it five times? Ummm, heck no.

The story, absolutely thrilling. I just could not put this book down. It definitely had me mesmerized and my heart beat rising. The things that these four women went through were just hold your breath, keep on reading and see what happens. I mean you lose your guide and your raft halfway through your trip and your lost out in the middle of nowhere. The author does a very good job of putting in the plot twists and really making it seem real.

I definitely enjoyed reading this book and was thoroughly entertained and still feel my pulse racing. If your into thrillers, I think you would find this one right up your alley.

Huge thanks to Gallery Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Recently divorced, burned out, overworked and unhappily married… descriptors for Win, Pia, Rachel and Sandra, respectively. Four longtime friends travel together yearly. Although all of their trips are a little out of the ordinary, this one is different. Leave it to Pia to seek adventure that takes them to a highly secluded area with a guide that has a questionable past. Factor in their lack of knowledge when it comes to whitewater rafting and what you have is potential chaos.
The River at Night by Erica Ferencik is a fast paced read with interesting characters and a lot of unexpected twists and turns (both in the water and out). The action and suspense are fabulous, but what I found even more fascinating was the focus on friendship. The women in the novel are longtime friends, but the dynamic between them is strained and off at times. Obviously when faced with danger normal behaviors are replaced with the unexpected, but I felt tension in their friendships from the beginning.
The setting of this novel helps to increase the intensity. Picture a remote untouched river that is unknown to many. The risks of rafting this river are extremely high due to the fact that the guide is the only person on the trip who has experienced the rapids, and his experiences with the river are limited. Then add in town folk who are few and far between who resent their travel guide, Rory because he is one of very few with actual access to the river. All of this adds up to an unexpected read that I definitely recommend to readers seeking suspense.
3.5/5 Stars