Montana-born Rex loves nothing more than to take his kayak out on a river, the faster and more powerful the better. When he gets the opportunity to...
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Dec 02, 2011
Nicola
rated it: 
Reason for Reading: The plot sounded exciting and I am a fan of this publisher, trusting their book selection when I haven't heard of the author before.
Excellent. A superb adventure story that should especially touch reluctant male teen readers. This is an exciting rush of adrenaline from start to finish. 17-year-old Rex is an expert whitewater kayaker taking after his grandfather who raised him along with his mother. His grandfather was well-known in his day for making many first d More...
Excellent. A superb adventure story that should especially touch reluctant male teen readers. This is an exciting rush of adrenaline from start to finish. 17-year-old Rex is an expert whitewater kayaker taking after his grandfather who raised him along with his mother. His grandfather was well-known in his day for making many first d More...
Aug 28, 2011
Sara
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Pam Withers sets the pace for her latest novel, “First Descent” (Tundra Books, 2011), with the opening sentence: “When the shot rang out, I leapt from my bed, lifted a corner of the bedroom curtain, and looked down on the river bend.” (It’s not what you think.)
At the age of seventeen, Rex Scruggs is already a world champion kayaker. Now, he is determined to descend the Furioso, a Columbian river that lives up to its name. Only one man has ever attempted to kayak the Furioso: his legendar More...
At the age of seventeen, Rex Scruggs is already a world champion kayaker. Now, he is determined to descend the Furioso, a Columbian river that lives up to its name. Only one man has ever attempted to kayak the Furioso: his legendar More...
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Jan 05, 2012
Anne
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Rex is a white water kayaker, just like his grandfather. However, his grandfather is famous for making the first descents down numerous rivers while Rex hasn't made any yet. There is one river in Columbia that stymied his grandpa and Rex is determined to make it his own success story and prove to himself and his grandfather that he, too, is capable of such feats. Rex sets off to what he thinks will just be a white-water adventure, but he ends up in the middle of a war-torn area with politics
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Oct 16, 2011
K R
rated it:
The opening of First Descent did not grab me. The first person narrative from Rex did little to make me like him, since he came across as so arrogant that when he brushed off his heroic act ...it felt false. Well, that's the negatives out the way!
Having gotten the book from Tundra Books, in exchange for an honest review, I decided to stick with it; I'm glad I did. It took a couple more chapters for me to start enjoying the story. The switch from Rex's first person to Myriam's part of More...
Having gotten the book from Tundra Books, in exchange for an honest review, I decided to stick with it; I'm glad I did. It took a couple more chapters for me to start enjoying the story. The switch from Rex's first person to Myriam's part of More...
Oct 29, 2011
Naomi
rated it:
Rex , a young kayaker from Alberta travels to Columbia to make his first descent kayaking down the El Furioso river to the Magdalena River. He hires a young girl Myriam as his guide. She comes from a family his grandfather used when he tried to kayak down the Magdalena river. Myriam Calambas is an indigena who wants to leave her country and become a reporter to expose how their people are treated. With Rex's help and skills as a kayaker he helps Alberto,a young guerilla and Myriam escape the par
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Nov 25, 2011
Martha
rated it:
I read this book right after reading Now is the Time for Running and I thought it would never end. The main character does grow through the course of the book and becomes less self-involved, thank goodness. By the end I felt some compassion for him.
This story is told in two voices, one the self-involved American boy, the other, an Indigena girl from Columbia. Her story was very interesting.
My sister used to kayak and she wanted me to try it. I did but I really love the body surfing More...
This story is told in two voices, one the self-involved American boy, the other, an Indigena girl from Columbia. Her story was very interesting.
My sister used to kayak and she wanted me to try it. I did but I really love the body surfing More...
Jan 14, 2012
Elizabeth
rated it:
This book has a great plot line and I am a sucker for adventure novels. Anything that helps youth travel somewhere new, face new experiences and/or locales is a wondrful addition to our small town library collection. Books, after all, can take us wherever we want to go, and this book is a prime example. I loved the background descriptions, the chosen setting and the "journey" throughout the book. Rex, the main character, was arrogant and almost impossible to like at the story's begi
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Jul 18, 2011
Kim
rated it:
Won this on a First Reads Giveaway!
*UPDATE: This is a young adult book and was written as such. I think it is an excellent read for children of that age. For an adult, you want a little more in depth into the issues it discusses and character development, but it wasn't written for an adult so you really can't ask for more than you got. It was a quick paced and interesting story. It kept you engaged and interested in what was happening.
SPOILER: I did enjoy reading it, although More...
*UPDATE: This is a young adult book and was written as such. I think it is an excellent read for children of that age. For an adult, you want a little more in depth into the issues it discusses and character development, but it wasn't written for an adult so you really can't ask for more than you got. It was a quick paced and interesting story. It kept you engaged and interested in what was happening.
SPOILER: I did enjoy reading it, although More...
Nov 08, 2011
Suzanne
rated it:
This was one of those unusual action-adventure books for teens that contains a lot: history, geography, love story, current politics, sports. I enjoyed the fast pace and especially the twist about the people the young boy meets...
Aug 18, 2011
Loony
rated it:
I got this through Goodreads' First Reads. I don't usually read first-person pov stories, but I am finding myself slowly being sucked into the story. I'm only a few chapters in, but I am thoroughly enjoying each page.
Now that I've finished the novel, I can safely say that after the first 50 or so pages that it took to get used to the first-person pov that it is primarily written in, I was quickly entranced by the story and finished reading it within four hours.
Fast-paced with twists an More...
Now that I've finished the novel, I can safely say that after the first 50 or so pages that it took to get used to the first-person pov that it is primarily written in, I was quickly entranced by the story and finished reading it within four hours.
Fast-paced with twists an More...
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Jan 12, 2012
Chrislin
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The plot is exciting and fast, but it slows down when something important happens. The first couple of chapters where a little dry but stick it out and you will thank yourself for it because you will be so into this book after those chapters I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads
Oct 01, 2011
Deranged
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A riveting tale that is written from two sides. Not a single aspect is ignored and the true to life aspects are driven home with the two points of view. The river's flow is reflected in the frantic pace elicited in the writing style and only heightens the readers fear for the characters.
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