From the Bookshelf of Around The World…

[close] The River At Night by Erica Ferencik
3.5 ★

Winifred Allen needs a vacation.

Stifled by a soul-crushing job, devastated by the death of her beloved brother, and lonely after the end of a fifteen-year marriage, Wini is feeling vulnerable. So when her three best friends insist on a high-octane getaway for their annual girls’ trip, she signs on, despite her misgivings.

What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare; a freak accident leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive. When night descends, a fire on the mountainside lures them to a ramshackle camp that appears to be their lifeline. But as Wini and her friends grasp the true intent of their supposed saviors, long buried secrets emerge and lifelong allegiances are put to the test. To survive, Wini must reach beyond the world she knows to harness an inner strength she never knew she possessed.

If you are a patient reader and don't mind the 109 pages you must read before the characters actually begin their river adventure, you will ultimately not be disappointed and will enjoy this book. I did have to chuckle at the main character. Either the author had never been camping or she chose to make her character afraid of many things that campers just take for granted...and that was before anything for her to really be afraid of had even happened. It was a better than "just okay" read.