DOWNRIVER

by Will Hobbs ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 1991

A fast-paced adventure in which ""wilderness therapy"" becomes a course in teamwork and friendship for a group of troubled youths. Jessie, 15, and her companions have been sent from all over the country to the Colorado Rockies in the hope of finding something in the outdoors to curb their anger and restlessness. Seizing an opportunity, six of them break away from their counselor and, with no map and only a few days' provisions, take two boats down the wild, dangerous Colorado River to the Grand Canyon. All are tested, by the river and by one another; each exhibits hidden strengths and weaknesses, and most are changed for the better by the experience. Hobbs resists the temptation to make this a series of confessions: the teen-agers' pasts remain vague, by and large; but the river's peril and beauty are described in detail, while the characterizations, though simple, are seldom simplistic.

Pub Date: March 29, 1991

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 208

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1991

Categories: CHILDREN'S