THE RIVER

“Run, Ronnie, run,” whispers the river. And Ronnie runs. Daily, long-distance jogs help her come to terms with her father’s psychological crisis, the sudden addition of two foster siblings and the family’s abrupt transition from city-dwellers to country innkeepers. Running helps Ronnie cope, and she looks forward to it until the day her carefree run turns into a mad dash for help. In desperation, Ronnie runs to the Ranger’s office to report the discovery of her young friend Karen’s body in the river. Ronnie has to run yet again, this time for her life, when she crosses the path of some dangerous criminals as she searches for clues about what happened to Karen. In insightful and often surprisingly funny prose, Beaufrand presents the search for Karen’s killer, interspersing it with Ronnie’s memories of special times she enjoyed with Karen. Supporting characters, including Ronnie’s troubled friend Gretchen and foster brother/potential boyfriend Tomás, are not fleshed out as much as one might hope, but the story is really about Ronnie, and she feels entirely real. Compelling. (Suspense. YA)