Take Me to the River

Take Me to the River by Will Hobbs. Published by Harper Collins, 2011.

Dylan can’t wait to go white water rafting with his cousin Rio and Uncle Alan. He has never been to Texas and hasn’t met either of them, so he has been looking forward to this for ages. Attending rafting camp for the last two summers has given him some experience and he knows Rio and Uncle Alan are both very knowledgeable.

When his bus arrives, no one is there to meet him. He receives a message from Rio to hitchhike to their house in Terlingua. He’s uncertain about doing that, but he gets a ride and arrives in town safely. Excitement at meeting his cousin is lessened when he discovers that his uncle has gone to work in Alaska, where he will be for the next few weeks. Rio and Dylan are unwilling to forego their long-awaited adventure. Dylan knows his parents will cancel it when they find out, so he decides not to tell them.

Preparing for their ten day trip goes well. They arrange to have someone pick them up at the end of their trip, then gather their supplies and head out. There is a possibility of some bad weather, but the sky is clear and bright. What can go wrong?

Tons of things go wrong- a hurricane is coming, the river rises to dangerous levels and Dylan and Rio encounter a kidnapper and his victim. Will the boys survive their adventure?