Lost in the River of Grass

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I think this book was very well writen. I liked it very much. I hope you enjoy this book as much as me:)

Great Adventure

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Pages: 255
Source: Received a review copy from NetGalley
Genre: YA, Realistic Fiction, Adventure

From Amazon:
I don't realize I'm crying until he glances at me. For a moment, I see the look of anguish in his eyes, and then he blinks it away and slips off into the water. I immediately think of the gator. It's still down there somewhere. . . ."
A science-class field trip to the Everglades is supposed to be fun, but Sarah's new at Glades Academy, and her fellow freshmen aren't exactly making her feel welcome. When an opportunity for an unauthorized side trip on an airboat presents itself, it seems like a perfect escape--an afternoon without feeling like a sore thumb. But one simple oversight turns a joyride into a race for survival across the river of grass. Sarah will have to count on her instincts--and a guy she barely knows--if they have any hope of making it back alive.

My Review:
Ginny Rorby has crafted a story that will catch the attention of the most reluctant reader and hold them until the end. When a student feels out of place by her classmates while on a field trip, she makes a decision that could have devastating consequences. Upon entering the Everglades with her class, her immediate thoughts are how desolate and ugly it is. Her science teacher's hope is that his students will come to love the Everglades as much as he does. As Sarah and her new friend Andy do their best to survive and walk out of the Everglades Sarah discovers a beauty that she had not seen before.

This story resonated with me so much. Since I live about two and a half hours north of the Everglades I have had the opportunity to visit many times. My first trip through, I was terrifying. I thought only of the alligators that filled the canals on each side of the highway. I wanted only to take an airboat ride because it looked like fun. I actually took two rides on that trip. The first was a fast paced jaunt through the saw grass. We went so fast I couldn't focus on anything. My next ride was with a group who really cared about teaching people about the Everglades. We would go a few feet and he would point out birds and flowers. I saw such a raw beauty. I've walked through some of the swamp. Now before you think I have totally lost it let me say that I am not sure I would survive on my own if lost in the Everglades. There are so many dangers. This book was spot on when it came to pointing out the various dangers. The research was very accurate when it came to survival tips as well. This is one book I think every school in Florida should have on their shelves. My reasons go beyond the lessons to be learned about the Everglades. The story has an underlying theme about fitting in and being different. I think it is something every child could identify with. I will proudly promote this to my students this next year.

Surprisingly fantastic!

This can't really happen, this can't really happen, there's no way! This can't.... This is what I found myself muttering over and over in my mind, as I read Lost in the River of Grass. It seemed impossible, what these characters went through. I was even compiling a list at the back of my mind of things I would Google to verify if they were possible. I mean, things like what I read in this book can't possibly happen! As it turns out, though, they can; and it didn't take Google to convince me of that.

In the book, the reader is taken along as Sarah and Andy work together to survive the Everglades...and believe me: this is about survival! We get to be there as they encounter gators, snakes, wild boars, and are put in many dangerous circumstances. We get to watch as they help each other grow and adapt; an element of the story I think Rorby did remarkably well. I even enjoyed Andy's character, though I initially saw him as a bit of a jerk. In the end I was grateful for that, because he acted like a normal 15-year-old boy. I praise Rorby for not writing a character who was 15, going on 25 (thank you!).

I don't remember the point where I stopped caring if a survival tactic was viable or not, or whether an animal would really react the way the author portrays. I lost all sense of disbelief in this crash-course to the everglades, somewhere between swimming the gator holes and seeing the wild boars. Rorby's writing has an element of truth to it that made everything in this book seem personal, somehow. Reading it was like sitting at grandma's knee, listening to her tell a true story from her past...only this one involves saw grass and swamp trekking. Rorby definitely showed her survival know-how, and earned trust in my eyes. And the fact that reading about it all brought out every phobic tendency I've ever had, made no difference. I was enthralled.

Admittedly, I almost didn't give this book a second chance after putting it down after the first few chapters. It began a little choppy, and I wasn't very attached to the characters. But when I did pick it up again, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found, and ended up finishing it in one sitting. I think I found it hard to read in the beginning because Lost in the River of Grass isn't filled with long, flowing prose. Neither does it use huge words, or attempt to captivate with an out-of-this-world love story. Truth-be-told, it doesn't flaunt many things besides the character's reactions to the dangerous environment around them. But it's that very environment, and their reactions to it, that will suck you in, glue your hand to this book, and make you simultaneously cringe, while speeding up your reading to discover what is next.

I highly suggest Lost in the River of Grass!

Disclaimer: I was provided with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant!

This book truly surprised me. I honestly thought I'd be up late at night jumping whenever I heard a strange sound while reading. (It's all Ginny's fault for saying "I hope you like snakes" before I read it . . .) Luckily enough for my heart (and nerves) this wasn't the case. Ginny Rorby must have magic fingertips that float across her keyboard for her to show us such a beautiful, stunning, and intriguing story. Really, there is no other explanation. Want proof? Read Lost in the River Grass. This is a story of survival after the two main characters, Sarah and Andy, are left stranded in the middle of the Everglades with ten miles separating them from civilization. This may not seem like a lot, but when all you see is marshes, alligators, snakes, and muddy water, you might reconsider.

One of my favorite things about this novel was the way Ginny focused less on the useless details and more on the important (and interesting) parts. You see, Sarah is an outsider at her school where her mother works in the cafeteria. She's stranded on a field trip with a bunch of girls that loathe her just because she isn't rich, and the only thing she's able to look forward to is an airboat ride that Andy offers her. When the airboat sinks due to Andy's mistake of forgetting to put the plug in, everything in Sarah's life-school, the mean girls there, the fact that she's black with a southerner whose father sports the confederate flag-disappears to be replaced with the primal instinct to survive. What would one do to save their life? In this situation, you'd either rise to the occasion or sink below waters to be swallowed whole by a 'gator hole. (Or by a 'gator . . . or snake . . . ekkkk!)

This is a powerful story that shows a young girl rising above it all, with no knowledge of how to live in the Everglades, and stepping out alive. Though Andy shows little to no fear and helps guide Sarah, it's Sarah that actually becomes the brave one, facing truly magnificent-and deadly-scenarios in nature. At first with spine-chilling fear, and later with awe and amazement. When all the odds are against her, Sarah pushes through her uncomfortable boundaries to be the victor. I truly applaud Ginny for providing us with this brilliant novel. (Queue the clapping!)

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.