First Descent

by Pam Withers

Montana-born Rex loves nothing more than to take his kayak out on a river, the faster and more powerful the better. When he gets the opportunity to tackle the well-named El Furioso in southwest Colombia, he is thrilled. He anticipates the river’s challenges, but finds himself in a situation where the real danger is human.

In Colombia, he meets Myriam Calambás, an indígena, who has lived along the El Furioso all her life. Though she loves its rushing waters, she dreams of leaving to get an education so that she can help her people. Her dreams, and her very survival, are in the balance when she and Rex are caught up in the clash between paramilitaries, working for rich landowners, and guerillas, who are supposed to be protecting the poor.

Pam Withers’ skill at writing about extreme adventures combines with a compelling story about an endangered world and a people struggling for their very right to exist.

Genres: Young Adult, Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Sports, Fiction, Action

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 2011

About the author

Award-winning YA author Pam Withers -- a former outdoor guide, journalist and editor -- has written 21 sports and outdoor adventure books for teens. She has been nominated for three Red Maple Awards and numerous others. Besides her novels, she has written an athlete's biography and Jump-Starting Boys, a book for parents on getting boys to read. Pam lives in Vancouver, Canada, and tours North America extensively.

Reviews

[Khwahish · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Descent by Pam Withers
Done By: Khwahish

Pam Withers’ new novel, First Descent, has captivated readers everywhere into the amazing world of kayaking and a boy whose dream was to keep up his family’s legacy. This book was chosen to be one of the many nominees of the Red Maple Reading program of 2013; with high hopes that it will make it out as this years winner!

At the age of 17, the time comes when many teens are set on thinking about their prosperous future and getting into a good university or college. But for Rex Scruggs, that’s not the case. Rex is boy who dreams of only one thing; to do a first descent of the terrifying and extremely dangerous El Furioso River, and finish his grandfather’s age old kayaking dream. After getting his required sponsors, he sets off to Columbia and hires a beautiful 17 year old indígena guide, Myriam Calámbas, whose grandmother had helped Rex’s grandfather, the legendary and world-renown, Malcolm Scruggs.
Myriam is an aspiring and dedicated English learner who hopes to be a reporter to inform the world about the military and rights issues that are plaguing her country. Unfortunately, her family is too poor to support this decision and they refuse to let her go to the big city in Columbia to achieve her long desired education.
When Rex and Myriam’s worlds clash, something surprising and very unsettling unravels; until it has them and all the people they know trapped.
Pam Withers writes yet another thrilling novel with action, suspense, love, a boy’s dream to hold his family legacy and a girl’s dream to be set free.

First Descent was a great and riveting book that I could not put down! The suspense in some parts of this book were so intense, that it seemed to pull me right in, as if I was standing right in the scene! One of the many things that put me at the edge-of-my-seat were, “They came ever close. She opened one eye and could see the muzzle of a gun hanging from a soldier mere feet away. From the leather lace-up boot , she guessed he was a paramilitary. She held her breath.” Isn’t really cliffhanging?
One of the two things that were really weak and I didn’t like about the book were the confusing descriptions in some parts like, “The right bank was high and overhung, but a decent -sized eddy presented itself beneath an overhanging cliff that featured a canopy of roots. I plotted a route to that eddy, figuring I might even be able to lift and stash my kayak in the tangle of roots above it, a tangle that formed a sort of “cage” beneath the overhang’s ceiling of dirt.” That small paragraph was one of the few that I was puzzled about and could not picture in my head very well.
The second thing that I thought was not very well done in the book was the descriptions of kayaking terms like “eddy” and “spraydeck”. There were various places in the book that Pam Withers used the word “eddy” just like the small paragraph that I typed up above.

Overall, this was a great book that I would give 4 stars; which I think is definitely worth reading. You will fly through this book without the thought of putting it down. This new young adult novel is perfect for anyone with the love of extreme sports. I hope this book appeals to you just as it did for me!

[Sab · Rating 2 out of 5]

First Descent,
By Sabreena

Pam Withers’ latest novel The First Descent is an exciting action and adventure novel; published in 2011, with Tundra Books. Dealing with extreme sports and recreation this novel inspires young male readers to be more adventurous, outgoing, and to remain fit. Not only males, but stimulates young readers in general to never let anything get between them and their dreams, but to not go overboard with one plan even if it means ruining their claim to fame, as its outcome can be pretty hazardous at times.

At the age of 17, Rex Scruggs is already a world renowned champion kayaker. Now he’s set his eyes on the hazardous Colombian river El Furioso; and has set his mind on claiming it as his own first descent. Only once before as the mighty Furioso been challenged and that by Rex’s grandfather, the legendary Malcolm Scruggs and his companions. Determine to carry on the family legacy and to prove his worth to his idol grandfather, Rex plans to leave for Columbia with his own two companions to claim the Furioso with the help of an Indigenas girl named Myriam Calambas.

Withers flips through emotions as people flip through a magazine; from frustration, to arrogance, to bravado, to affection, to humility. In some cases, varying emotions can cause the readers lack of concentration and interest; but in this, changing emotions just adds to that “edge of your seat” effect. Most of the characters such as the protagonists and antagonists are all dynamic characters; some starting out as superficial and ending out as concerned, some starting out as prejudice and ending up as open minded and more accepting. This novel opens up our minds to culture difficulties and world social problems that do not make news but should be known globally.

Overall, Pam Withers’ First Descent has succeeded in being a time worthy novel, and is suited for all ages, but specifically young readers. Internationally the average rating of this novel is a remarkable 4 (which indicates that it’s worth your time). Personally, I believe that Pam Withers could have put more work into her novel. Meaning; it seems as if she worked hard, and then just gave up and ended her novel abruptly, by ending it without the explanation that was needed. All in all, The First Descent like all books it does has it faults but is an enjoyable novel overall.
Written by Sabreena

[Loony Gryphon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this through Goodreads' First Reads. I don't usually read first-person pov stories, but I am finding myself slowly being sucked into the story. I'm only a few chapters in, but I am thoroughly enjoying each page.
Now that I've finished the novel, I can safely say that after the first 50 or so pages that it took to get used to the first-person pov that it is primarily written in, I was quickly entranced by the story and finished reading it within four hours.
Fast-paced with twists and turns that had me spinning, it was almost dizzying when I reached the end. Although I find myself craving more, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and will be loaning my copy to friends so they can enjoy it as well.

[Mansi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved about this book was the main character Rex had the commitment to go kayaking on the El Furioso, a river rapid that his grandfather once made halfway across. Now he hopes to take on after his grandfather and finish it off for him. But since then things have changed. The people that lived there changed, and now his life is on the line.

What I really didn't like about this book was the fact that Rex changed himself to impress the 'love of his life' Myriam. You should never change yourself to please another person. Never ever ever.

[Gatlin Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered how extreme and exciting white water rafting can get? Well, the novel First Descent has many scenes of extream water rafting. The genre of this book is adventure and young adult fiction. I enjoyed this book very much. It was very exciting and it always kept me off my seat. I usually would not read a book like this but I am glad I did because it was very good.
Montana Rex dreams of following in his grandfather’s footsteps and making the first descent down one of the world’s last unconquered wild rivers. When he finally gets enough sponsors, Rex heads to South America to do the El Furioso. Which is one of the biggest white rafting competitions in the world. No one has ever completed this river without falling off. Montana’s grandfather even used to try to get all the way down but was unable to do so. While Rex anticipates the river’s challenges, he finds himself in a situation where the real danger is human. Pam Withers the author tried to keep her readers on their seats in this book and she definitely did that for me. This was one of my favourite books I have ever read and I am glad that I found this book and was able to read it.
I rate the book First Descent a 4 out of 5. This is because it is a very exciting and entertaining book, but there are some downs in this book where it is not as interesting and fun to read. This book always left me wanting to more. I could not put in down at all. I really hope you enjoy this book as much as I did because I really liked it. I hope that I was able to convince you to read this book.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this because I was looking for novels w/ Latin American settings for a class reading book. Very exciting read while educating the reader on the the plight of the indigenous people of Colombia and effect of the drug trade on Latin America. Definitely a strong tie-in w/ the 6th grade social studies curriculum! I was really excited, but then the author made the protagonist too real. Lie any other teenage boy, Rex curses when he is angry...not suitable for a class read but definitely worth the time for an individual reading! Enjoyed it!

[Rylee Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, highly recommend! The author just got done zooming a few grades in my school (literally just an hour ago) and she's a very kind and inspirational person, every book I've read in her series so far has been wonderful!

[Alex Harran]

The novel First Decent by Pam Withers is an exciting Action filled novel. The author wanted to show her readers that sometimes life isn't as easy as you think it will be. The author proved this concept in many sections of this novel. For example when Rex went to Colombia to Kayak the Furioso River he thought he would go in and kayak the river and be done, but he ran into many problems along the way.

The authors attitude towards the characters was great he explain every character in detail from the main characters all the way to the most minor characters. In the beginning of the novel the author switched between characters every chapter until they met, this made the novel different but good. Almost all of the characters are round except Henrique and Tiago should have been described a little bit more. Character development occurs often mostly direct in this novel. In this novel not many characters are engaging but Rex, he always goes after things that he wants to do no matter how difficult or dangerous it is. The major theme of this novel is that life isn't as easy as you think it will be sometimes. It is revealed by Rex going to Colombia and finding out the Furioso won't be as easy to kayak as he originally thought and running into various problems along the way. The theme is traditional and familiar, many novels have this theme. The author handled various parts of the plot differently. The Introduction was a little slow and boring because there was a lot of explaining and not to much going on. But the climax and conclusion was very well handled. The end of the rising action and the climax had a lot of suspense and mystery about what was going to happen next. There was a sub plot and the sub plot played a huge part in the ending of the novel. The plot is primary to the characters and the setting. The novel for the most part was very clear in describing the characters and the setting. The ending of the novel was somewhat sad but at the same time happy. The novel had a lot of harmony in it until the climax. The novel had some symbolism in it, for example many things in Myriam's community use symbolism. The dialogue had a big part to do with novel, it was very effective and the author used just the right amount of it to make it effective. The setting of the novel played a huge role. If the novel took place some where else it would not have been as interesting because where it takes place it is very dangerous and that was what made the climax so exciting. There was a sense of atmosphere because the author had vivid descriptions of the setting. There were many scenic effects used like describing almost everything about the setting. The setting influences the characters and plot because that is were it has to take place for every thing to happen that happens during the novel. Overall this was a very good novel it started out a little slow but it quickly became an intense novel.

[Sara Latta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pam Withers sets the pace for her latest novel, “First Descent” (Tundra Books, 2011), with the opening sentence: “When the shot rang out, I leapt from my bed, lifted a corner of the bedroom curtain, and looked down on the river bend.” (It’s not what you think.)
At the age of seventeen, Rex Scruggs is already a world champion kayaker. Now, he is determined to descend the Furioso, a Columbian river that lives up to its name. Only one man has ever attempted to kayak the Furioso: his legendary (and thoroughly unpleasant) grandfather, Malcolm Scruggs. This is Rex’s chance to carry on the family legacy—and prove his worth to the gruff old man. His grandfather’s one request was that Rex find the Calambás family: a starving daughter, so the story went, had given him a necklace in return for an avocado sandwich. The necklace has become Rex’s good luck charm.
Once in Columbia, Rex meets the young woman who will be his guide along the river, Myriam Calambás, an indigenous Columbian who has lived along El Furioso her entire life. At this point, you may have deduced that Myriam has some connection to the necklace, but it’s not as far-fetched as you might imagine. In Myriam’s chapters, which more or less alternate with Rex’s, we learn that her community is beset both by the guerillas, who supposedly fight for the poor, and the paramilitary soldiers, hired by the rich landowners to fight the guerillas. Myriam dreams of attending college and becoming a journalist so that she can make others aware of the plight of her people.
Rex, who in many ways is like his grandfather—narcissistic, dismissive of others, and over-confident—soon learns that the real danger in this new world is not the river, but the guerillas and paramilitaries. Can he achieve first descent, and do right by the people he has come to care for?
Pam Withers is a former whitewater kayak instructor and raft guide, and her expertise shows. I’m not a kayaker, but the book’s whitewater passages are so full of strategy, muscle, and energy that you can almost feel the water’s spray as you hurtle down the page. .
In her effort to familiarize readers with Columbian life and culture, Withers sometimes explains the obvious. Most American readers, after all, will not need to be told that empanadas are “meat and cheese pastries.” But the occasional authorial intrusions are a minor quibble with what is otherwise a compellingly readable tale of courage, sacrifice, and adventure.

I received an advance review copy of this book through the Library Thing Early Reviewer program. This review was originally published in the News-Gazette on Sunday, August 28, 2011.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reason for Reading: The plot sounded exciting and I am a fan of this publisher, trusting their book selection when I haven't heard of the author before.

Excellent. A superb adventure story that should especially touch reluctant male teen readers. This is an exciting rush of adrenaline from start to finish. 17-year-old Rex is an expert whitewater kayaker taking after his grandfather who raised him along with his mother. His grandfather was well-known in his day for making many first descents down rivers in South America but ended his career when local Natives chased him out of an area of Colombia leaving El Furioso unconquered to this day. Rex promises to finish his grandfather's legacy by making this his first "first descent" and heads off to Colombia without anyone in his family really understanding the political situation in that area. Hiring a local indigenous girl, 17-year-old Myriam, to be his guide he finds himself not only facing man vs. nature as he shoots extreme rapids but man vs man when he learns the plight of the indigena out in the wilderness caught between the paramilitary and guerrilla soldiers.

An eye-opening story of culture clashes and world social problems that do not make headline news but should be known and addressed globally. Interesting characters that are real and relatable to teens. I found both Rex and Myriam to be likable teens, flawed and each developed throughout the story. I'm not usually into this type of "political situation" novel but am very fond of outdoor adventure/survival stories and found the political situation only enhanced the exhilaration of the plot. A great library pick!

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting and action packed book for all ages! Let me begin by saying I am a novice when it comes to kayaking, but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying this book. The author does a fine job with drawing the reader in and you feel as though you are riding the white waters along with Rex. Another excellent detail of the book is drawing a vivid image of what life is like in a country where you never feel safe, something many of us take for granted.

Rex is tired of living in his grandfather's shadow and feeling like he always has to prove himself to his elder. His grandfather is a world renown kayaker but he has one section of a river in Columbia which he gave up and did not achieve his first descent. This is the river that Rex intends to tame and claim the first descent for himself. After traveling to Columbia, Rex finds an indigena girl to be his guide along the most difficult part of the river. Rex and his fellow kayakers are accepted into Miriam's village and learn what life is like for them, but Rex refuses to acknowledge the dangers looming all around him. But he can't ignore them when he himself becomes the target and must find a way to escape from something much more dangerous than the river he came to run.

I recommend this book for readers of all ages and genre types. I would have read this book in one sitting if I could have found a way. The book grabs your attention early and hangs on with a death grasp! Excellent book! I look forward to reading more by this author!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a great plot line and I am a sucker for adventure novels. Anything that helps youth travel somewhere new, face new experiences and/or locales is a wondrful addition to our small town library collection. Books, after all, can take us wherever we want to go, and this book is a prime example. I loved the background descriptions, the chosen setting and the "journey" throughout the book. Rex, the main character, was arrogant and almost impossible to like at the story's beginning but this tends to be true about most world class adventurers. It make him difficult to relate to (and some will flat out despise him to the extent they can never get passed it and move on with the story) but anyone who knows of the drive and arrogance of world class athletes will probably find him simply annoying. Myriam's story (his local guide) is much more intriguing and I think the author did much better with her story than with the main character's. My main quibble is that the change in point of view was difficult and, in my opinion, completely uncessary to the plot. It does give a different perspective of the story but, for this plot line, the plot should have carried the story on enough rather than relying on a "trick" of POV changes to try and keep the reader engaged. Despite the character issues, this is a good story that would appeal to adrenaline junkie readers or outdoor enthusiasts who want to experience something in a different location to their own.

ARC Galley Proof

[OhWell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Main annoyances:

1. The timeline: completely off. Rex is seventeen. His mother was seventeen when she had him, so she is thirty four. Her father returned from Colombia just before she was born, so he was there thirty four (34) years ago. However, Rex makes two references to the fact that his grandfather's trip to Colombia was sixty (60) years ago. Same mistake with Abuela. She was seventeen when she met Rex's grandfather and had his child. That would have to make her fifty one (34 + 17) when the story takes place. Rex refers to her as being around eighty though. Ages and years are clearly messed up.

2. Compatriot = fellow countryman
Rex (Canadian/US national) referring to Myriam and Alberto (Colombians) on page 248 of the hardcover edition:
"I turned violently into a micro-eddy at the end of the first rapid, craned my neck, and saw my compatriots come bobbing, crashing, and hurtling towards me."
Bad example of word use, especially for Red Maple readers...

3. The mix of first and third person narrative just didn't work for me.

The story manages to contrast the problems of a North American teenager against those of indigenous Colombians, whose main concern is day to day survival. It is fast paced and action filled, it features an extreme sport - whitewater kayaking - so most guys will probably enjoy it. However, due to the issues listed above, I cannot give it more than 2*.

[Chenny Wu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like in my life, I have never read a book so boring. In my opinion, nothing happens in this book. I find it really boring especially when it talks about the conflicts between Indigena and the guerillas, to me that stuff is really boring and not really worth reading or I would've picked up a history book. And nothing exciting ever happens, like they go try to accomplish the river and then the other 2 boys gives up halfway, Rex likes Myriam but she's technically with Alberto. I find nothing really adventurous about this book, I guess you could say that Rex is going on an adventure trip but again, the plot is boring. Also, I really don't like Myriam's character, there's a part where she wanted to ask Rex for the money again, and she lies to her family because she wants to use the money herself to go to university when her family is starving.. like that makes no sense to me. I get that she has a dream and everything.. but if I wear to choose, obviously family comes first.

I picked up this book, because I thought that Kayaking would actually be fun to read. I thought his trip would be more exciting instead of just having to deal with the soldiers, gureillas, and Myriam's family.

I actually didn't finish this book completely (first book that I give up on because I have no interest in it whatsoever). I skipped some parts and read the ending.

I recommend this book to people who are interested in Kayak or maybe like survival.

[Nigarsan · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Descent by Pam Withers (Red Maple 2012-2013)
This book is about a young boy named Rex who is following his grandfather's dream of kayaking one of the world's unconquered wild rivers,El Furioso in Colombia,South America.With some help from friends in Brazil and a tour guide who knows everything about this river,he adventures to soon be the first to conquered it.Did you know that this river is somewhat real in our modern life?But,he faces trouble when the local village that the tour guide came from is under attack from rebels and the Colombian Army.Will he ever survive to ever conquering this river?

I chose this book because it was in the Red Maple,which is a group of books chosen for young readers to read and choose who would become the winner.Also,I found the book's hook/summary more interesting than the others which I chose this book.

I read this book because I was in a hurry to read this book and other than being in a rush,this book is an amazing book for anyone to read about the adventure of kayaking and the law.

I would recommend this book to anyone reading the Red Maple or interested in reading adventure-themed books that is with fighting the law.Like Mr.Gould in his summary,I would strongly agree with him in recommending this book to Ohm of 8F 2012-2013

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I didn't have high expectations for this novel and I'm not really sure why. Maybe the cover art was a little cheesy for my taste or something. I'm not really sure. But regardless of my initial thoughts, I was definitely proven wrong. It was an awesome read! Kids, kayakers, and thrill seekers alike will love this book. It's informative, adventuresome, full of history, South American culture, and sporting knowledge. It's got something for everyone.

This story follows Rex as he chases his grandfather's dream of being the first one to successfully kayak the deadly Furioso river in the wild, dangerous country of Columbia. At seventeen he secures enough sponsors, money, and teammates to attempt the first descent on this wild unmapped river. But Rex soon finds out that political unrest, genocide, and guerrilla's may kill him before he ever makes it to the river. He befriends a local indigenous tribe, the same ones his grandfather met decades before when trying to master the river and soon learns more about himself, his grandfather, and the poor endangered natives then he ever thought possible.

It's an engrossing read and I learned loads about white water rafting and the unrest in Columbia. A must read for adventure fans!

I received this book for free from Librarything in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

[Randy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rex heads for Columbia to be the first to kayak down the infamous El Furioso River. The river that thwarted his famous grandfather's attempts is his now, for the taking. When he arrives in Columbia he discovers that getting down the river will be more than he bargained for. There is the ongoing conflict between the guerilla soldiers and the para-military soldiers. There is the situation with the indigenous people who are fighting to survive. And of course, what would a YA book be without a hint of romance, as Rex finds himself attracted to his guide, only to discover that their being together can never be.

I picked this book up as it is one of the red maple nominees this year, but also because I have wanted to read a book by this author whose work usually has a sport theme to it.

I finished it because I wanted to see if Rex would be successful in getting down the river.

I would recommend this to Ohm. I think he might enjoy the adventure and the relatively quick pace of the story.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rex is a white water kayaker, just like his grandfather. However, his grandfather is famous for making the first descents down numerous rivers while Rex hasn't made any yet. There is one river in Columbia that stymied his grandpa and Rex is determined to make it his own success story and prove to himself and his grandfather that he, too, is capable of such feats. Rex sets off to what he thinks will just be a white-water adventure, but he ends up in the middle of a war-torn area with politics that he does not understand in a place where he does not even speak the language. Luckily, he meets a girl who does speak some English and she and her indigenous village attempt to help him as much as they are able in a world where they must remain neutral at all costs.

Lots of action and adventure, good character growth. A step up from the Orca sports books (by one of their prominent authors).

[Int'l librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an OK action adventure that never manages to rise above its flaws. There’s a powerful message about guerrillas and paramilitary squads in Colombia. But I don’t care much about any of the people at the heart of the conflict. The kayaking scenes are interesting when they aren’t over-the-top wonky with jargon. I kept trying to build images in my head to match Rex’s white water tactics, but I never felt very clear about what I was supposed to see.

And then there’s Rex himself. I understand that Withers makes him arrogant and short-sighted on purpose. But he’s the main character. I’d rather he wasn’t such a jerk. Miriam, the indigenous Colombian with dreams of a better life, is a lot nicer. But she’s too predictable.

The convenient plot twists are predictable even when they’re hard to believe. So – OK story, and I probably learned something, including the fact that Withers is not at the top of my “must-read authors” list.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the one with the main character who just made me want to reach out and smack him upside the head. Honestly, Rex was highly irritating to me for a good portion of this book. For someone so bright and supposedly well-traveled, he was pretty ignorant about the situation between the paramilitary and guerrilla organizations, and the dangers inherent to the First Nations people. I loved the character of Myriam as she struggled between helping her family and village and wanting to go away to university so that she could gather international support for her village’s plight. I thought the “secret reveal” was a little eye-roly, but I liked how the greater threat forced each character to become who they needed to be (vague enough? I hate spoilers…) Highly interesting read, especially about life in rural Columbia and the dangers within for the locals.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rex , a young kayaker from Alberta travels to Columbia to make his first descent kayaking down the El Furioso river to the Magdalena River. He hires a young girl Myriam as his guide. She comes from a family his grandfather used when he tried to kayak down the Magdalena river. Myriam Calambas is an indigena who wants to leave her country and become a reporter to expose how their people are treated. With Rex's help and skills as a kayaker he helps Alberto,a young guerilla and Myriam escape the paramilitary and the guerillas who want the indigena land for themselves. WEll developed Characters and a fast moving plot. Great adventure book for young adults , even adults to read. Well written for a first book by this author.

[Martha Schwalbe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book right after reading Now is the Time for Running and I thought it would never end. The main character does grow through the course of the book and becomes less self-involved, thank goodness. By the end I felt some compassion for him.
This story is told in two voices, one the self-involved American boy, the other, an Indigena girl from Columbia. Her story was very interesting.
My sister used to kayak and she wanted me to try it. I did but I really love the body surfing better. Since the characters have to kayak and body-surf to get out of a tough spot it was fun for me to put my sister in the kayak and me in the water.
I'd like to know what a student thinks of this book.

[Cynthia Heinrichs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some things just didn't click in this story. For one thing, we are told that Rex worships his grandfather, but there is no scene in which I see that connection. In fact, there are so many ways in which Rex doesn't agree with his grandfather that being told Rex adores him is the only way I know it. The math didn't work either. If Rex is 17 and his mother was 17 when he was born then she was born 34 years ago, but later in the story we are told that Gramps was expecting her at the time he was on Colombia. The pacing was good---I was able to fly through it---and it was interesting to learn about what is happening to the indigenous people of Colombia. Young readers will enjoy the adventure part of the story---kayakers may even go for the kayak scenes---but it didn't work for me.

[Stone He · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about a 17 year old boy named Rex trying to conquer the El Furiso rapids that his grandfather had left of. On his way he encounters Myriam, a girl from a village in the mountain who had a dream to going into university. But in that area of where Rex was going, there was a non-stop conflict between the paramilitary and the guerrilla and the land was filled with land mines. Rex had travel companions but they left early so that Rex had to go in the rapids by himself which was not what his grandfather wanted.
I choose this book because it was a nominated book for red maple 2013.
I finished this book because I want to see if Rex actually conquered the river since the river seems dangerous.
I would recommend this book to extreme sports lovers.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rex wants nothing more than to out do his grandfather with a First Descent of the El Furioso River in Columbia. His bigoted opinions reflect his grandfathers until he experiences the danger of the Columbian Rivers, the guerrillas and the paramilitary attacks on the indigen people.

Although slow to start the pace quickens as the imminent descent of the river develops more dangers. Some concern may exist regarding the bias against first nations and indigen populations. Rex and Myriam's escape rings true and the resolution is satisfying.

Recommended: 12+ years

Subject/Theme: realistic,adventure

Nominated for OLA Red Maple Fiction Award 2013

[MsPescador · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never been so mad at a main character before. At the beginning of this book, I did not like the main character because I felt he was too easily swayed or influenced by his grandfather's dreams. I wanted him to wake up and realize that his grandfather's dreams weren't necessarily the best dreams for him to take on. I wanted him to stand up for himself and choose a different future. In the end, he did, but not before he makes some very poor decisions. A great story for those who like reading adventure stories around extreme sports...in this case, kayaking down a ferocious, perilous river in South America.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won this on a First Reads Giveaway!

*UPDATE: This is a young adult book and was written as such. I think it is an excellent read for children of that age. For an adult, you want a little more in depth into the issues it discusses and character development, but it wasn't written for an adult so you really can't ask for more than you got. It was a quick paced and interesting story. It kept you engaged and interested in what was happening.
SPOILER: I did enjoy reading it, although I found the whole family connection between the potential love interest creepy.

[Handd51]

This is an unusual sports adventure that reminds me of Will Hobbs books. Main character Rex is a powerful world-class competitor in white water kayak who is determined to accomplish a first descent of a fictional Colombian river that his grandfather attempted in his youth. Rex is a little headstrong and unwilling to listen to or observe caution on most any front, and finds himself in deep in a country with uncertain politics that threaten his safety. There is a love interest, with a surprise twist that I won't divulge. There is plenty of excitement that should keep hesitant readers reading.

[Maya H · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book. Nothing that touched me really emotionally honestly. I dont usually like books based on real life events etc. But this book wasnt bad. The plot was interesting I admit. At times it was confusing as it kept changing POV's. It was a slower paced book in my opinion but neber the less good. I liked the chemistry between the two of them, and the shock of the real relationship between them I was not expecting. It had more of a bittersweet ending considering they probably would never see each other again. But I enjoyed it for a Red Maple book. Well done

[Diana Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this 2013 Red Maple award nominee. I learned a lot about the political situation in Columbia and how it affected the local residents through a fiction book, my favorite way to learn about history :-). I like the way Rex did his first descent, through necessity rather than by choice. If not, perhaps he wouldn't have done it, though he had a lot of need to prove himself to his grandfather. I also like the fact that Myriam was able to succeed in her dream at the end, through tragic means.