The River at Night

by Erica Ferencik

January 10, 2017 · Gallery/Scout Press

Buy →

A-

More Info →

View Book Info Page

The River at Night is a thriller that lives up to its name–it’s dark and twisty, fast-moving, and I was never entirely certain what was lurking beneath the surface. This book is far more action-adventure than murder mystery, but there are definitely elements that will creep-out some readers.

The book is narrated first person POV by Wini Allen, one of four friends who get together annually for a vacation. Over the years the women have grown apart geographically as well as emotionally, as often happens with friends over time. Wini is recently divorced, still reeling from the death of her brother.  Sandra is trapped in a loveless marriage. ER nurse Rachel is contemplating a job change. And then there’s Pia.

I think that most of us have a Pia in our lives at some point: she’s the friend who is exciting and energetic and cool, but everything has to be on her terms. She’s also a narcissist–the friend who sleeps with your ex boyfriend days after the breakup. She’s the friend you think is a friend, but who is really just pulling you deeper into a morass of her own bullshit.

This year Pia has planned the trip and the group is going white water rafting in the middle of goddamn nowhere Maine. It will be just the four women and their guide, Rory. Rory who is a twenty-year-old white dude with dreadlocks and a “spiritual” connection to nature, almost forty miles from the nearest town.

What could go wrong?

Now I’d like to insert an aside here. A couple years ago I had to go on a kayaking trip for a work bonding experience. The river we were on was rated for toddlers. It was me and another woman, who also suffered from chronic illness, in the two-person kayak together struggling miserably. After that it was beer and being attacked by vicious Wisconsin mosquitoes. My fibro protested for weeks afterward.  It was that day I that I realized I had to shatter the corporate glass ceiling because when I’m the big boss, all corporate bonding activities will be mani pedis and mimosas:

“Settle in, Stanley! Time to get your callouses shaved down! Emotionally and physically! Let’s learn to trust!”

Back to the review.

None of the other women are super thrilled about this trip, mostly because it seems dangerous and scary. Pia however is insistent. Wini especially struggles with her anxieties throughout the book. She feels like a person who is afraid of everything, the wet blanket in the group. I identified with this so much as I am also excellent at catastrophizing.

When Pia hooks up with Rory one night (in the next tent, where everyone can hear), the group begins to fracture:

Pia crossed her arms hard across her chest. “Well, that’s my fucking business, don’t you think? Last time I looked, I was a grown woman and could sleep with whoever I please, when I please.”

Rachel’s body recoiled into itself, but her face did not soften. I had a flash of Rachel’s promiscuous teen years, and for a second I thought Pia would knock her down with a few choice memories, but she didn’t go there.

“Maybe this is crazy, but I thought you might be happy for me,” Pia said. “He’s a nice guy.” She looked off and away, her manner momentarily regaining its former sex-stunned dreaminess.

“He’s twenty, Pia! You’re almost thirty-six!”

“So who are you, the sex police?” The cords in Pia’s neck stood out as she spoke. “Just because you don’t get any–”

“Come on you guys, stop it,” Sandra said from under her curtain of hair.

“–doesn’t mean I have to walk around with it zipped up the rest of my life–”

“That’s not what we’re saying,” I said.

“Then what the hell are you saying?” Pia held herself as a friend might. Looked at me. She began to cry. My chest tightened to hear it. I thought, My God, sometimes we are closer than lovers, we female friends. And sure that scares men, but sometimes it scares us even more. “I’m telling you, this is so fucked…”

“What was your plan, Pia, for this trip?” Rachel said, her voice a touch more gentle.

“Plan?” Pia said sarcastically. “I was planning on having a wonderful time in nature with my friends. Evidently, that won’t be the case. Evidently, I’m going to be demonized for–”

“We were planning the same thing, Pia,” I said. “As girlfriends. No guy drama.”

So the group isn’t doing great when they embark on their adventure. At first things seem to go okay, but then tragedy strikes:

I had expected this book to be about four women who, lost in the wilderness, had to rely on each other to survive, and it largely is that. As a group they alternate between caring for each other the way only friends can (they all curl around Sandra, who is perpetually cold, warming her in, in a particularly touching scene), and tearing each other down, overwhelmed by the terror of their situation.

Then, much to my surprise, another creepier element was introduced. I’m adding it here as a spoiler so that readers who are on the fence can decide if they want to proceed. It’s definitely weird and could be nightmare-inducing.

The weirdness of the second twist worked for me though, and it certainly helped propel the story along. I finished The River at Night in one sitting, bleary-eyed and heart pounding when I’d finished. I may have said “holy shit.” From a suspense and pacing standpoint, this thriller is superb.

The only thing I didn’t care for was the end. There seemed to be a moral half-heartedly tacked on to the end of the story that felt out of place and didn’t make a ton of sense either. It isn’t how I’m used to thrillers wrapping up and it annoyed me a little.

If you aren’t afraid of Creepy Shit and you want a book that’s delightfully scary, a fast read, and focused on women coming together then I whole-heartedly recommend this book. If you like to hide under the covers during episodes of Dateline, you’ll probably want to give it a pass.