The River at Night

Heroine Wini feels disillusioned with her graphic design job, and wondered how long she "forced the square of my creativity into the round hole of graphic design." She sarcastically, or perhaps realistically, says "I'd been whoring up the imperfect for a paycheck for so long I couldn't face the real anymore." Not being a fan of excessive photoshopping, I appreciate this. Having gone through some traumatic losses and needing to literally & figuratively get away, Wini reluctantly agrees to an adventurous girls weekend with her BFFs. 
The friends are divided between being either cautious or a risk taker, and it's interesting to see how they handle each other in the situation they find themselves in. 

I like the honest way Wini calls bullshit on Pia's claimed desire to get off the grid, thinking she doesn't need anyone or anything. She isn't afraid to be truthful about her friends addictions, saying "addictions to me felt adolescent at our stage in life as harsh and unfeeling as that sounds." Wini goes on to explain that loneliness, career obsolescence and midlife dread haunt her. With dying parents, divorces and problem teens, who had time for addiction, she wondered.    

Author Erica Ferencik painted the road trip scene quite well, starting in the big city of Boston, to their journey through smaller cities and country towns, then eventually to their remote, isolated destination. She did this with nameless stores which give the very bare bones descriptions. The friends knew they were in the boondocks with one name signs on stores: GUNS. FOOD. MOTEL.  

Things get complicated when they reach their destination to meet their guide, and then even further craziness ensues when they begin white water rafting, making for a captivating story. 

Keeping with the water theme, The River at Night flowed easily, and I found myself eager to follow along & find out what would happen next. I was kept on edge and enjoyed the twists that Ferencik gave us. 

I received my copy of The River at Night in a GoodReads giveaway. 

Until next time,

Kara