Review of The River by Peter Heller

As with many, if not most novels in the 21st century, Peter Heller's The Dog Stars was a mix of genres. Post-apocalypse, romance, and outdoor survival, Heller nevertheless told a traditional tale of heroism and honor that hearkened back to the golden era of fiction. Continuing in this vein with a more relatable apocalypse is The River (2019).

Best friends Jack and Wynn have set out into the deep wilderness of Canada for a two-week canoe trip. Dropped off in the middle of nowhere, they are surprised to to run into a couple of other parties also going down the river. They meet a pair of drunk rednecks, but they never meet the second pair.  Only the sound of the couple's arguments can be heard carrying through the trees. But nothing prepares Jack and Wynn for the forest fire which appears on the horizon. Outdoor veterans, they proceed carefully. But no matter how cautious they are, some things simply cannot be prepared for.

If The Dog Stars was anything, it was an easy read. Heller put everything on the page in clear, unambiguous form. The reader could relax and escape into the story without needing to puzzle things out. In The River, Heller changes the setting but retains the mode. The reader can once again sit back and be taken on a canoe trip that escalates into hell. It's good entertainment.

Likewise with The Dog Stars, Heller depends on a small handful of tried and trued plot devices guaranteed to generate drama. Suspense of disbelief required at the door, what starts as an honest wilderness journey slowly ramps up—domestic violence, rapists, and forest fires all coming out of the literal and proverbial wood work. It's a thriller through and through.

The River makes for good bedtime reading. Little concentration required, Heller takes readers on a dramatic ride through the Canadian wilderness . This reviewer will not be jumping on the “literary thriller” hype train.The fact that the outdoorsmen starring in the novel happen to be a little more cosmopolitan than the average lumberjack, and the fact that Heller parallels the loss of one of the main characters with losses that occur during the trip, does not make the novel 'literary'. This is entertainment—easy reading, engaging plot, and likely for an audience who likes outdoor activities.