River Rampage

River Rampage is an incredibly fast paced and well written book that has more twists and turns then the Wild Colorado River. Traveling with Tony, Sam and Tyler is an action packed adventure that takes you on one of the fastest and most treacherous rivers in the world. After the first day, they are separated from the rest of the group and have to survive, where many don't. Along the way, they meet many new and even more dangerous surprises. Only through their quick wits and sheer determination can they hope to make it back home alive. With things getting steadily worse as they go along, do they have it in them to make it home?

I couldn't put this book down till I knew if they make the journey. What started as an adventure, quickly became show more a battle to live. With each turned page, it seemed things got more involved, each new surprise, more harrowing, and almost impossible for the boys to live to tell the tale.

By the end, surviving the raging river is the least of their problems as the odds against them mount.

Max Elliot Anderson has crafted a delicious tale that is enjoyable to the last bite show less

Do you think that you would enjoy going down a raging river on a raft? Twelve-year-old Sam Cooper and his family have moved to Harper’s Inlet on the Treasure Coast of Florida. His new friend, Tony Dodds, invites him and another friend, Tyler Peterson, to take a white-water rafting trip on the Colorado River in Utah with Tony’s Uncle Harlan. After some initial hesitation Sam’s parents give their permission, so Sam gets all his gear ready and Tony’s father drives the boys to Moab, UT. Everything is planned to make the trip as safe as possible, but the unexpected can always happen. And with Sam, Tony, and Tyler, it usually does.
The second day out, the rope tying the boys’ raft to the one ahead of it catches on a small log wedged show more into some rocks and snaps, leaving them stranded. Battling the raging waters in a raft that is punctured by a rock and is now taking on water, the three manage with great difficulty to bring the raft to shore in a very desolate place. Then when they try to walk out, they find themselves in a box canyon with a kindly old prospector named Gus who has found a gold mine but is trapped in by a group of motorcycle-riding claim jumpers. What can the boys and Gus do? Is anyone looking for them? Will they ever be able to escape?
If your tween boys, and girls too, like adventure and excitement, they simply have to try Max Elliot Anderson’s books. I’ve never read one that I didn’t like. There is nothing objectionable. Families are usually presented as father, mother, and children in loving relationships. That’s not to say the kids in them never face any problems, but there are always appropriate solutions which meet the needs. I like the way that Sam and his friends attend church services, believe in prayer, and look to God for guidance. Yet, the tone is not “preachy” but just filled with good, clean fun. Most of Anderson’s other books have had completely different characters and settings, so a series is a departure for his writing. Book number 1 of the Sam Cooper series is Lost Island Smugglers, which I have read, and book number 2 is Captain Jack’s Treasure, which I have not. show less

In this book we meet Tony’s uncle. Tony is one of Sam’s best friends. Tony’s uncle is a white water river guide. He invites Tony’s friends to go rafting with him. He talks to their parents, assuring them he will keep the boys safe. Their raft will be tied to his. This sounds safe enough so they consent. The second day out on the river things go horribly wrong. The rope breaks tethering them to the guide raft. They get left behind. They make it to land and find an old miner. The old miner has some claim jumpers trying to take his claim from him. The boys jump in to try to help him. Things go from bad to worse. Read the book to find out if they make their way out. Find out what true courage is and how prayer can help in any show more situation. Once again this was a book that I couldn’t put down. Max Anderson’s writing style is simple enough for reluctant readers and has all of the elements of mystery and adventure that will grab them and hold them until the end of the book.
In accordance with FCC rules: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. show less