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findingmontauk1's review against another edition
5.0
So much is nestled inside this novella by Jeremy Robert Johnson. It centers on grief, death, anguish, loss, pain, agony, guilt, and so much more. The lengths someone will go to for someone they love with every fiber of their being is on full display with In The River. I gasped and had my heart broken. One thing I loved most about this story is the format. It's like the way the words and pages are setup that it is a character all on its own. You'll see what I mean whenever you get this one. And you definitely should get this one! But do not just assume that this will be some easy, quick read to fill in between bigger books or to give yourself a break. This book will break YOU.
5 stars ðŸ˜ðŸ’”
5 stars ðŸ˜ðŸ’”
sjgomzi's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! I’m floored. One of my favorite books of the year so far. This one was so unexpected, and so completely different from his other works, and it’s going to haunt me for quite some time. Loved it!
lauriereadslohf's review against another edition
5.0
This little book looks innocuous enough, doesn’t it? Soothing waves of blue and green grace the cover. Perhaps it is about an adorable sea monster or maybe a meaner one who is crunching and munching its way through a bunch of B-movie characters who kind of, sort of deserve everything they get.
It isn’t either of those things.
In The River is a deadly serious examination of pain and madness and it is one of those books that will not leave you after you turn the last page. It seeps under your skin and even now, quite a few days later, the images and emotions still bubble to the surface of my brain and continue to haunt me. I assumed I was going to give it a read in-between the bigger books and move along feeling accomplished that I finished a book in a few hours. That didn’t happen. I finished it quickly enough because I had to know what happened but I found myself unable to start up anything else for several days and watched tv and listened to podcasts in order to clear my head instead.
So be warned, this one may be slight but it will wound you deeply and if it doesn’t I fear for you a little.
I can’t tell you much about the plot and honestly I am struggling with this review. I have put it off for days and days because I didn’t want to think about it. I’ll only say that it’s about a man and his boy and a fishing expedition that doesn’t end at all the way it should’ve ended. It hits you with a grueling image and prose that says only just enough to destroy you and just when you begin to believe that you’re ready to continue on and see where it leads and that you’ve perhaps recovered emotionally, it smacks you again with another terrible image for good measure. This is true horror, people, the kind that leaves scars on your soul.
In The River wasn’t an easy read but it was incredibly moving and incredibly painful and it made me feel all the anguish. This book gets all five stars. If you’re up for a good gutting, give it a read. I don’t think you’ll be sorry.
It isn’t either of those things.
In The River is a deadly serious examination of pain and madness and it is one of those books that will not leave you after you turn the last page. It seeps under your skin and even now, quite a few days later, the images and emotions still bubble to the surface of my brain and continue to haunt me. I assumed I was going to give it a read in-between the bigger books and move along feeling accomplished that I finished a book in a few hours. That didn’t happen. I finished it quickly enough because I had to know what happened but I found myself unable to start up anything else for several days and watched tv and listened to podcasts in order to clear my head instead.
So be warned, this one may be slight but it will wound you deeply and if it doesn’t I fear for you a little.
I can’t tell you much about the plot and honestly I am struggling with this review. I have put it off for days and days because I didn’t want to think about it. I’ll only say that it’s about a man and his boy and a fishing expedition that doesn’t end at all the way it should’ve ended. It hits you with a grueling image and prose that says only just enough to destroy you and just when you begin to believe that you’re ready to continue on and see where it leads and that you’ve perhaps recovered emotionally, it smacks you again with another terrible image for good measure. This is true horror, people, the kind that leaves scars on your soul.
In The River wasn’t an easy read but it was incredibly moving and incredibly painful and it made me feel all the anguish. This book gets all five stars. If you’re up for a good gutting, give it a read. I don’t think you’ll be sorry.
charmandareads's review against another edition
5.0
This book was incredibly intense, and evoked powerful emotions in me. It is written in a way that feels like I'm being pulled through the ebb and flow of a strong river, however the story it has to tell is absolutely heart-wrenching. A little supernatural based in very natural fact. 10/10 would recommend.
jess_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
This is a novella about loss, how it impacts us, and the lengths that we are willing to go to for those that we love. Every parent’s nightmare has happened. While out on a father/son fishing lesson, a man watches his child be taken by a creature of the river. Within moments his life changes forever. In the father’s mind the only way to rectify his loss is to set out on a voyage into madness; a voyage of revenge upon the creature that stole his heart.
IN THE RIVER brings to life a mixture of horror, fantasy, and emotions that will linger with you after you finish reading. What starts out as an idyllic fishing lesson between father and son, quickly becomes the nightmare of any parent. The father’s journey to find the creature that stole the life of his son brings the reader into a world steeped in folklore and fantasy. At times I wasn’t sure what was real and what was a hallucination of the father. What I do know to be real are the emotions that Johnson made me feel. My heart broke repeatedly while reading this novella and I could truly sympathize with the father’s passion in seeking revenge on the river creature.
Johnson’s ability to make me feel such rich emotions, while also making me worry and fear for the father, is a true testament of how well this novella is written. Everything is so intricately detailed while somehow avoiding getting trapped in the weeds of too much information. Even the formatting of the pages help to build tension and bring the story to life. I am thrilled that I already have ENTROPY IN BLOOM on my shelf, so that I can continue reading more of Johnson’s work!
IN THE RIVER brings to life a mixture of horror, fantasy, and emotions that will linger with you after you finish reading. What starts out as an idyllic fishing lesson between father and son, quickly becomes the nightmare of any parent. The father’s journey to find the creature that stole the life of his son brings the reader into a world steeped in folklore and fantasy. At times I wasn’t sure what was real and what was a hallucination of the father. What I do know to be real are the emotions that Johnson made me feel. My heart broke repeatedly while reading this novella and I could truly sympathize with the father’s passion in seeking revenge on the river creature.
Johnson’s ability to make me feel such rich emotions, while also making me worry and fear for the father, is a true testament of how well this novella is written. Everything is so intricately detailed while somehow avoiding getting trapped in the weeds of too much information. Even the formatting of the pages help to build tension and bring the story to life. I am thrilled that I already have ENTROPY IN BLOOM on my shelf, so that I can continue reading more of Johnson’s work!
tracyreads's review against another edition
5.0
This was my introduction to the fiction of Jeremy Robert Johnson, and what an intro it was. I completely devoured this novella, lost in the concise yet lyrical prose and the heart-shattering events within the pages.
As an English instructor myself, I sometimes find it difficult to "turn off" that part of my brain when I read, especially when it comes to shorter fiction. It really is crucial to make every word count - to be precise when needed and to also know when to elongate those descriptions to make a deeper impact. Or even, at times, to say the most with the least. I did not have any occasion in which "teacher me" took over. Johnson really excels in this story by hitting that sweet spot of knowing when to elaborate and when to back off and let the story and characters just wash over the reader.
I don't want to say to much about the plot here. This book is devastating, yet beautiful; simple, yet elegant.I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to an author and his voice/work.
As an English instructor myself, I sometimes find it difficult to "turn off" that part of my brain when I read, especially when it comes to shorter fiction. It really is crucial to make every word count - to be precise when needed and to also know when to elongate those descriptions to make a deeper impact. Or even, at times, to say the most with the least. I did not have any occasion in which "teacher me" took over. Johnson really excels in this story by hitting that sweet spot of knowing when to elaborate and when to back off and let the story and characters just wash over the reader.
I don't want to say to much about the plot here. This book is devastating, yet beautiful; simple, yet elegant.I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to an author and his voice/work.
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