A review by tashadandelion
Raft of Stars by Andrew J. Graff

adventurous emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Did you like Peter Heller's The River, or William Kent Krueger's This Tender Land? This is the book for you, if so. The story centers on Fish and Bread, two tweens who run away from home into the wilderness of northern Wisconsin after committing a sudden, violent crime. The adults in their lives who care quickly take off after them, with varying challenges preventing them from catching up to them in a timely fashion. There's the uneasy sheriff, Cal, who teams up with Fish's grandfather, Teddy, and there's Tiffany, a local woman and Miranda, Fish's mother who team up. The story moves around between all three pairings as they proceed through the woods and down a dangerous river with rapids and a water fall looming ever closer in the distance. Graff does a nice job of balancing the inner lives of these scared and desperate people against the taut and building tension and thrills.