This is a suspenseful page-turner that will especially appeal to kids who like canoeing, rafting, or outdoor adventures. Fourteen-year-old Dylan travels to Terilingua, Texas, so he can go whitewater rafting with his uncle and cousin, but it turns out his uncle has had to leave unexpectedly for work in Alaska. His cousin Rio talks him into taking the river trip anyway, but then everything starts to get weird. Black helicopters circling the river, talk of hostile drug lords, and then a suspect on the loose make Dylan and Rio extra cautious as they float down the Rio Grande, headed for the rapids. I didn’t want to put this one down. Fans of Gary Paulsen’s “Brian” books will probably like this and other titles by Will Hobbs.

Reviewed by Jennifer