River Boy

The book I chose to read and review was River Boy by Tim Bowler. It is a very interesting book to read which is very surprising to me because the cover made it seem like a boring book (never judge a book by it's cover. The story had a mystery to it that you couldn't figure out until the very end of the book. I like how the author used the river flowing like humans' life and death. Our birth is where the river forms and our struggles are like the rivers fast times and slow times and the river finally flows into the ocean, and that is our death. I enjoyed this book a lot and is now one of my favorite books. It must be good because it won the 1998 Carnegie medal (which is a medal for the best childrens book). It was a good book to me so I think reader age13-17 would enjoy it also.

The book is about Jess and her ill grandfather. Jess's grandfather just had a heart attack, but before dying, he wishes to complete a painting. To him, painting is like breathing, and w/o finishing it, he would die unfulfilled. The painting is named River Boy, and shortly after, Jess starts seeing this River Boy. For Jess, it is a long ride to let go of her grandfather and to understand the past of this mysterious "river boy".The book is a good quick read, so that afterwards you can reflect on its meaning. It has a slight deepness that's attractive, but not too much, so that it doesn't make the reader sink. Instead, it is slow, gentle, yet enticing. Enjoy it.

I think that this book is a must read. I found that I could never put it down- it was so gripping! I always wanted to know if Jess and her grandfather was alright. You can almost feel the same sort of anxiety that Jess was feeling. River Boy is a great book and I would recommend it strongly to anybody over the age of 12.

Tim Bowler portrays the relationship between Jess and her Grandpa with sensitivity but at no time does it become over-sentimental. There are many mystical, spiritual and emotional elements to this book that make it a book which is accessible on so many levels. I am 21 years old and read this book because I had to study it as part of my teaching degree but would definately put it into my top ten - it reminded me so much of my relationship with my own grandad. This will most certainly become a classic in children's literature

I am 12 years old and in my veiw this book was a well thourght out master piece ,and you must read it.