Book Review: Escape Through the Wilderness by Gary Rodriguez

Title: Escape Through the Wilderness
Author: Gary Rodriguez
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Pages: 254
Genre: Teens/Children
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Book Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Savannah Evans walks with a slight limp thanks to a gymnastics’ accident that dashed her Olympic dreams, but didn’t stop her from attending an adventure camp in Idaho. At Camp Arrowhead, she quickly befriends Jade Chang and Rico Cruz, but Conner Swift taunts Savi because of her injury.

When the four are teamed together for an overnight white-water river rafting adventure, Savi refuses to get in the same raft with Conner. Unfortunately, the director will not reassign her.

A fun expedition down the river turns into a nightmare when their raft slams into a huge rock and their adult guide disappears down the river.

Without their guide and desperately trying to steer an out-of-control raft, they pass the “last chance” marker and enter the larger rapids. With Jade pinned between the raft and a rock, and Rico clinging to a lifeline, Savi must cut the raft free.

When the four drag themselves out of the river, they’re bruised, beaten, lost, and twenty-five miles from camp. Because of late-night campfire tales of Vexel, a vicious animal that roams the nearby woods, Savi and the others are terrified.

Savi becomes the unlikely leader who tries to guide the group back to Camp Arrowhead. Limited supplies, injuries, and the constant threat of Vexel—who Savi fears is stalking them, complicate the harrowing return trip.

Readers will enjoy dramatic survival scenes and the group working together, solving problems, and learning to overcome adversity.

For More Information

• Escape Through the Wilderness is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
• Purchase at Book Daily.
• Check out the book at Tate Publishing.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

My Review:

Camping was my all time passion when I was a child.  This was one reason why I requested Gary Rodriguez's latest book, Escape Through the Mountain.  Plus I had heard great things about it and I was dying to review it mainly because it was YA and the book summary sounded exactly what I would want to read if I were a young adult.

The book centers around sixteen-year-old Savi who I just adored.  She goes to Camp Arrowhead and meets up with Jade and Rico who become her best buds.  As with any camps, you're going to have your camp bully and that was Conner who constantly belittles Savi.  The book swiftly moves on to the overnight white water rafting trip that goes terribly wrong and the teens are forced to find their way back to the camp knowing that Vexel might be lurking around any corner.

What I loved about the book is it gives the reader ideas on survival even if you're not a young adult.  The action was coming right and left and I couldn't put the book down and this is huge because I'm such a multi-tasker and can't stay on one project for very long before I'm off to the next one.  What I also liked about this book was the writing style.  I'm a stickler for picking out typos - comes with the profession I guess - but I didn't have time nor did I find any because I was that engrossed in the book.  I simply loved it.

This made for a delightfully adventurous tale.  If your teen loves reading about camp adventures and learning survival techniques, this would definitely be a wonderful book for them to read.  That is, if they aren't afraid of Vexels.

I give this book 5 book trees.