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The Poison River #1
Downriver
A sulfur sky poisoned her family and her heart. Now revenge tastes sweeter than justice.
It’s 1900. In a Pennsylvania coal town tainted by corruption and pollution, Charlotte's world collapses when her parents meet a tragic end. Sent to a foster family in a Maryland fishing village, she’s fueled by grief and embarks on a relentless quest for justice against the ruthless coal boss, Nels Pritchard.
But Charlotte is no ordinary girl. She shares the fiery spirit of her father, whose powerful speeches inspired worker riots. With a burning desire for vengeance, she sets out to uncover the truth behind Pritchard's crimes, unearthing a shocking connection between the town's toxic air and the lifeless fish washing up on the shore of her Chesapeake Bay foster town.
To expose the truth, Charlotte builds a network of unexpected allies. There are gutsy suffragists, a literary society of teenage girls willing to print the truth… and Weylan. The captivating young man lost his own family to Pritchard’s poison. He offers support, but Charlotte questions his true motives when he lures her to break the law. Could she be falling into a dangerous trap, leading her to a fate worse than poison?
With her unwavering spirit and determination, Charlotte must forge alliances and navigate a web of treachery before Pritchard seeks his own ruthless revenge.
The newest book by award-winning author Jennifer M. Lane is perfect for fans of Jeannette Walls’ Hang the Moon and the fiery protagonist in The Hunger Games. Join Charlotte in this small town, coming-of-age dystopian historical saga as she finds resilience, courage, and triumph in her search for identity, independence, and her true home.
It’s 1900. In a Pennsylvania coal town tainted by corruption and pollution, Charlotte's world collapses when her parents meet a tragic end. Sent to a foster family in a Maryland fishing village, she’s fueled by grief and embarks on a relentless quest for justice against the ruthless coal boss, Nels Pritchard.
But Charlotte is no ordinary girl. She shares the fiery spirit of her father, whose powerful speeches inspired worker riots. With a burning desire for vengeance, she sets out to uncover the truth behind Pritchard's crimes, unearthing a shocking connection between the town's toxic air and the lifeless fish washing up on the shore of her Chesapeake Bay foster town.
To expose the truth, Charlotte builds a network of unexpected allies. There are gutsy suffragists, a literary society of teenage girls willing to print the truth… and Weylan. The captivating young man lost his own family to Pritchard’s poison. He offers support, but Charlotte questions his true motives when he lures her to break the law. Could she be falling into a dangerous trap, leading her to a fate worse than poison?
With her unwavering spirit and determination, Charlotte must forge alliances and navigate a web of treachery before Pritchard seeks his own ruthless revenge.
The newest book by award-winning author Jennifer M. Lane is perfect for fans of Jeannette Walls’ Hang the Moon and the fiery protagonist in The Hunger Games. Join Charlotte in this small town, coming-of-age dystopian historical saga as she finds resilience, courage, and triumph in her search for identity, independence, and her true home.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2024
152 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer M. Lane
12 books44 followersA Maryland native and Pennsylvanian at heart, Jennifer M. Lane holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Barton College and a master's in liberal arts with a focus on museum studies from the University of Delaware, where she wrote her thesis on the material culture of roadside memorials. Her interest in writing historical fiction is rooted in her research of historic house museum residents and building interpretive plans. She is a member of the Authors Guild and the Historical Novel Society.
Lane's debut book, Of Metal and Earth, won the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Award for First Novel and was a finalist in the 2018 IAN awards for General / Literary fiction.
She is also the author of Stick Figures from Rockport; the six-book series of The Collected Stories of Ramsbolt; Downriver and Upstream, the Poison River Duology; and the upcoming Tinker, an alternate historical romance.
Lane's debut book, Of Metal and Earth, won the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Award for First Novel and was a finalist in the 2018 IAN awards for General / Literary fiction.
She is also the author of Stick Figures from Rockport; the six-book series of The Collected Stories of Ramsbolt; Downriver and Upstream, the Poison River Duology; and the upcoming Tinker, an alternate historical romance.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 27, 2024
Well, I didn't know what to expect, but this novel blew my mind! I ended up reading it in one go.
Right from the beginning, we are thrown into young Charlotte's story at a time when her emotions are frayed. Having just lost one parent after another, she and her fifteen-year-old brother, Emmett, are forced to leave their home with only their clothes. Their father, a miner who'd been organising gatherings to demand better rights for workers, succumbed to a strange illness that had also claimed their mother.
They were fortunate in that a couple came forward to raise them together – in a town called North East, in Maryland, by the end of Chesapeake Bay. The threat of being separated had been averted. But when they arrive in town, the rude treatment by a town bully makes Charlie wonder where they ended up. Then they arrive at the Ryans' grimy, almost dilapidated house, and her heart sinks.
Still, they were together and had a roof over their heads. What could possibly be worse? When Finn Ryan reveals his true character, she knows. Reining in her temper is hard, but when her otherwise quiet brother loses his temper, she knows she can't sit still and bear it.
Charlie is also keen to seek revenge on Pritchard, the owner of the mine, local railways, and much of the land their home town is built on. She blames Pritchard for her parents' death, and for somehow creating an unhealthy air that hangs over the town. But she has no proof.
However, she soon discovers that her new place has similar issues. The locals live under the thumb of the mayor, Whitaker. And together with the chief of the local police, people are living in fear of being falsely accused. And why are so many fish washing up, dead? Are they sick? Or is it something far more sinister?
When she becomes friends with a group of local girls, she discovers that beneath North East's scared surface bubbles a silent resistance. Women are not allowed to gather, by decree of the mayor, Whitaker. But they do, and they're plotting!
She joins the girls' literary group, and – as she used to write her father's rousing speeches – an idea forms in her head. What if all those done wrong in this town had their stories published, anonymously, in writing?
Will Charlie succeed in rousing the people of North East to rally against their oppressor, just as her father had done back home? Or will the backlash destroy her life? Well, I would suggest you read the novel!
~~
Downriver is a fast-paced drama that has you turning the pages quickly, just to find out what happens next. The narrative is close first-person, and we get a real sense of Charlie's conflicting emotions. She is still under age, one year away from finishing school, but she has suffered much through her parents' last months as they were dying before her eyes, and looking after her brother at the same time.
So it's not surprising that she is hot-headed, defensive, and, at times, bullish in response. She's feisty, intelligent, and determined to have her revenge. Her love for her brother is all-consuming, yet she comes to realise that he is also growing up fast, and he must be able make his own decisions, even where she strongly disagrees. It's a tough learning curve, as is loosening her ingrained sense of distrust.
Determined to make a life for herself, running a business, she struggles with the romantic attentions she receives from Weylan, a quiet boy who seemed to run with the crowd, but only on the periphery. And her feelings towards him display the fight inside of her really well: gaining her independence or risk becoming dependent on someone else, something she swore she'd never do.
I really liked Charlie, as she openly shows all the human emotions you find in situations like hers. She is kind to her brother and friends, matter-of-factly to adults who patronise her, and fierce when facing her enemies, almost to the point of self-destruction. And enemies she has!
The locations and setting are very well-researched, as is the background into mining communities in Pennsylvania at the time. The plot points at the lack of workers' and women's rights, and the environmental impact of mining portrayed in the novel creates an underlying (fictional) threat to people's very existence not only inside the mines, but also in their home environment, and beyond. It is ever-present, which adds a strong sense of urgency and danger to the already intelligent plot.
Much has changed since the early 1900s, of course, but we know that, in many places, these practices still exist, where the greed for profit covers up environmental disasters (the horrific events in Aberfan in Wales, UK in 1966 spring to mind, as do companies' discharge of environmentally dangerous liquids into rivers, or children working in lithium and diamond mines). The world still needs a Charlie to shake us all awake!
This is the first novel in an intriguing and exciting new series, and I can't wait to read the next instalment. Please hurry, Ms Lane!
Highly recommended.
Right from the beginning, we are thrown into young Charlotte's story at a time when her emotions are frayed. Having just lost one parent after another, she and her fifteen-year-old brother, Emmett, are forced to leave their home with only their clothes. Their father, a miner who'd been organising gatherings to demand better rights for workers, succumbed to a strange illness that had also claimed their mother.
They were fortunate in that a couple came forward to raise them together – in a town called North East, in Maryland, by the end of Chesapeake Bay. The threat of being separated had been averted. But when they arrive in town, the rude treatment by a town bully makes Charlie wonder where they ended up. Then they arrive at the Ryans' grimy, almost dilapidated house, and her heart sinks.
Still, they were together and had a roof over their heads. What could possibly be worse? When Finn Ryan reveals his true character, she knows. Reining in her temper is hard, but when her otherwise quiet brother loses his temper, she knows she can't sit still and bear it.
Charlie is also keen to seek revenge on Pritchard, the owner of the mine, local railways, and much of the land their home town is built on. She blames Pritchard for her parents' death, and for somehow creating an unhealthy air that hangs over the town. But she has no proof.
However, she soon discovers that her new place has similar issues. The locals live under the thumb of the mayor, Whitaker. And together with the chief of the local police, people are living in fear of being falsely accused. And why are so many fish washing up, dead? Are they sick? Or is it something far more sinister?
When she becomes friends with a group of local girls, she discovers that beneath North East's scared surface bubbles a silent resistance. Women are not allowed to gather, by decree of the mayor, Whitaker. But they do, and they're plotting!
She joins the girls' literary group, and – as she used to write her father's rousing speeches – an idea forms in her head. What if all those done wrong in this town had their stories published, anonymously, in writing?
Will Charlie succeed in rousing the people of North East to rally against their oppressor, just as her father had done back home? Or will the backlash destroy her life? Well, I would suggest you read the novel!
~~
Downriver is a fast-paced drama that has you turning the pages quickly, just to find out what happens next. The narrative is close first-person, and we get a real sense of Charlie's conflicting emotions. She is still under age, one year away from finishing school, but she has suffered much through her parents' last months as they were dying before her eyes, and looking after her brother at the same time.
So it's not surprising that she is hot-headed, defensive, and, at times, bullish in response. She's feisty, intelligent, and determined to have her revenge. Her love for her brother is all-consuming, yet she comes to realise that he is also growing up fast, and he must be able make his own decisions, even where she strongly disagrees. It's a tough learning curve, as is loosening her ingrained sense of distrust.
Determined to make a life for herself, running a business, she struggles with the romantic attentions she receives from Weylan, a quiet boy who seemed to run with the crowd, but only on the periphery. And her feelings towards him display the fight inside of her really well: gaining her independence or risk becoming dependent on someone else, something she swore she'd never do.
I really liked Charlie, as she openly shows all the human emotions you find in situations like hers. She is kind to her brother and friends, matter-of-factly to adults who patronise her, and fierce when facing her enemies, almost to the point of self-destruction. And enemies she has!
The locations and setting are very well-researched, as is the background into mining communities in Pennsylvania at the time. The plot points at the lack of workers' and women's rights, and the environmental impact of mining portrayed in the novel creates an underlying (fictional) threat to people's very existence not only inside the mines, but also in their home environment, and beyond. It is ever-present, which adds a strong sense of urgency and danger to the already intelligent plot.
Much has changed since the early 1900s, of course, but we know that, in many places, these practices still exist, where the greed for profit covers up environmental disasters (the horrific events in Aberfan in Wales, UK in 1966 spring to mind, as do companies' discharge of environmentally dangerous liquids into rivers, or children working in lithium and diamond mines). The world still needs a Charlie to shake us all awake!
This is the first novel in an intriguing and exciting new series, and I can't wait to read the next instalment. Please hurry, Ms Lane!
Highly recommended.
October 12, 2024
Downriver, written by Jennifer M. Lane, is a historical fiction book with main character Charlie. The book begins with Charlie and Emmett, after their parents pass away and they are forced into foster care. But once they go to their new home, Charlie is beginning to recognize some similarities in the communities, and maybe a connection to what led to her parents deaths.
I greatly enjoyed this book. I loved seeing how Charlie supported her family, and appreciated how other families and friends helped Charlie as well. I appreciated the bits of history in the book, including the talk last suffragettes, and what Charlie and her friends had to do to be listened to. I also feel that this book has some connections to our current political climate, and might be enjoyed by those interested in environmental activism.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I greatly enjoyed this book. I loved seeing how Charlie supported her family, and appreciated how other families and friends helped Charlie as well. I appreciated the bits of history in the book, including the talk last suffragettes, and what Charlie and her friends had to do to be listened to. I also feel that this book has some connections to our current political climate, and might be enjoyed by those interested in environmental activism.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
May 28, 2024
Well, I may not have grown up in a “coal town” that is described in this story, I live in a town of coal miners. In our state history class in school, we learned of the poor working conditions, the poor health, and the strikes that went along with that. Reading this reminded me so much of that, even though they moved out of state and into a similar situation from a different source. No matter where you go, it seems that the rich want to get richer and walk over anyone in their way.
I found this to be a quick read- I read it in an afternoon. It was easy to follow and had great character development. I can’t wait to see what’s in store next for Charlie and Emmitt.
I found this to be a quick read- I read it in an afternoon. It was easy to follow and had great character development. I can’t wait to see what’s in store next for Charlie and Emmitt.
November 22, 2025
This story follows Charlotte after she loses her family while living in a coal town in Pennsylvania. Her quest for justice leaves her overwhelmed with hate, and her constant look backward keeps her from living. She must learn how to fight for what’s right while also accepting new people she cares about into her life. This is a wonderful historical fiction that examines what lengths one will go to make sure those who are harming others will be stopped. I loved Lane’s writing showing her tenacity, emotional depth, and courage.
May 30, 2024
It’s been awhile since I’ve read historical fiction and this book had me locked in quick. As someone who just moved to the Chesapeake Bay Area recently this was highly intriguing to read and know that it draws from a lot of very real historical events and places. The FMC was everything you’d want in a protagonist that’s seeking justice and solving the mysteries surrounding her town and circumstance. For historical fiction fans this isn’t a book you want to miss!
June 15, 2024
Downriver is a great read. I finished it in one day. It has an interesting cast of characters and an engaging plot, and it is generally well-written. Though there were some distracting anachronistic phrases, and I thought the resolve in the story came too easily, it was overall a very good read. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!
I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to BookSirens, Jennifer M. Lane, and the publisher.
I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to BookSirens, Jennifer M. Lane, and the publisher.
July 5, 2024
I think I would have rated this higher if I had read it as a teenager. I really like the premise but I had a difficult time staying focused. There was a lot of redundancy, my biggest pet peeve with books. I did enjoy her character development. There was a couple times I had to re-read several sentences because I couldn't understand what was being said. Better editing would have raised this to 5 stars. I received this book free of charge as an ARC. I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
July 3, 2024
I just need to preface with this is NOT my genre, but even still Jennifer has a way with words that I found myself so incredibly interested in the story and the journey along the way.
If you want a picture painted, a coming of age, a strong FMC that is just trying to do the best she, and a heartwarming story? This one is for you 🥰
If you want a picture painted, a coming of age, a strong FMC that is just trying to do the best she, and a heartwarming story? This one is for you 🥰
August 31, 2024
Downriver by Jennifer M. Lane is an empowering read with strong, determined heroines and is suitable for those who appreciate stories of resilience, courage, and the unbreakable human spirit. It is a young adult dystopian and historical fiction with a focus on female empowerment and coming-of-age themes.
March 11, 2025
Charlotte and her friends fight big business and government corruption the only way they know how- by starting a newspaper.
This is a story that could be told today just as easily as it could at the turn of the 20th century. Unfortunately, greed is eternal, so it's more important than ever to fight it.
We could use more Charlottes now. The world would be a better place.
This is a story that could be told today just as easily as it could at the turn of the 20th century. Unfortunately, greed is eternal, so it's more important than ever to fight it.
We could use more Charlottes now. The world would be a better place.
June 1, 2024
I had to dnf the book just really in my opinion of Pennsylvania coal towns and that’s where I grew up my grandfather retired from the mine after 45 years of making his living this book just made it sound like we were nothing but dirt
June 4, 2024
This is an easy read for teens and above, it is fast paced and. Has a bit of political corruption content.
I really liked that the story was fast paced, well written and described political corruption in an easier to understand context.
I really liked that the story was fast paced, well written and described political corruption in an easier to understand context.
December 10, 2024
This is a YA book and I read it for a bookclub. I really didn’t like it. The main character in the book is obnoxious and in my opinion is acting like a stubborn brat.
It could have been a more interesting story. It wasn’t.
It could have been a more interesting story. It wasn’t.
December 29, 2025
Great hook at the beginning of the story and well-written! I was intrigued from the beginning. As the story went on, it became more apparent that the book was written for a younger audience. I still enjoyed it and have recommended it to my two teenage granddaughters.
December 8, 2024
I read this book for book club and I think we'll have a very interesting discussion about it. I found the story very engaging and often had trouble putting it down.
Read
December 14, 2024DNF
May 6, 2025
#coal #historicalfiction #bingedbook 5 stars. #youngadult #triggerwarning #downriver #thepoisonriverseries #jennifermlane #strongfemaleprotagonist
September 22, 2025
A stirring environmental story
The writing carries you along. People and places are vivid. Our heroine is admirable. In places the pace is slow but I would recommend this book.
The writing carries you along. People and places are vivid. Our heroine is admirable. In places the pace is slow but I would recommend this book.
May 27, 2024
Downriver captivated me from start to finish. Downriver is a historical fiction that has strong environmental justice and mystery vibes. Set in 1900, the main character, Charlie, has to move to be able to stay with her brother in the foster care system after her parents both die with illnesses caused by the pollution from the mines near-by. When they get to their new home, they discover that their problems may have followed them.
As someone who has studied similar real-life cases for her career, this book covered a topic I am personally very passionate about: what do you do when the air you breathe and the water you drink is poisoned? The mystery and activism in this story will have you hooked.
As someone who has studied similar real-life cases for her career, this book covered a topic I am personally very passionate about: what do you do when the air you breathe and the water you drink is poisoned? The mystery and activism in this story will have you hooked.
May 10, 2025
I received an advance review copy from Pen and Key Publishing and the author Jennifer M. Lane. I am providing a voluntary review, and all opinions in this review are my own.
❤️Young Adult
❤️Historical Fiction
❤️Dystopian
❤️Coming of Age
❤️Found Family
❤️Political
This story is truly readable and relatable. How many times do we hear, read, or witness the top 1% of society scheming and manipulating the poor to maintain their wealth. Even though this story takes place in the 1900s east coast, it is still relevant to today.
The protagonist, Charlotte, orphaned and promising to protect her younger brother, finds herself fighting on multiple fronts in their new city and home. The biggest hurtle she faces is that women aren't respected and have rules applied to them that don't apply to the men. Charlotte will not be deterred. Charlotte's characterization is well developed throughout the story. She is fiercely loyal, perceptive, and persistent. I look forward to reading the next book and discovering the truth through Charlotte's eyes.
What keeps this from being a 5 star read for me is that I would love more descriptions of settings and more development of characters. Even though it is Charlotte's point of view, I feel like the reader could still learn about some other characters a little more.
❤️Young Adult
❤️Historical Fiction
❤️Dystopian
❤️Coming of Age
❤️Found Family
❤️Political
This story is truly readable and relatable. How many times do we hear, read, or witness the top 1% of society scheming and manipulating the poor to maintain their wealth. Even though this story takes place in the 1900s east coast, it is still relevant to today.
The protagonist, Charlotte, orphaned and promising to protect her younger brother, finds herself fighting on multiple fronts in their new city and home. The biggest hurtle she faces is that women aren't respected and have rules applied to them that don't apply to the men. Charlotte will not be deterred. Charlotte's characterization is well developed throughout the story. She is fiercely loyal, perceptive, and persistent. I look forward to reading the next book and discovering the truth through Charlotte's eyes.
What keeps this from being a 5 star read for me is that I would love more descriptions of settings and more development of characters. Even though it is Charlotte's point of view, I feel like the reader could still learn about some other characters a little more.
April 21, 2025
This is a historical fiction, if we go by strict genre but it’s also a bildungsroman, a love story, and political fiction. Charlie, orphaned at 16, moves to a foster home with her brother, to figure out life after a lot of people in her coal town, including her parents, get ill and die. Moving downriver, she finds the political games of the rich and powerful politicians and the suffering of the common people are almost the same in this new town too. And so, she does a lot of growing up between the ages 16 and 18, as she makes new friends, finds new family, and stands up for what she knows to be right - and there’s a love story in here too, but I won’t spoil it by saying who/when/where ;) Definitely want to read the sequel!
The story is fast-paced, and was an easy-read - very suitable for teens and upwards. What I especially appreciated with this novel is how it centres the eco disasters that are caused by human exploitation, which inevitably boomerang on the people themselves.
Thanks so much to BookSirens and Jennifer M. Lane for the free ARC!
The story is fast-paced, and was an easy-read - very suitable for teens and upwards. What I especially appreciated with this novel is how it centres the eco disasters that are caused by human exploitation, which inevitably boomerang on the people themselves.
Thanks so much to BookSirens and Jennifer M. Lane for the free ARC!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews