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A Night Along the River
Some dreams warn you. Others pull you under.
Emma’s recurring dream began in childhood: a blizzard in a vast and open terrain. A feeling of impending doom—of having nowhere to go. No one coming to help. And then, a glimpse of hope in the form of a very large rock the size of a two-story house. It had rough edges and stuck out of the ground at an angle. If she could only reach the rock, she knew she’d be saved. But the dream never let her get there.
Now in her twenties, Emma’s world is shifting in ways she can’t explain. Her partner at the time seems perfect—charismatic, fit, and intellectual, with public speeches drawing a devoted following in their hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado—but something about him no longer feels familiar. And her beloved cat has disappeared without a trace.
On a group backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon, a single night along the Colorado River opens a truth buried deeper than Emma ever thought to look—one tied to her dreams, her partner’s detachment, and the story of her life she thought she understood.
A Night Along the River is a genre-bending psychological and metaphysical coming-of-age novel—an unforgettable story of adventure, growth, and love in the face of unexpected darkness, where the unrecognizable becomes familiar.
Emma’s recurring dream began in childhood: a blizzard in a vast and open terrain. A feeling of impending doom—of having nowhere to go. No one coming to help. And then, a glimpse of hope in the form of a very large rock the size of a two-story house. It had rough edges and stuck out of the ground at an angle. If she could only reach the rock, she knew she’d be saved. But the dream never let her get there.
Now in her twenties, Emma’s world is shifting in ways she can’t explain. Her partner at the time seems perfect—charismatic, fit, and intellectual, with public speeches drawing a devoted following in their hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado—but something about him no longer feels familiar. And her beloved cat has disappeared without a trace.
On a group backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon, a single night along the Colorado River opens a truth buried deeper than Emma ever thought to look—one tied to her dreams, her partner’s detachment, and the story of her life she thought she understood.
A Night Along the River is a genre-bending psychological and metaphysical coming-of-age novel—an unforgettable story of adventure, growth, and love in the face of unexpected darkness, where the unrecognizable becomes familiar.
304 pages, Paperback
Published May 10, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 6, 2025
I do feel bad giving this book a low score. Charlie Heidrick sponsored this giveaway on Goodreads and personally sent me a thank you note for being interested in the novel. A small gesture moved this book from low on my TBR pile to my "soon to be read."
The beginning started from multiple perspectives: Emma, Albert, Virgo, Amy, etc. That made it difficult for me to figure out which direction the novel was heading. When I finished, the beginning made more sense but I didn't think it was necessary for the flow of the novel. Additionally, the character themselves were chaotic in thoughts/actions and didn't have any character growth.
The boon is broken up in three parts, which helped break up the novel. I do feel like the end of part 2 was the climax of the novel.... then a random twist occurring in part 3 really wasn't necessary.
Overall, it's was a good conception but too much clutter. Hash it out a little bit, cut some side quests out, and character growth is almost it needed.
The beginning started from multiple perspectives: Emma, Albert, Virgo, Amy, etc. That made it difficult for me to figure out which direction the novel was heading. When I finished, the beginning made more sense but I didn't think it was necessary for the flow of the novel. Additionally, the character themselves were chaotic in thoughts/actions and didn't have any character growth.
The boon is broken up in three parts, which helped break up the novel. I do feel like the end of part 2 was the climax of the novel.... then a random twist occurring in part 3 really wasn't necessary.
Overall, it's was a good conception but too much clutter. Hash it out a little bit, cut some side quests out, and character growth is almost it needed.
September 29, 2025
In A Night Along the River by Charlie Heidrick, Emma’s life has always been shadowed by a recurring childhood dream: a vast blizzard, an overwhelming sense of doom, and a glimpse of salvation in the form of an unreachable rock jutting from the earth. Now in her twenties, living in Fort Collins with her charismatic partner Fredo, Emma feels her world shifting in ways she can’t explain. When her beloved cat disappears and her relationship begins to unravel, she joins a backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon. One night along the river changes everything, tying her dreams, her partner’s detachment, and her own identity into a truth she never expected to confront.
What stood out to me most was the dialogue. The conversations between characters felt natural, almost as if I could picture them happening in real life. I n contrast, Emma’s inner thoughts didn’t always feel believable; at times they came across as less like actual thought patterns and more like narration.
Overall, A Night Along the River is a genre-bending psychological novel with flashes of insight, natural dialogue, and strong connective threads, but it’s uneven. Some of the dreamlike and metaphysical elements never fully gelled with the rest of the story, and Emma’s responses occasionally felt unconvincing. That said, the novel succeeds in weaving together its prologue, characters, and themes into a cohesive whole, and it raises thoughtful questions about love, perception, and identity. For me, it was a mixed but worthwhile read.
Thank you to Charlie Heidrick for a copy of this book!
What stood out to me most was the dialogue. The conversations between characters felt natural, almost as if I could picture them happening in real life. I n contrast, Emma’s inner thoughts didn’t always feel believable; at times they came across as less like actual thought patterns and more like narration.
Overall, A Night Along the River is a genre-bending psychological novel with flashes of insight, natural dialogue, and strong connective threads, but it’s uneven. Some of the dreamlike and metaphysical elements never fully gelled with the rest of the story, and Emma’s responses occasionally felt unconvincing. That said, the novel succeeds in weaving together its prologue, characters, and themes into a cohesive whole, and it raises thoughtful questions about love, perception, and identity. For me, it was a mixed but worthwhile read.
Thank you to Charlie Heidrick for a copy of this book!
August 6, 2025
"A Night Along the River" curiously begins from the point of view of Virgo, a cat. The people she encounters as she tries to find her way back home creates an important chain of connections in the next part of this surreal, suspenseful novel.
Sometimes our dreams and nightmares enter our collective consciousness, such as the crashing planes on 9/11, which have haunted Emma for years. Attempting to make sense of the world, her boyfriend Fredo begins to give speeches in the town square, but his increasingly chaotic words inspire an almost cult following, and the sense of foreboding increases. When Emma's new friends invite her and Fredo to meet up with them on a hiking trip, seemingly random moments converge along the fierce Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
That's the second part of the novel. The third part explores the aftermath of these events, and it brings each character together in ways that are both inevitable and hopeful. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say that this new novelist creates a compelling balance of magical realism between the harsh reality of the 21st century and the extraordinary beauty that has evolved over eons, and still exists. You don't have to hike down the Grand Canyon to find what's in your dreams, but it's there.
PS: I received "A Night Along the River" through a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you!
Sometimes our dreams and nightmares enter our collective consciousness, such as the crashing planes on 9/11, which have haunted Emma for years. Attempting to make sense of the world, her boyfriend Fredo begins to give speeches in the town square, but his increasingly chaotic words inspire an almost cult following, and the sense of foreboding increases. When Emma's new friends invite her and Fredo to meet up with them on a hiking trip, seemingly random moments converge along the fierce Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
That's the second part of the novel. The third part explores the aftermath of these events, and it brings each character together in ways that are both inevitable and hopeful. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say that this new novelist creates a compelling balance of magical realism between the harsh reality of the 21st century and the extraordinary beauty that has evolved over eons, and still exists. You don't have to hike down the Grand Canyon to find what's in your dreams, but it's there.
PS: I received "A Night Along the River" through a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you!
August 21, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this.
A Night Along The River is a deep introspective look at how we are shaped by our fears and insecurities.
This story starts, somewhat unusually, from the perspective of Virgo the cat. Virgo is lost and trying to get back home and is helped along the way by two strangers.
The story then follow Emma who has regular nightmares of destruction, secretly listens into her boyfriend Fredo’s inspirational speeches and meets Joshua, a man with kind eyes while she is rock climbing.
Despite feeling like things in her relationship are not all well she decides to suggest to Fredo that they backpack and hike around the Grand Canyon. Although she fails to mention that Joshua and his friends Oliver and Jorge would also be hiking there.
What follows impacts the whole group and links Emma to her past, her future and people it seems she was always meant to find.
This story really demonstrates the growth and learning that the characters go through, it faces harsh realities and really dives deep into our conscious and subconscious thoughts. The prose was deep and poetic but at times I did find myself skipping over some of the long monologues that I didn’t feel added to the story.
This was interesting and gripping in ways I hadn’t expected from the start. There were twists and connections that really brought the whole thing together.
A Night Along The River is a deep introspective look at how we are shaped by our fears and insecurities.
This story starts, somewhat unusually, from the perspective of Virgo the cat. Virgo is lost and trying to get back home and is helped along the way by two strangers.
The story then follow Emma who has regular nightmares of destruction, secretly listens into her boyfriend Fredo’s inspirational speeches and meets Joshua, a man with kind eyes while she is rock climbing.
Despite feeling like things in her relationship are not all well she decides to suggest to Fredo that they backpack and hike around the Grand Canyon. Although she fails to mention that Joshua and his friends Oliver and Jorge would also be hiking there.
What follows impacts the whole group and links Emma to her past, her future and people it seems she was always meant to find.
This story really demonstrates the growth and learning that the characters go through, it faces harsh realities and really dives deep into our conscious and subconscious thoughts. The prose was deep and poetic but at times I did find myself skipping over some of the long monologues that I didn’t feel added to the story.
This was interesting and gripping in ways I hadn’t expected from the start. There were twists and connections that really brought the whole thing together.
August 23, 2025
At first, I wasn’t sure about this book. For me, the prologue was written in quite a rushed way and I was scared that the whole book would follow this style of writing. However, there was stark contrast between the prologue and the first chapter and luckily the writing improved very quickly.
The book is extremely thought-provoking and explores a darker side to mental health that is rarely explored in media. I love the way it explores how sometimes, people can get even more lost even if they think they’ve found their life’s calling.
The characters are so realistic and relatable and each one is distinct. It made immersion into the group easy. I especially like the mysterious twist with the dreams, where reality is blurred with fantasy ever so slightly in a way that keeps the plot grounded and realistic but still almost fantastical.
Overall, a great read! The ending is satisfying and ties everything up nicely. Would definitely recommend! The only thing I would whinge about, to be really nit-picky, is making sure the prologue is written in the same quality as the rest of the book, even though it’s just there for quick context. But it didn’t put me off the book at all!
The book is extremely thought-provoking and explores a darker side to mental health that is rarely explored in media. I love the way it explores how sometimes, people can get even more lost even if they think they’ve found their life’s calling.
The characters are so realistic and relatable and each one is distinct. It made immersion into the group easy. I especially like the mysterious twist with the dreams, where reality is blurred with fantasy ever so slightly in a way that keeps the plot grounded and realistic but still almost fantastical.
Overall, a great read! The ending is satisfying and ties everything up nicely. Would definitely recommend! The only thing I would whinge about, to be really nit-picky, is making sure the prologue is written in the same quality as the rest of the book, even though it’s just there for quick context. But it didn’t put me off the book at all!
May 1, 2026
I really wanted to like this book and kept hoping it would get better. It did not. None of the characters were very likable. I found myself questioning what the point of this book was at the end. The plot was not very well thought out, and the out of body experiences or visions or dreams or whatever the main character was experiencing were very confusing. I’m not sure how that tied in at all to the story.
August 4, 2025
Great book! Totally held my interest and was difficult to put the book down because I just wanted to keep going! Highly recommend this book with all its “coincidences” that brought together so much. Thank you to a Goodreads giveaway and the author for allowing me a chance to read this book for my honest opinion. Keep on writing Mr. Heidrick!
August 12, 2025
Won this book in a goodreads giveaway and I’m so glad I did. I never would’ve picked this book up but I loved it! A Night Along The River is unlike anything I’ve read before. The twists and turns and connections were really interesting. Couldn’t put it down. A fabulous debut novel! Looking forward to reading more from Charlie Heidrick in the future!
February 3, 2026
A Night Along the River had a very chaotic feel to it. The characters felt a bit cold and distant - but the story had enough twists and turns to keep me interested. I didn't really find myself invested in the book until part 2. Most of it felt all over the place and rambly - but overall, the story was good and I was glad I stuck with it.
August 24, 2025
thank you for writing your inner thoughts on so many of life's questions. it made me think about how much finding Jesus added to the peace in my life. I highly recommend you to look in that direction. good luck with your writing career.
September 13, 2025
Pretty good book it did take me awhile to get into it, but there’s lots of twists in this book that kept on calling me to continue reading and the way all the events connect was actually pretty amazing. Thank you for this Goodreads giveaway win.
May 21, 2025
Loved this book! Couldn’t put it down. It has character builds, twists and turns, and keeps you wanting more. Highly recommend!
August 18, 2025
A wonderful read!
November 23, 2025
not for me
I had such a hard time with this book. I’m not sure what the point was. This book was not at all for me
I had such a hard time with this book. I’m not sure what the point was. This book was not at all for me
December 1, 2025
💯💯💯💯💯
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ - 🎧
April 1, 2026
This was a very unique story. I didn’t go in with any particular expectations, but I also didn’t expect it being so dark or occasionally uncomfortable.
It was engaging and held my attention throughout, though the writing felt somewhat stiff at times, which occasionally gave it a translated feel.
The story touches on interesting themes, including the Dyatlov Pass incident, current social politics, and even incorporates some paranormal elements. It definitely made me think, though I’m not entirely sure what the author’s overall message was, if there even was a clear one or I’m just overthinking it.
I was satisfied with the ending and felt that everyone ultimately got what they deserved. Overall, it was a truly genre-bending read.
Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC!
It was engaging and held my attention throughout, though the writing felt somewhat stiff at times, which occasionally gave it a translated feel.
The story touches on interesting themes, including the Dyatlov Pass incident, current social politics, and even incorporates some paranormal elements. It definitely made me think, though I’m not entirely sure what the author’s overall message was, if there even was a clear one or I’m just overthinking it.
I was satisfied with the ending and felt that everyone ultimately got what they deserved. Overall, it was a truly genre-bending read.
Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC!
August 18, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book!!
My summary - Emma appears to be a lost girl, working at a coffee shop and unsure about her relationship with her proselytizing boyfriend, when she meets three friends who end up inviting her on a Grand Canyon backpacking trip, forever changing her life and the lives of all invited.
My review - A seemingly-benign story that has several intriguing plot points, including the thoughts of lost cat, Virgo, the possible cretin of a wannabe prophet, minor glimpse into approaching the Grand Canyon, and poignant commentary/observations on parts of life that we’ve probably thought about or said before, but maybe haven’t memorialized:
1. Things start to look weird after you’ve stared at them for too long
2. If you have a blessed raising, you’ll feel guilty about it for your whole life
Why I read - only through the good graces of NetGalley plus heady and backpacking
When to read - visiting Colorado Springs, where the book takes place, or backpacking in the Grand Canyon, of course!
My summary - Emma appears to be a lost girl, working at a coffee shop and unsure about her relationship with her proselytizing boyfriend, when she meets three friends who end up inviting her on a Grand Canyon backpacking trip, forever changing her life and the lives of all invited.
My review - A seemingly-benign story that has several intriguing plot points, including the thoughts of lost cat, Virgo, the possible cretin of a wannabe prophet, minor glimpse into approaching the Grand Canyon, and poignant commentary/observations on parts of life that we’ve probably thought about or said before, but maybe haven’t memorialized:
1. Things start to look weird after you’ve stared at them for too long
2. If you have a blessed raising, you’ll feel guilty about it for your whole life
Why I read - only through the good graces of NetGalley plus heady and backpacking
When to read - visiting Colorado Springs, where the book takes place, or backpacking in the Grand Canyon, of course!
August 25, 2025
2.5 stars rounded down - I received an advanced copy of this book
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews