A quicksand of secrets lurks near the muddy shores of a young girl’s beloved river.On a rainy, moonless night in rural Mississippi, fourteen-year-old Missy Needham witnesses a brutal murder. Leaving her pa's heirloom pocket knife at the river and going back to retrieve it was the biggest mistake she ever made because the killer spotted her. Now her life and her pa's are in danger.
Missy soon discovers a web of victimization hiding under the surface of their quiet town. Looking for answers, she forms a motley alliance with a school bully, a friendly nerd, and a rage-filled roommate.
At a final stand-off with the murderer, Missy will have to remember lessons she learned at the river to survive.
i couldn’t put the book down as the suspense grew and got more and more entangled and exciting. The plot rolled around in my mind long after I finished reading the book. Very well written.
I thoroughly enjoyed this coming of age story by Laurel Thomas. What a master wordsmith she is! The images her words painted really brought the story to life, and the page-turning storyline kept me engaged throughout. Danger and mystery and secrets from the get-go. A couple of issues I had with the book kept it from being a perfect 5 star read for me, but I’d give it 4.5 if I could :)
River's Call is full of authentic and engaging characters, written in a warm, beautiful voice. It distracted me from my to-do list and it made me cry, so it passed my litmus tests for a great read. The story is clean and uplifting, but the portrayal of human nature still rings true. It's honest writing about what's hard and what's good.
An enjoyable read! River's Call reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird, yet unique in its own way. Laurel handles the English language beautifully. The plot pulled me further into the story. I gave it four stars, but would have loved a 4.5 option. There were one or two spots where the solution seemed a little too simple or expected. Otherwise, this is a five-star. Enjoy reading River's Call!
A captivating story with attention to detail! Laurel Thomas pulls you into the story of Missy Needham, a fourteen-year-old girl, in this suspense that takes place in a rural Mississippi town. Love the vivid descriptions! Missy is a super relatable character in the way she interacts with the various characters in this story! Add to your TBR list!
River's Call by Laurel Thomas is full of suspense and kept me turning the page until the end. The characters are well developed, especially Missy, as she gets deeper into trouble the more she tries to protect the people around her. I can't wait to read the next book by this author!