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Follow the Water: The Unbelievable True Story of a Teenager's Survival in the Amazon
A captivating and incredible true story about a girl who fell out of a plane over the Amazon—and walked out of the jungle eleven days later, perfect for fans of Hatchet and graduates of the I Survived series.
On Christmas Eve 1971, seventeen-year-old Juliane Koepcke and her mother boarded a plane in Lima, Peru, bound for their home at the Panguana Research station deep in the Amazon. Twenty minutes from landing, the plane was struck by lightning, and Juliane hurtled two miles down through the rainforest canopy, crashing on the jungle floor.
She woke up the next day with a broken collarbone, missing her glasses and one shoe, but incredibly, miraculously, alive. Pulling on every bit of knowledge her rainforest-studying parents imparted to her, she journeyed through the danger-filled jungle for eleven days. She was the sole survivor.
Complete with sidebars that explore and explain the science that allowed Juliane to survive her fall, the diversity of life in the Amazon jungle, the natural history of Peru and much more, Follow the Water is a powerful and unforgettable true story of survival against all odds.
On Christmas Eve 1971, seventeen-year-old Juliane Koepcke and her mother boarded a plane in Lima, Peru, bound for their home at the Panguana Research station deep in the Amazon. Twenty minutes from landing, the plane was struck by lightning, and Juliane hurtled two miles down through the rainforest canopy, crashing on the jungle floor.
She woke up the next day with a broken collarbone, missing her glasses and one shoe, but incredibly, miraculously, alive. Pulling on every bit of knowledge her rainforest-studying parents imparted to her, she journeyed through the danger-filled jungle for eleven days. She was the sole survivor.
Complete with sidebars that explore and explain the science that allowed Juliane to survive her fall, the diversity of life in the Amazon jungle, the natural history of Peru and much more, Follow the Water is a powerful and unforgettable true story of survival against all odds.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published March 17, 2026
12 people are currently reading
3510 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Cochrane
2 books12 followersEllen Cochrane writes immersive nonfiction for young readers that trusts their intelligence and their emotions. Her debut, “Follow the Water,” tells the true story of 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke’s survival in the Amazon. It’s an adventure that reads like a thriller and teaches how science lives in the world: weather, rivers, canopy, and the choices that keep us alive.
A longtime middle school teacher of English, English learners, Spanish, and Russian, Ellen brings classroom clarity and compassion to complex topics. She studied science writing at Johns Hopkins, is a certified California Naturalist, and previously wrote a syndicated column exploring the natural world. As a teen exchange student she lived in Lima, Peru, and traveled the same route into the jungle that frames Juliane’s story.
Ellen lives in Sacramento, where she champions literacy, nature education, and conservation. A portion of proceeds from “Follow the Water” supports the Panguana Foundation. For more, visit EllenCochrane.com.
A longtime middle school teacher of English, English learners, Spanish, and Russian, Ellen brings classroom clarity and compassion to complex topics. She studied science writing at Johns Hopkins, is a certified California Naturalist, and previously wrote a syndicated column exploring the natural world. As a teen exchange student she lived in Lima, Peru, and traveled the same route into the jungle that frames Juliane’s story.
Ellen lives in Sacramento, where she champions literacy, nature education, and conservation. A portion of proceeds from “Follow the Water” supports the Panguana Foundation. For more, visit EllenCochrane.com.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 29, 2026
Many people may remember the story of the rugby team and assorted other passengers who crashed into the Andes Mtns in 1972, likely due to the movie Alive that played up the cannibalism forced on some of them in order to survive, but doubtful that as many heard the amazing story of Juliane Koepcke, the 17 year old sole survivor of another plane crash in Peru at the end of 1971. This book is her story and aimed at readers from middle school thru high school.
For Juliane, high school graduation is over but the big celebratory dance is yet to come so she convinces her mother to delay their flight home to the heart of Amazon jungle for just one more day. Since they were able to get seats on a LANSA aircraft, mom Maria agrees. But that decision cost Maria her life and resulted in 11 days of hell on earth Juliane. A storm begins buffeting the small craft first and then lightning hits a wing’s engine causing the plane to descend toward the jungle’s canopy at a rapid rate. Miraculously, Juliane remains buckled into her trio of seats as the plane comes apart while her mom and another seatmate are ripped from theirs. Study of the wreckage and debris fields lead investigators to determine that the seat’s protective shape and the thick canopy and understory slowing her descent are partly responsible for her survival. The other part? Call it what you want-a miracle, fate, God, maybe destiny? Later recovery and autopsy of the other victims do indicate that 12-14 other passengers were alive post crash but died from their injuries, exposure and/or hunger or thirst before rescue. For Juliane, the experience of her childhood spent in the jungle, lifelong instruction on living there plus sheer determination allowed her to struggle with one shoe, a torn dress, broken collarbone, a leg gash quickly infected and maggot-filled arm wound through deserted jungle and after 11 days, limp into an abandoned woodcutter’s camp where she sheltered for a day until the men returned. Recovery from the physical injuries was long and in the 70s, treatment of those with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was almost non-existent, leaving her to battle that demon by herself. Despite such a horrific experience, loss of her mother, guilt over being the one to ask for a delay in traveling home, plus her father’s own emotional collapse after the loss of his beloved wife, Julianne returned to Germany, earned an undergraduate degree in biology and eventually earned a doctorate. Her love of Peru and her family’s environmental refuge called Panguana led her to further expand the research station there and the amount of land set aside as a protected area.
Cochrane’s tale of Juliane’s survival is riveting and as an informative & interesting extra, when Juliane encounters an obstacle such as potentially virus-filled water, a caiman, poisonous plants, ferocious battle ants, etc., she inserts a photo and passage providing information on each in terms that the younger end of the target range (4-6 grade) will be able to understand but with vocabulary that will not feel watered down to older readers. Cochrane even includes sidebars/inserts describing the natural events and engineering failures that caused the crash. The book length is kept to right at 200 pages which was enough to establish Juliane’s family and their research in the Peruvian jungle, describing the horrific accident & the harrowing experience making her way towards civilization, her recovery and later accomplishments.
Back matter includes a brief glossary of terms, tips for becoming a scientist (the only section that does come across as being written for the younger end of the target range), extensive bibliography
Highly recommended for a wide range of readers who enjoy survival tales.
*Target age: strong 5th grade readers through adult
*Profanity: none
*Violence: only that of nature and poor engineering
*Sexual content: none
*Representation: strong female, the Koepckes are a German family, many South Americans who supported not only Juliane’s rescue but the research station
*LBGTQ+: none
Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss and Little, Brown for Young Readers
For Juliane, high school graduation is over but the big celebratory dance is yet to come so she convinces her mother to delay their flight home to the heart of Amazon jungle for just one more day. Since they were able to get seats on a LANSA aircraft, mom Maria agrees. But that decision cost Maria her life and resulted in 11 days of hell on earth Juliane. A storm begins buffeting the small craft first and then lightning hits a wing’s engine causing the plane to descend toward the jungle’s canopy at a rapid rate. Miraculously, Juliane remains buckled into her trio of seats as the plane comes apart while her mom and another seatmate are ripped from theirs. Study of the wreckage and debris fields lead investigators to determine that the seat’s protective shape and the thick canopy and understory slowing her descent are partly responsible for her survival. The other part? Call it what you want-a miracle, fate, God, maybe destiny? Later recovery and autopsy of the other victims do indicate that 12-14 other passengers were alive post crash but died from their injuries, exposure and/or hunger or thirst before rescue. For Juliane, the experience of her childhood spent in the jungle, lifelong instruction on living there plus sheer determination allowed her to struggle with one shoe, a torn dress, broken collarbone, a leg gash quickly infected and maggot-filled arm wound through deserted jungle and after 11 days, limp into an abandoned woodcutter’s camp where she sheltered for a day until the men returned. Recovery from the physical injuries was long and in the 70s, treatment of those with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was almost non-existent, leaving her to battle that demon by herself. Despite such a horrific experience, loss of her mother, guilt over being the one to ask for a delay in traveling home, plus her father’s own emotional collapse after the loss of his beloved wife, Julianne returned to Germany, earned an undergraduate degree in biology and eventually earned a doctorate. Her love of Peru and her family’s environmental refuge called Panguana led her to further expand the research station there and the amount of land set aside as a protected area.
Cochrane’s tale of Juliane’s survival is riveting and as an informative & interesting extra, when Juliane encounters an obstacle such as potentially virus-filled water, a caiman, poisonous plants, ferocious battle ants, etc., she inserts a photo and passage providing information on each in terms that the younger end of the target range (4-6 grade) will be able to understand but with vocabulary that will not feel watered down to older readers. Cochrane even includes sidebars/inserts describing the natural events and engineering failures that caused the crash. The book length is kept to right at 200 pages which was enough to establish Juliane’s family and their research in the Peruvian jungle, describing the horrific accident & the harrowing experience making her way towards civilization, her recovery and later accomplishments.
Back matter includes a brief glossary of terms, tips for becoming a scientist (the only section that does come across as being written for the younger end of the target range), extensive bibliography
Highly recommended for a wide range of readers who enjoy survival tales.
*Target age: strong 5th grade readers through adult
*Profanity: none
*Violence: only that of nature and poor engineering
*Sexual content: none
*Representation: strong female, the Koepckes are a German family, many South Americans who supported not only Juliane’s rescue but the research station
*LBGTQ+: none
Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss and Little, Brown for Young Readers
April 13, 2026
What a great book about a true story! You've got survival strategies, a harrowing, graphic description of a plane crash and surviving it, and many small asides loaded with life science information to give context to the treacherous environment she's in. There's much love for nature that oozes out of every page, and direct encouragement at the end for readers to pursue a career and future as a scientist or conservationist (and how). An extremely positive AND exciting story perfect for middle school kids, especially those who are naturally curious or love nature already.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Cochrane relates the miraculous true story of an amazing girl who defied all odds by not only surviving a plane crash, but dragging herself through the Amazon for eleven days until she reached people who could help her. Juliane Koepcke, 17 years old at the time, split her time between school in Lima, Peru and a remote scientific research station that her parents had established when she was very young. Her mother and father constantly drilled important survival skills and knowledge into Juliane as she grew up, and she drew on those lessons extensively to help her survive her ordeal.
I actually have a very personal, shocking connection to this story. In the book, Juliane’s dad warned his wife to not ever fly with the LANSA (Lineas Aereas Nacionales S.A.) airline, as they had a very poor reputation. I wanted to read this book because my mother was an exchange student in Peru when she was in high school, and she was scheduled to be on LANSA Flight 502 in August of 1970. The day of the flight from Cusco to Lima, more than a few students were fighting an illness, and those who were sick begged the adults in the group to allow them to stay another day in the hopes of recovering before having to be on a plane all day. Their request was granted, and my mom told me that a bunch of them were outside eating a meal when the flight they were supposed to be on took off…and they all watched in disbelief and horror as it promptly crashed. In researching what happened, It seems that the #3 engine had caught on fire, and the subsequent actions of the crew were erroneous and caused the plane to hit the ground. The resulting explosion killed everyone on board, except for the co-pilot, who somehow survived in the cockpit, albeit with severe burns.
Back in 1970, they didn’t have the easy, near-instantaneous communication that we have now. So my grandparents found out about the plane crash first, and they did not receive the news of my mom’s whereabouts until later.
Can you imagine? I can only empathize, as I empathized with Hans-Wilhelm Koepcke as he anxiously awaited news of his wife and daughter.
Given this background in my family, I was of course immediately intrigued by Cochrane’s book. This was my first time reading about Koepcke’s story. As stated previously, Juliane’s father and mother knew about the shoddy safety measures employed by the LANSA airline, and so it was a complete shock to her dad to hear that they had in fact gotten on a LANSA plane. The crash of Flight 502 in 1970 was not the first for the negligent airline–Flight 501 in 1966 was unable to sufficiently climb over mountains in its flight path, and thus all those on board lost their lives. By the end of 1971, when Juliane and her mother boarded the ill-fated 508 flight, I imagine it was well-known in Peru that anyone who flew with LANSA was risking his/her life.
However, it was Christmas Eve, and Maria Koepcke just wanted to get home to her husband in time to celebrate Christmas as a family of three. So she took a chance.
Cochrane’s description of why experts think Juliane survived a fall from at least 10,000 feet is absolutely incredible. The author also weaves in small chapters about flora, fauna, wildlife and even people who played a part in Juliane’s story, and it’s all fascinating stuff.
Go ahead, look up “bullet ants”---I double dog dare you. (That’s also how I became aware of Schmidt’s Sting Pain Index, which is its own rabbit hole)
The Amazon is incredible, hosting such an extensive variety of organisms that scientists are still only scratching the surface of what it holds. I encourage you to learn more about the rainforest, and this book is an excellent starting place. Yes, it’s geared toward older schoolchildren, but I was enthralled as an adult, and I believe others will be, too. It’s easy to understand and would be a great resource for a library. Check it out when you get a chance!
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for an advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
I actually have a very personal, shocking connection to this story. In the book, Juliane’s dad warned his wife to not ever fly with the LANSA (Lineas Aereas Nacionales S.A.) airline, as they had a very poor reputation. I wanted to read this book because my mother was an exchange student in Peru when she was in high school, and she was scheduled to be on LANSA Flight 502 in August of 1970. The day of the flight from Cusco to Lima, more than a few students were fighting an illness, and those who were sick begged the adults in the group to allow them to stay another day in the hopes of recovering before having to be on a plane all day. Their request was granted, and my mom told me that a bunch of them were outside eating a meal when the flight they were supposed to be on took off…and they all watched in disbelief and horror as it promptly crashed. In researching what happened, It seems that the #3 engine had caught on fire, and the subsequent actions of the crew were erroneous and caused the plane to hit the ground. The resulting explosion killed everyone on board, except for the co-pilot, who somehow survived in the cockpit, albeit with severe burns.
Back in 1970, they didn’t have the easy, near-instantaneous communication that we have now. So my grandparents found out about the plane crash first, and they did not receive the news of my mom’s whereabouts until later.
Can you imagine? I can only empathize, as I empathized with Hans-Wilhelm Koepcke as he anxiously awaited news of his wife and daughter.
Given this background in my family, I was of course immediately intrigued by Cochrane’s book. This was my first time reading about Koepcke’s story. As stated previously, Juliane’s father and mother knew about the shoddy safety measures employed by the LANSA airline, and so it was a complete shock to her dad to hear that they had in fact gotten on a LANSA plane. The crash of Flight 502 in 1970 was not the first for the negligent airline–Flight 501 in 1966 was unable to sufficiently climb over mountains in its flight path, and thus all those on board lost their lives. By the end of 1971, when Juliane and her mother boarded the ill-fated 508 flight, I imagine it was well-known in Peru that anyone who flew with LANSA was risking his/her life.
However, it was Christmas Eve, and Maria Koepcke just wanted to get home to her husband in time to celebrate Christmas as a family of three. So she took a chance.
Cochrane’s description of why experts think Juliane survived a fall from at least 10,000 feet is absolutely incredible. The author also weaves in small chapters about flora, fauna, wildlife and even people who played a part in Juliane’s story, and it’s all fascinating stuff.
Go ahead, look up “bullet ants”---I double dog dare you. (That’s also how I became aware of Schmidt’s Sting Pain Index, which is its own rabbit hole)
The Amazon is incredible, hosting such an extensive variety of organisms that scientists are still only scratching the surface of what it holds. I encourage you to learn more about the rainforest, and this book is an excellent starting place. Yes, it’s geared toward older schoolchildren, but I was enthralled as an adult, and I believe others will be, too. It’s easy to understand and would be a great resource for a library. Check it out when you get a chance!
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for an advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
ARC provided by Books Forward
Julianne Koepcke's survival in the Amazon after a plane crash in 1971 is a riveting story that has been covered before in Olson's 2018 Lost in the Amazon: A Battle for Survival in the Heart of the Rainforest as well as her own 2012 memoir When I Fell from the Sky: The True Story of One Woman's Miraculous Survival. Follow the Water frames this true story in a way that will appeal to middle grade readers, with details about Koepcke's life before and after this tragic event and a lot of additional information about a variety of topics, such as wildlife in the Amazon, rainforest leaves, and bacteria and viruses.
Raised by biologist parents in Peru, in a remote research facility dubbed "Panguana", Juliane learned a lot about her environment and how to survive in it. When she reached high school age, she was required to attend a school in Lima. Right before Christmas in 1971, her mother visited her, and the two got on a small plane to return home.
When the plane went down, Juliana fell two miles to Earth, but sustained relatively few injuries. This was because her airplane seat was attached to another, so fell in a manner similar to a maple tree seed, which slowed her down, and she then fell through densely packed liana vines. She had a spinal cord injury and a broken collar bone, and ended up with just her dress, one shoe, and a handful of food she was able to find in the wreckage. Heeding her father's advice that she "follow the water", she traveled down the river despite her injuries. She was fairly fortunate that she was not attacked by any animals, although she did have maggots in her wounds and ended up with an infection from drinking the water. After eleven days, she came across a boat that she thought about taking, but also found a cabin and some woodcutters, who were very surprised to see her but took good care of her and helped her get to safety.
After this experience, Koepcke continued her studies. She worked as a librarian in Munich and eventually followed in her parents' footsteps to protect the Peruvian wilderness, often facing political difficulties. She specializes in bats, and continues to advocate for the rainforest.
I loved the factual details sprinkled throughout the book, but my favorite concerned the filmmaker Werner Herzog, who adapted her story into the 1998 film Wings of Hope. He had a personal connection to her story because he and his crew were waiting in line at the same airport as Koepcke but were unable to get on the flight, saving their lives!
The research that Cochrane did is extensive, and there is a great list of sources that includes books as well as multiple web sites. The story moves quickly, and has just enough detail about the events before and after the crash to add an extra level of interest. Hand this to readers who like true survival tales like Sole Survivor by Norman Ollestad or fictional ones like Into the Rapids by Anne Braden.
Julianne Koepcke's survival in the Amazon after a plane crash in 1971 is a riveting story that has been covered before in Olson's 2018 Lost in the Amazon: A Battle for Survival in the Heart of the Rainforest as well as her own 2012 memoir When I Fell from the Sky: The True Story of One Woman's Miraculous Survival. Follow the Water frames this true story in a way that will appeal to middle grade readers, with details about Koepcke's life before and after this tragic event and a lot of additional information about a variety of topics, such as wildlife in the Amazon, rainforest leaves, and bacteria and viruses.
Raised by biologist parents in Peru, in a remote research facility dubbed "Panguana", Juliane learned a lot about her environment and how to survive in it. When she reached high school age, she was required to attend a school in Lima. Right before Christmas in 1971, her mother visited her, and the two got on a small plane to return home.
When the plane went down, Juliana fell two miles to Earth, but sustained relatively few injuries. This was because her airplane seat was attached to another, so fell in a manner similar to a maple tree seed, which slowed her down, and she then fell through densely packed liana vines. She had a spinal cord injury and a broken collar bone, and ended up with just her dress, one shoe, and a handful of food she was able to find in the wreckage. Heeding her father's advice that she "follow the water", she traveled down the river despite her injuries. She was fairly fortunate that she was not attacked by any animals, although she did have maggots in her wounds and ended up with an infection from drinking the water. After eleven days, she came across a boat that she thought about taking, but also found a cabin and some woodcutters, who were very surprised to see her but took good care of her and helped her get to safety.
After this experience, Koepcke continued her studies. She worked as a librarian in Munich and eventually followed in her parents' footsteps to protect the Peruvian wilderness, often facing political difficulties. She specializes in bats, and continues to advocate for the rainforest.
I loved the factual details sprinkled throughout the book, but my favorite concerned the filmmaker Werner Herzog, who adapted her story into the 1998 film Wings of Hope. He had a personal connection to her story because he and his crew were waiting in line at the same airport as Koepcke but were unable to get on the flight, saving their lives!
The research that Cochrane did is extensive, and there is a great list of sources that includes books as well as multiple web sites. The story moves quickly, and has just enough detail about the events before and after the crash to add an extra level of interest. Hand this to readers who like true survival tales like Sole Survivor by Norman Ollestad or fictional ones like Into the Rapids by Anne Braden.
December 2, 2025
What worked:
The story is told using present-tense verbs, so readers will feel like the events are happening right then. The book opens with background information describing Julianne’s formative years. This section is important as it shows where she acquired most of her survival knowledge. “Normal” teenagers would probably perish in the Amazon jungle. Julianne’s parents study Amazonian flora and fauna, and they built a home in the jungle to support their work. Julianne spends most of her formative years in the Amazon, and her father teaches her about plants she can eat and dangers she should avoid. Following the water is an important survival skill he shares, since moving water will eventually lead to humans.
Sidebars are found in each chapter, and they present information relevant to Julianne’s situation. The first question readers will have is how a girl can still be alive after falling into a dense jungle from two miles in the sky. The book shares a scientific explanation. Hungry predators are a constant danger, so the book offers information about piranhas, jaguars, caimans, giant spiders, and various insects, including the screwworm fly. There’s even a part about the harmful effects of eating too much after starving for days. Julianne suffers from many severe injuries, and readers might wonder why she doesn’t succumb to the pain. The book provides information on how the human body responds to severe trauma and stressful situations. Some of the effects aren’t felt until several years pass. Pages at the end of the book share additional material related to the Amazon and how to become a scientist.
What didn’t work as well:
For the most part, middle-grade readers can appreciate Julianne’s ordeals. Some of the descriptions are graphic, especially when screwworm flies lay eggs in her open wounds. Julianne faces harrowing dangers in the jungle, but there’s not a moment when readers will feel her death is imminent. That’s probably due to her superior knowledge of survival.
The final verdict:
The book augments Julianne’s dramatic adventure with facts to describe jungle hazards and the science of her survival. The tale is even more amazing when readers understand that everything described happened to a real, living teenager. I recommend you try the book for yourself.
The story is told using present-tense verbs, so readers will feel like the events are happening right then. The book opens with background information describing Julianne’s formative years. This section is important as it shows where she acquired most of her survival knowledge. “Normal” teenagers would probably perish in the Amazon jungle. Julianne’s parents study Amazonian flora and fauna, and they built a home in the jungle to support their work. Julianne spends most of her formative years in the Amazon, and her father teaches her about plants she can eat and dangers she should avoid. Following the water is an important survival skill he shares, since moving water will eventually lead to humans.
Sidebars are found in each chapter, and they present information relevant to Julianne’s situation. The first question readers will have is how a girl can still be alive after falling into a dense jungle from two miles in the sky. The book shares a scientific explanation. Hungry predators are a constant danger, so the book offers information about piranhas, jaguars, caimans, giant spiders, and various insects, including the screwworm fly. There’s even a part about the harmful effects of eating too much after starving for days. Julianne suffers from many severe injuries, and readers might wonder why she doesn’t succumb to the pain. The book provides information on how the human body responds to severe trauma and stressful situations. Some of the effects aren’t felt until several years pass. Pages at the end of the book share additional material related to the Amazon and how to become a scientist.
What didn’t work as well:
For the most part, middle-grade readers can appreciate Julianne’s ordeals. Some of the descriptions are graphic, especially when screwworm flies lay eggs in her open wounds. Julianne faces harrowing dangers in the jungle, but there’s not a moment when readers will feel her death is imminent. That’s probably due to her superior knowledge of survival.
The final verdict:
The book augments Julianne’s dramatic adventure with facts to describe jungle hazards and the science of her survival. The tale is even more amazing when readers understand that everything described happened to a real, living teenager. I recommend you try the book for yourself.
April 10, 2026
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Aimee Lily, and I very much enjoyed it. This isn't my first exposure to the story of Juliane Koepcke, but it is the first that was told in a more storytelling form, rather than explicitly clinical facts.
The book follows Juliane's journey, from childhood spent in the jungle with her scientist parents, to her decisions leading up to the fateful flight, and then through the catastrophe and into her recovery and subsequent adult endeavors. Despite some pretty significant injuries and occurences, there was no overtly gory or sensational description of anything too graphic. Very much, "this is what happened," without playing up the drama.
Chapters are often punctuated with fun facts about different plants or animals that are a part of the story being told, so as to help the reader/listener better understand the context of the story. I really appreciated these little fact breaks. I felt that they were appropriately spaced throughout the book, and didn't take away from the setting and action too much.
I enjoyed the narrator's voice and tone, and I also liked the placement of the "info blurbs." If I were reading visually, I might have had more of a choice as to when/where I paused reading the story to read them, but given that it was an audiobook, I think they placed them well.
My only critique is that I was unsure whether the parts of the story that indicated "Juliane thought..." or "Juliane believed..." were really true, or artistic embellishment. Her true thoughts and feelings during her experiences feel very important to me.
Overall, I loved the book, and appreciated that Ellen Cochrane could tell the tale like a story while remaining largely true to life.
The book follows Juliane's journey, from childhood spent in the jungle with her scientist parents, to her decisions leading up to the fateful flight, and then through the catastrophe and into her recovery and subsequent adult endeavors. Despite some pretty significant injuries and occurences, there was no overtly gory or sensational description of anything too graphic. Very much, "this is what happened," without playing up the drama.
Chapters are often punctuated with fun facts about different plants or animals that are a part of the story being told, so as to help the reader/listener better understand the context of the story. I really appreciated these little fact breaks. I felt that they were appropriately spaced throughout the book, and didn't take away from the setting and action too much.
I enjoyed the narrator's voice and tone, and I also liked the placement of the "info blurbs." If I were reading visually, I might have had more of a choice as to when/where I paused reading the story to read them, but given that it was an audiobook, I think they placed them well.
My only critique is that I was unsure whether the parts of the story that indicated "Juliane thought..." or "Juliane believed..." were really true, or artistic embellishment. Her true thoughts and feelings during her experiences feel very important to me.
Overall, I loved the book, and appreciated that Ellen Cochrane could tell the tale like a story while remaining largely true to life.
March 18, 2026
I’ve officially found the ultimate survival mode inspiration, and suddenly, my DIY projects don't feel quite so high-stakes! 🌿✈️
I read Follow the Water by Ellen Cochrane, and my jaw is still on the floor. Imagine it’s Christmas Eve, 1971. You’re seventeen, your plane is struck by lightning, and you literally hurtle two miles down into the Amazon rainforest. This isn't a movie plot it's the actual true story of Juliane Koepcke.
She woke up with a broken collarbone, one shoe, no glasses, and the realization that she was the only survivor. For eleven days, she used every bit of jungle-smarts her parents ever taught her to trek through one of the most dangerous places on Earth.
The book is packed with super cool sidebars about the science of her fall and the wild biodiversity of Peru, making it feel like a leveled-up version of the I Survived series we all loved. It’s harrowing, it’s educational, and it’s a massive testament to human perseverance. If you loved Hatchet, you need to read this immediately!
✨️Thank you, Books Forward, PR, and Ellen Cochrane for sharing Follow the Water with me!
I read Follow the Water by Ellen Cochrane, and my jaw is still on the floor. Imagine it’s Christmas Eve, 1971. You’re seventeen, your plane is struck by lightning, and you literally hurtle two miles down into the Amazon rainforest. This isn't a movie plot it's the actual true story of Juliane Koepcke.
She woke up with a broken collarbone, one shoe, no glasses, and the realization that she was the only survivor. For eleven days, she used every bit of jungle-smarts her parents ever taught her to trek through one of the most dangerous places on Earth.
The book is packed with super cool sidebars about the science of her fall and the wild biodiversity of Peru, making it feel like a leveled-up version of the I Survived series we all loved. It’s harrowing, it’s educational, and it’s a massive testament to human perseverance. If you loved Hatchet, you need to read this immediately!
✨️Thank you, Books Forward, PR, and Ellen Cochrane for sharing Follow the Water with me!
April 2, 2026
Fascinating! I read this book well past my bedtime. Having been intrigued for years by Juliane Koepcke's survival in the Amazon jungle after surviving a plane crash, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this new release. Once I got it from the library, I couldn't put it down! It's a good thing it's short enough to read in a couple of hours. This story is riveting. I think any reader can appreciate this book, but especially if you liked Unbroken and other survival stories.
I will say that stylistically this is quite a factual, no frills account of what happened, interwoven with articles about animals and plants Julianne encounters. It is more scientific than artistic when it comes to books and writing styles, but I appreciate the non-sensational tone the author used. The facts and the setting need no poetic additions or artistic flourishes to make Follow the Water a highly readable, enjoyable book.
I will say that stylistically this is quite a factual, no frills account of what happened, interwoven with articles about animals and plants Julianne encounters. It is more scientific than artistic when it comes to books and writing styles, but I appreciate the non-sensational tone the author used. The facts and the setting need no poetic additions or artistic flourishes to make Follow the Water a highly readable, enjoyable book.
February 26, 2026
4 stars for a young reader, 3 stars for me. This is a story of a teen girl who was the only survivor of a large airplane crash. Luckily she was probably the best equipped for survival out of everyone on board, despite losing a shoe and wearing only a torn minidress and one sandal! She had grown up in the jungle and knew how to keep herself alive and move toward civilization (following the water).
There are frequent sidebars where the reader learns about various flora and fauna of the jungle—a few too many for me, but maybe some readers would like them. The most interesting part was obviously her survival story. There is a surprising amount of the book about the rest of her life. I did appreciate the honesty about her difficult relationship with her father, who blamed her for her mother’s death in the crash.
I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
There are frequent sidebars where the reader learns about various flora and fauna of the jungle—a few too many for me, but maybe some readers would like them. The most interesting part was obviously her survival story. There is a surprising amount of the book about the rest of her life. I did appreciate the honesty about her difficult relationship with her father, who blamed her for her mother’s death in the crash.
I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 14, 2026I recieved an arc of this from netgalley in return for an honest review of it. Thank you.
3/5
This book is geared towards middle grade readers but I feel they would maybe rate it the same. Where any parents out there bothered that this couple took their FOURTEEN year old daughter into the AMAZON! Just me? okay. lol. I thought the some of the experiences that the child had would be wonderous and enriching but the horrowing parts I felt soooooo bad for her. She did not choose that. I was amazing that they got through it and I am happy they did. I know it was a non fiction account but the way it was told did not suck me into it that much. Was more like textbook. However it is inspiring to see people endure and still come out in the end. I gave it a 3. which for me is ok -good. It would not be my favorite as a kid but it would be worth reading.
3/5
This book is geared towards middle grade readers but I feel they would maybe rate it the same. Where any parents out there bothered that this couple took their FOURTEEN year old daughter into the AMAZON! Just me? okay. lol. I thought the some of the experiences that the child had would be wonderous and enriching but the horrowing parts I felt soooooo bad for her. She did not choose that. I was amazing that they got through it and I am happy they did. I know it was a non fiction account but the way it was told did not suck me into it that much. Was more like textbook. However it is inspiring to see people endure and still come out in the end. I gave it a 3. which for me is ok -good. It would not be my favorite as a kid but it would be worth reading.
April 27, 2026
Follow the Water: The Unbelievable True Story of a Teenager’s Survival in the Amazon is a gripping nonfiction account of survival against impossible odds.
Ellen Cochrane recounts the extraordinary experience of Juliane Koepcke, who survived a plane crash and spent eleven days navigating the Amazon rainforest alone. The book combines narrative tension with accessible scientific explanations, offering insight into both human resilience and the natural environment that shaped her survival.
Sidebars and contextual information enrich the main story, providing background on rainforest ecology, geography, and survival science, making it especially useful for educational settings.
Overall, it is a compelling and well-structured survival narrative that will appeal to middle grade readers interested in true adventure, nature, and real-life endurance stories.
Ellen Cochrane recounts the extraordinary experience of Juliane Koepcke, who survived a plane crash and spent eleven days navigating the Amazon rainforest alone. The book combines narrative tension with accessible scientific explanations, offering insight into both human resilience and the natural environment that shaped her survival.
Sidebars and contextual information enrich the main story, providing background on rainforest ecology, geography, and survival science, making it especially useful for educational settings.
Overall, it is a compelling and well-structured survival narrative that will appeal to middle grade readers interested in true adventure, nature, and real-life endurance stories.
May 6, 2026
I don’t read much YA fiction or non-fiction, but this book has changed my mind!
In 1971 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke and her mother were on a plane to the Panguana research station they called home. The station was deep in the Amazon jungle and Juliane lived there with her parents who were both scientists.
The plane was struck by lightning and Juliane was flung out of the plane. The canopy of trees helping slow down her fall. She landed missing her glasses and only shoe.
What follows next is an amazing story. She survived 11 days in the Amazon jungle and was the sole survivor of the plane crash.
The story is interspersed with paragraphs of scientific facts that helped her survive and details about the flora and fauna that she came upon.
Highly recommended, excellent read. I received an ARC of the book.
In 1971 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke and her mother were on a plane to the Panguana research station they called home. The station was deep in the Amazon jungle and Juliane lived there with her parents who were both scientists.
The plane was struck by lightning and Juliane was flung out of the plane. The canopy of trees helping slow down her fall. She landed missing her glasses and only shoe.
What follows next is an amazing story. She survived 11 days in the Amazon jungle and was the sole survivor of the plane crash.
The story is interspersed with paragraphs of scientific facts that helped her survive and details about the flora and fauna that she came upon.
Highly recommended, excellent read. I received an ARC of the book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thanks to Little, Brown for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book had a lot. It was dense and data heavy. I appreciated the sidebars on all the critters and plants that Juliane encountered on her quest for survival. There was a lot of "nope" screaming in my head as I read about spiders as big as a puppy and bacteria and screwworms (lots of ick for me).
It was remarkable but not unbelievable that Juliane survived. Her parents raised her in that environment with the knowledge of how to survive. The Amazon IS all about survival, honestly.
I recommend this for older YA readers. It is a lot to digest for 10 year olds who might be overwhelmed by all the talk about botany and government discord in that area of the world.
This book had a lot. It was dense and data heavy. I appreciated the sidebars on all the critters and plants that Juliane encountered on her quest for survival. There was a lot of "nope" screaming in my head as I read about spiders as big as a puppy and bacteria and screwworms (lots of ick for me).
It was remarkable but not unbelievable that Juliane survived. Her parents raised her in that environment with the knowledge of how to survive. The Amazon IS all about survival, honestly.
I recommend this for older YA readers. It is a lot to digest for 10 year olds who might be overwhelmed by all the talk about botany and government discord in that area of the world.
December 6, 2025
3.5 First, the good. This book has inset boxes with important information about the creatures and plants of the rainforest. I was reading an advance copy (thank you NetGalley) but illustrations are promised in the final edition. These are excellent for teaching the book and making it accessible to diverse learning groups. However, this book is about super interesting true events, yet the author fails to make it the stirring adventure it is. Writing technique needs work. Great concept but lacking in execution.
March 27, 2026
This book is one I stayed up way too late reading. I just couldn’t put it down and neither will middle and young adult readers. It tells the true story of 16-year old Juliane Koepcke, who survived a midair plane breakup over the Peruvian Amazon. She survived for 11 days before . . . Not going to give away the ending! In addition to writing an immersive and compelling story, the author includes interesting sidebars about the dangerous and fascinating flora and fauna Juliane encounters as she makes her way through the Amazon. Highly recommend.
April 22, 2026
This was a great short story, I honestly wish that it had a more in depth point of view. I didn't know the main character wrote a personal book and it was great seeing her story from an outside perspective but I wish it was more like Hatchet or Lone Survivor type writing style. Still a solid quick read.
March 14, 2026
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a wonderful MG nonfiction narrative about Juliane Koepcke who not only survived a plane crash, but also survived 11 days in the Amazon jungle.
This was a wonderful MG nonfiction narrative about Juliane Koepcke who not only survived a plane crash, but also survived 11 days in the Amazon jungle.
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
A bit like a true life Pipi Longstocking meets Hatchet, narrated by Bill Nye.
March 31, 2026
Loved the little explanations within the chapters for people that might not know what they mean🥹🥰
April 6, 2026
A fascinating true survival story. I think my middle grade readers will find this extremely interesting
May 9, 2026
Great middle grade non-fiction book of survival, with the perfect amount of science to be interesting but not overwhelming.
May 10, 2026
Moving
April 25, 2026
In 1971, Juliane Koepcke and her mother got on a plane to return to their home in the Peruvian rainforest. Midway through the flight, the plane was struck with lightning and crashed, killing 91 of the 92 people on board. Koepcke was the sole survivor—but her tale didn't end there, because it rapidly became clear that she would need to rescue herself.
I've had Koepcke's own memoir peripherally on my radar for some time, though it hasn't made it onto my reading list just yet. When this middle-grade retelling of the story popped up, though, I was curious. (Plus, the cover's great, isn't it? Quite striking.) And Cochrane does a good job of making the story accessible to younger readers: lots of detail, explanations of why certain things were dangerous (or, paradoxically, why things readers might expect to be dangerous were relatively low threats), sidebars saying more about various details (certain jungle creatures, etc.).
The writing did read as a little flat to me, I think because the author is writing about a person she's (presumably) never met, and there's a limit to how much you do with a nonfiction story when the bulk of the story is about one person, alone, with no dialogue to recount. (I'll be curious to see what the story looks like from Koepcke's perspective!) There is, though, a level of detail that you simply can't glean from a Wikipedia article; for example, I didn't know that Koepcke was so well versed in jungle life, which was probably the difference—other than the sheer chance of how she landed and what her injuries were—between life and death. Werner Herzog eventually made a documentary about the crash (and Koepcke's survival), which I'm now curious about too, though the description of crash remnants still hanging from the trees all those years later is downright eerie. Really tells you something about just how remote the location of the crash was, that everything remained in situ.
The book goes into some detail about what happened after Koepcke's (self-)rescue, which I appreciated, as too often this sort of story ends on those high triumphant notes, whereas of course for Koepcke this must have been a defining moment that split her life in two—as it was for her father, who lost his wife, and as it was for the others who lost loved ones. (And the cruelty of some of the media, my gosh—blaming Koepcke for not rescuing others who survived the initial fall, when even if she'd known where in the jungle they were, she could barely rescue herself! And she a literal child at the time!)
Recommended for middle-grade readers, but adults might do best with something written for an older audience.
I've had Koepcke's own memoir peripherally on my radar for some time, though it hasn't made it onto my reading list just yet. When this middle-grade retelling of the story popped up, though, I was curious. (Plus, the cover's great, isn't it? Quite striking.) And Cochrane does a good job of making the story accessible to younger readers: lots of detail, explanations of why certain things were dangerous (or, paradoxically, why things readers might expect to be dangerous were relatively low threats), sidebars saying more about various details (certain jungle creatures, etc.).
The writing did read as a little flat to me, I think because the author is writing about a person she's (presumably) never met, and there's a limit to how much you do with a nonfiction story when the bulk of the story is about one person, alone, with no dialogue to recount. (I'll be curious to see what the story looks like from Koepcke's perspective!) There is, though, a level of detail that you simply can't glean from a Wikipedia article; for example, I didn't know that Koepcke was so well versed in jungle life, which was probably the difference—other than the sheer chance of how she landed and what her injuries were—between life and death. Werner Herzog eventually made a documentary about the crash (and Koepcke's survival), which I'm now curious about too, though the description of crash remnants still hanging from the trees all those years later is downright eerie. Really tells you something about just how remote the location of the crash was, that everything remained in situ.
The book goes into some detail about what happened after Koepcke's (self-)rescue, which I appreciated, as too often this sort of story ends on those high triumphant notes, whereas of course for Koepcke this must have been a defining moment that split her life in two—as it was for her father, who lost his wife, and as it was for the others who lost loved ones. (And the cruelty of some of the media, my gosh—blaming Koepcke for not rescuing others who survived the initial fall, when even if she'd known where in the jungle they were, she could barely rescue herself! And she a literal child at the time!)
Recommended for middle-grade readers, but adults might do best with something written for an older audience.
April 6, 2026
Extraordinary story (children's version) of Juliane's survival of a plane crash in the Amazon Forest. Daughter of two scientists researching the forest, she had some insight into how to deal with the cruelty of nature, but she was also fortunate. I couldn't put this down. It also includes scientific excavations between chapters of the most relevant keywords. It makes me want to see the movie and get her biography. I am happy that she was strong enough to dedicate her life to doing valuable work.
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