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My Name is River
Dylan's mum thinks he's on the school Geography trip. Dylan's teacher thinks he's at home with the flu. In fact, he's 30,000 feet up in the air on the way to Brazil. When Dylans' farm is snatched away by a huge global company, he can't just sit back and watch. But the journey to rescue his home takes him deep into the heart of the Amazon. With Floyd, a friend he's not sure of, and Lucia, a street kid armed with a thesaurus and a Great Dane puppy, he uncovers dark and dangerous secrets which learn some surprising truths.
304 pages, Paperback
Published June 25, 2020
3 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 3, 2020
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I have to admit that when I saw the front cover of this book, I massively misjudged it. Despite being set in one of my favourite settings, the Amazon, I thought I was in for an easy-going, rather light-hearted read.
How wrong I was! Emma Rea tells a thrilling tale which doesn't pull any punches when it comes to high stakes, nail-biting tension, desperate danger and ruthless adults. What's more it tackles tough and very relevant issues about child poverty and the devastation humans can wreak on the world's precious, natural habitats.
Dylan is distraught when he discovers his beloved family farm is being sold to large, international pharmaceutical company, Bluebird. But when he discovers that Floyd, a boy from his school, has a close connection to Bluebird and needs help, a crazy plan starts to form. While the rest of their class go on a Geography trip, Dylan and Floyd secretly fly to Brazil to find answers. But their plan soon goes disastrously wrong when Floyd is kidnapped and Dylan finds himself lost and alone on the streets of a favela. Can street kid Lucia, with her puppy and thesaurus, help him pull off a rescue plan deep in the Amazon?
I loved the ambitiousness of this plot, which is mainly set in the fascinating jungle wilderness of South America. Dylan was a great main character who felt very real. His love and loyalty towards his family and home was endearing and gave him a motivation which was bursting with heart. It was refreshing that he didn't enjoy or do well at school but was a confident, head-strong boy who revelled in his love of the outdoors. I adored his unique ability to see what flowed through other character's veins, which gave him an uncanny insightfulness rather than magical qualities.
However, as much as I loved Dylan, it was Lucia who truly stole my heart with her big heart, her quirky, humorous language (all thanks to her precious thesaurus) and her general exuberance for life despite having nothing and no one, except for her Great Dane puppy. To have a pair of characters so fired up with hope and determination and ambition made this story hugely unique and enjoyable - to the point that one night I found myself too enthralled to go to bed.
Miss. Crassy and her henchman, Anton, were the antipathy of Dylan's loving family and Mac; cruel, ruthless and powerful grown-ups who were prepared to go to shocking and rather brutal lengths to protect their vile secrets. Through them, the positive and empowering ambition of Dylan and Lucia was flipped on it's head to show how deadly it can be when coming from a place of greed not love. The protagonists' pure motivation meant we were rooting for them from the first to last page.
I could probably spout on all day about this novel but if you are looking for a fantastically written, high impact tale which will challenge readers to think and feel all kinds of big emotions about issues that need to be thought about then this is it. It encourages all of us to speak up for what we are passionate about (although not perhaps by putting ourselves in such extreme danger as Dylan and Floyd) and I can see it being a fantastic novel for teachers to use in the classroom to enhance curriculum topics and initiate discussion. Simply a must read!
I have to admit that when I saw the front cover of this book, I massively misjudged it. Despite being set in one of my favourite settings, the Amazon, I thought I was in for an easy-going, rather light-hearted read.
How wrong I was! Emma Rea tells a thrilling tale which doesn't pull any punches when it comes to high stakes, nail-biting tension, desperate danger and ruthless adults. What's more it tackles tough and very relevant issues about child poverty and the devastation humans can wreak on the world's precious, natural habitats.
Dylan is distraught when he discovers his beloved family farm is being sold to large, international pharmaceutical company, Bluebird. But when he discovers that Floyd, a boy from his school, has a close connection to Bluebird and needs help, a crazy plan starts to form. While the rest of their class go on a Geography trip, Dylan and Floyd secretly fly to Brazil to find answers. But their plan soon goes disastrously wrong when Floyd is kidnapped and Dylan finds himself lost and alone on the streets of a favela. Can street kid Lucia, with her puppy and thesaurus, help him pull off a rescue plan deep in the Amazon?
I loved the ambitiousness of this plot, which is mainly set in the fascinating jungle wilderness of South America. Dylan was a great main character who felt very real. His love and loyalty towards his family and home was endearing and gave him a motivation which was bursting with heart. It was refreshing that he didn't enjoy or do well at school but was a confident, head-strong boy who revelled in his love of the outdoors. I adored his unique ability to see what flowed through other character's veins, which gave him an uncanny insightfulness rather than magical qualities.
However, as much as I loved Dylan, it was Lucia who truly stole my heart with her big heart, her quirky, humorous language (all thanks to her precious thesaurus) and her general exuberance for life despite having nothing and no one, except for her Great Dane puppy. To have a pair of characters so fired up with hope and determination and ambition made this story hugely unique and enjoyable - to the point that one night I found myself too enthralled to go to bed.
Miss. Crassy and her henchman, Anton, were the antipathy of Dylan's loving family and Mac; cruel, ruthless and powerful grown-ups who were prepared to go to shocking and rather brutal lengths to protect their vile secrets. Through them, the positive and empowering ambition of Dylan and Lucia was flipped on it's head to show how deadly it can be when coming from a place of greed not love. The protagonists' pure motivation meant we were rooting for them from the first to last page.
I could probably spout on all day about this novel but if you are looking for a fantastically written, high impact tale which will challenge readers to think and feel all kinds of big emotions about issues that need to be thought about then this is it. It encourages all of us to speak up for what we are passionate about (although not perhaps by putting ourselves in such extreme danger as Dylan and Floyd) and I can see it being a fantastic novel for teachers to use in the classroom to enhance curriculum topics and initiate discussion. Simply a must read!
August 29, 2020
Thank you to Firefly for allowing me an ARC to review.
This was absolutely incredible. Truly. I loved it from start to finish. It was so exciting and emotional and a whole lot of words I can’t even think of right now because I’m just blown away. I’m a little bit obsessed with Lucia, she’s brilliant, but all the characters were wonderfully written. The world-building and description was amazing, particularly of Brazil and the Amazon, you really can imagine yourself right there. I can see children getting completely lost in this book and I know it will be a big hit!
This was absolutely incredible. Truly. I loved it from start to finish. It was so exciting and emotional and a whole lot of words I can’t even think of right now because I’m just blown away. I’m a little bit obsessed with Lucia, she’s brilliant, but all the characters were wonderfully written. The world-building and description was amazing, particularly of Brazil and the Amazon, you really can imagine yourself right there. I can see children getting completely lost in this book and I know it will be a big hit!
May 26, 2020
Dylan is devastated to learn that his family farm in Wales has been sold off to a multinational corporation called BlueBird. His friend Floyd’s Dad works for BlueBird, but he’s currently in Brazil with Floyd’s little brother, and Floyd and his Mum are worried that something is wrong as they have lost touch with him. Dylan and Floyd hatch a crazy plan to fly to Brazil, bring Floyd’s brother home and save Dylan’s family farm. En route, they meet the charming Lucia, a resilient street child with a peculiar range of vocabulary (because she learned English by reading a thesaurus), and her Great Dane, Pernickety. Their quest takes them to Manaus and on a boat up the river and deep into the Amazon Rainforest to confront a heartless villain with a horrifying agenda.
'My Name is River' evokes the same sense of adventure as Eva Ibbotson’s 'Journey to the River Sea', through a more contemporary lens. It is a gripping story of friendship and courage, saturated in the sights, scents and sounds of the rainforest, with a vitally important message about environmental conservation. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
'My Name is River' evokes the same sense of adventure as Eva Ibbotson’s 'Journey to the River Sea', through a more contemporary lens. It is a gripping story of friendship and courage, saturated in the sights, scents and sounds of the rainforest, with a vitally important message about environmental conservation. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
July 28, 2020
Two boys go on a trip to Brazil, one to find his younger brother and the other to speak to the CEO of the multinational pharmaceutical company that has bought his family’s farm in Wales. Without their parents’ knowledge they board a plane and embark on an incredible adventure.
Somehow, the author makes this sound totally believable. The plot is well crafted and kept me enthralled throughout. I loved many of the characters, in particular Lucia, a street child Dylan meets in Salvador, who teaches him that education is something to be valued.
The descriptions of the Amazon rainforest are detailed and vivid. The importance of conservation is a theme running through the book, concerning not just the rainforest but Dylan’s farm in Wales. This would be an excellent book for teaching a topic on the rainforest or environmental issues. It also touches on the plight of Brazil’s street children and life in the shanty towns and favelas surrounding many major cities.
Above all, it is a great adventure story which will be enjoyed by children aged 9+
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Somehow, the author makes this sound totally believable. The plot is well crafted and kept me enthralled throughout. I loved many of the characters, in particular Lucia, a street child Dylan meets in Salvador, who teaches him that education is something to be valued.
The descriptions of the Amazon rainforest are detailed and vivid. The importance of conservation is a theme running through the book, concerning not just the rainforest but Dylan’s farm in Wales. This would be an excellent book for teaching a topic on the rainforest or environmental issues. It also touches on the plight of Brazil’s street children and life in the shanty towns and favelas surrounding many major cities.
Above all, it is a great adventure story which will be enjoyed by children aged 9+
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 4, 2020
Dylan, unbeknownst to all, finds himself on an adventure to beat all adventures. His school thinks he’s at home and his family thinks he’s in school but he is in actual fact in the sky, travelling, all the way to Brazil because he’s heard his home has been sold to a pharmaceutical company and he wants to make them change their mind. Here we see deception through the eyes of a child. We see the disadvantaged in the street child who saves his life. And we see how multinationals get away with so much because the weak and voiceless are powerless in their paths. We loved this book. It created so many talking points and presented so many opportunities for further research.
January 26, 2022
My Name is River is a gripping, page turner that left me desperately wanting to read more.
This is a story filled with adventure, courage, friendship and a quest for social justice.
It feels like a story of our time; where young people seem better able to see the environmental battles our world faces, better than many adults.
Dylan and Floyd both have family issues that they want to resolve and which sees them travel half-way around the world.
Tense in places, this story will have you hooked and willing the lead characters to overcome the challenges that they are faced with.
This is a story filled with adventure, courage, friendship and a quest for social justice.
It feels like a story of our time; where young people seem better able to see the environmental battles our world faces, better than many adults.
Dylan and Floyd both have family issues that they want to resolve and which sees them travel half-way around the world.
Tense in places, this story will have you hooked and willing the lead characters to overcome the challenges that they are faced with.
March 31, 2021
Read this ready to share with my class after the spring break. Lovely read, really enjoyed this. I love how it touches on environmental impacts in a subtle way. Enjoyed this and look forward to reading it again in a couple of weeks!
November 5, 2023
Loved it! It packs the wonder and high stakes of children's adventure stories, but it packs a whole lot of heart in it too. Dylan is a thoughtful main character, but Lucia is boss girl extraordinaire and I bet most readers will love her instantly!
April 12, 2020
A review will be published later on www.mrripleysenchantedbooks.com
October 17, 2020
It was an ok book.
The story was good and covered a few important issues
The story was good and covered a few important issues
September 23, 2021
I have to disclose a slight bias but I really appreciated this work.
November 1, 2021
Fast-paced, memorable characters and just the right amount of quirkiness, all sprinkled with a teeny bit of magic. Without a doubt one of my favourite books of the year.
January 1, 2026
I wanna read it again
October 2, 2024
This book started so slow. I really didn’t love this book or connect with any of the characters. I would recommend this book to 8-11 year olds but no one else. His was by no means my favourite book and I really didn’t love it. The only reason it is not 1 star is because I had a pit in my stomach for some of the characters sometimes but I found that the conflicts were resolved way too quickly. Didn’t love it.
November 17, 2024
A totally unbelievable and unfeasible plot. So many unconvincing adult characters. I really wanted to like this book but it was hard to get over these factors.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews