Take Me to the River by Will Hobbs

This brand new Will Hobbs books unites two of the author's favorite themes, a love for the South West and a love of rivers. In the book two cousins meet in Texas and take a river trip down the Rio Grande. The story is set against the backdrop of the drug cartel violence in Mexico. While on the river the boys encounter a cartel hit man who tries to get them to help him escape capture. They also happen to be running the river in the middle of a major tropical storm. Flash floods and automatic pistols combine to make the adventure one wild ride. Hobbs action writing and descriptions of the beauty and awesome forces of nature are excellent. As always with Will Hobbs books, the boys are way more skilled and courageous than 15 year olds have a right to be. That said, the boy characters are very likable. Neither of them suffer from major character flaws, and they get along really well together. It was refreshing to read a teen novel completely devoid of adolescent angst and dysfunctional family life. This would be a great book to recommend to reluctant reader boys ages 10+. (192 p)