In The River by Jeremy Robert Johnson was a recommended read from (I believe ) a YouTube video book haul I happened to be watching. I thought it sounded like a good enough horror read that I bought it straight away. The book arrived at my doorstep yesterday afternoon.

Where do I even start on how this book eventually gave me a new outlook on what seems like complete "craziness" of a father. This book ended up hitting way too close to home in most areas. Did I really just say a "horror" story hit too close to home AND gave me a little peace of mind?!?

In The River starts out with an innocent venture of father taking his son to the river to teach him how to fish. The boy has much to learn, but also is a young boy whose patience is short in supply. It is heartwarming to follow them as the father teaches him the tips, tricks, and rules that had been passed down to him and from his own personal family experiences.

The boy is excited to be learning how to fish, secretly hoping that he will be rewarded with his first experience with an bow and arrow. We learn a lot of family history in just a short amount of time with the small snippets of flashbacks. We know that the boy is very much loved by his father and mother. The mother is a strong influence through the whole story, even though she never once is used in book except in flashbacks and the fathers thoughts.

Yes, the boy gets his wish and does indeed get to use the bow. The problem is that he is young and forgot some of the tips and rules his father had mentioned until it was too late. One rule was simple because of the way they set up their nets earlier, you were not to drink the water. Being a young boy with no close access to boiled water on a hot day it is easy to forget.

What follows is tragic to read. (Sorry you will have to read it for yourself)

The father begins what seems to be a fall into the most craziness a mind can go. He goes on what seems to be an near impossible journey for justice. What is the worst is the way he thinks the outcome will be. At one point he just wants to die and does his best to accomplish that- then just as quick his mission for justice takes over and he must accomplish it.

The reason this book hit so close to home for me was because my own 14 year old son died in the river near our home. Definitely NOT the same as this story, but the way the father becomes "insane" was completely understandable to me. I felt the same emotions, thoughts, same blaming game, actions. and in the end I became jealous that the story ended the way it did. (Well kind of, jealous).

I felt that the snippets of dialogue of other peoples experiences told/showed to the father taught me a lesson. I realized that bad things happen and it sucks...what you do about it and how you find justice is your own journey.

The end of this story was the fathers justice and could NOT have ended any better. Peace is what we all seek to find- I believe he found his peaceful justice. ( )