'The River' by Michael Neale

The River by Michael Neale has been marketed brilliantly.  We're all told that "we were made for The River...." which is a nice and catchy slogan.  So far so good, since I also want to know what that means to me as a reader. And as far as appearances, the soft cover looks aged and the jagged-cut pages go along well with it.  The problem, however, is that there's not much between the front and back cover. The dialogue is juvenile and the story drags on and on.

I realize the point is to get the reader from the river accident which changes 5-year old Gabriel Clarke forever, to where he makes peace with himself and the river, but it just takes so very long.  The reader is walked through each stage of Gabriel's life, through conversations so trite you'd think a grade schooler wrote them.  And with that said, I don't even think the premise of the story is of any benefit to share.  But I do have one observation.  The character, Gabriel Clarke, suffers through a tragic situation as a child.  He spends his whole life trying to avoid dealing with it, but eventually comes up against it face to face.  All of his life experiences up to that climax are rosy and full of good people.  He's well-loved and sought after---a little darling, as is every person he meets.  It's all so pretty, yet unrealistic.  He gets a tiny bit of teasing as a child, but another boy quickly comes to his rescue.  That's it for hardship.

It strikes me that this book is being marketed as another (cough) winner like The Shack.  It's also a feel-good book, that will sell well.  I just wish the inside of the book was as well-done as the outside.

(this book was provided free to review from thomas nelson/booksneeze...and reviewed by melissa smith for joshua smith)