Into the River of Angels: A Novel
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
George R. Wolfe’s young adult adventure novel, Into the River of Angels, tells how a high school kid’s ill-conceived plan to canoe the Los Angeles River spirals out of control—an urban journey on a dangerous, forbidden waterway, woven together by a series of epic fails.
It starts when 17-year-old Sam Hawkins—an alienated, disillusioned, and sardonic renegade from the San Fernando Valley—decides he can flee his troubles with an impulsive escape on the infamous L.A. River, a 51-mile, concrete-lined patchwork of water systems that flows from the foothills of the western Valley, through the gritty concrete jungle of Downton L.A., to Long Beach and the Pacific.
But Sam’s teenage rebellion soon turns into a surreal odyssey, featuring a series of threatening obstacles, as he and his fellow travelers encounter wildlife, police, smugglers, gangs, psychopaths, and more. Will the cost of their journey be more than they bargained for?
Wolfe, an author and activist, is the founder of LA River Expeditions, a group that advocates for endangered rivers and helped to open the L.A. River to the public. One of the first to journey down the river in its modern configuration, Wolfe is uniquely qualified to give life to this fascinating and highly detailed coming-of-age journey.
Customer Reviews
Exciting ride
George R Wolfe’s “Into the River of Angels” is an insightful, page turning, coming of age story that sweeps you up in its current and takes you on an exciting ride.
To me it felt like a fun juxtaposition between a classic adventure story (Huck Finn, Treasure Island) with the more modern themes of alienation, immigration, urbanization and class. It’s as if Huck’s Mississippi has been re-routed through L.A., sometimes reduced to a trickle or encased in concrete, but still manages to have a kind of beauty and wildness, and still manages to provide adventure and plenty of peril for a young man who wants to break free of his predictable suburban world.
By the end of the journey much innocence is lost and some wisdom is gained about the potential high cost of adventure and the complexity and ambiguity of passing into adulthood. Highly recommended.
A Fascinating Journey
George Wolfe's new novel, "Into the River of Angels" takes us on a wonderful journey, both down the mysterious and often misunderstood L.A. River and also, in a more symbolical sense, from one young San Fernando Valley youth's adolescence into adulthood. The journey begins very quietly, almost as the first drops of water collect in the foothills and begin streaming into the earliest tributaries of the river. We are first introduced to the book's main characters, as we are being let in on how the entire plan to navigate the entire L.A. River was hatched. Things pick up speed, subside and accelerate again, just as the river does in it's quest to reach the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, our main protagonist faces many challenges, encounters new friends and foes, and learns a lot about himself in the process. Although I believe it was written for a younger audience, I think readers of all ages will enjoy this fun and engaging trek through the secret waterways of Los Angeles. And Mr. Wolfe's intimate knowledge of the subject and thoughtful, descriptive writing style make the pages turn almost effortlessly before you reach the unexpected ending! Highly recommend!