An unbelievable adventure brought together by loyalty and trust.-M
Stunning setting and characters; a heartwarming adventure story.-S
This book is about a boy and his friends trying to get a reward for taking a picture of a big cat in the woods. The boy, Jason, is desperate for the money as he and his brother really need it. This wasn’t the best book in my opinion but there were some good scenes like when the four kids were running from the giant bull and everything felt slightly tense. My least favourite characters were Gary and Dean because they started beating up Jason, Catrin, Tam and Jinx. Overall, it was a nice, easy read but I’m not sure I would recommend it to other people as much as some of the others on the shortlist.-J
I really like this book because it has a lot of team work in it. My favourite character is a girl called Catrin because she is really clever, kind and sympathetic. 4/5
Where the River Takes Us, is an emotional adventure book about a boy called Jason wanting to help his brother keep them as financially stable as he can by taking a photo of a big cat that had been sighted. He goes on a journey with his friends to take a picture of the big cat to get a reward of £100 to help pay the bills since their parents died and are living by themselves. Everyone in the town pities them since they have no parents as well. They have an aunt, Pearl, who thinks Jason and his brother should come live with her. On the way they have to face, Dean and Gary who want the money for themselves to spend as they please, a raging bull, a rushing river, and no map but the river to guide them. In a shocking turn of events, they find the cat but Jason fears for the beast’s wellbeing and leaves it to roam free and quietly. His older brother, Dylan had been working with the wrong people to get paid and had gotten himself into a lot of trouble and then, eventually, into court. Though Jason was heartbroken, in the end the brothers reunite and live together happily with their aunt Pearl who had a change of heart. It was a great story, and I would definitely read it again.