Review: Lost in the River of Grass by Ginny Rorby

Title: Lost in the River of Grass

Author: Ginny Rorby

Publisher: Carolrhoda

Pub. Date: March 28, 2011

Source: Netgalley

Length: 264 Pages

Summary (from goodreads):
A science-class field trip to the Everglades is supposed to be fun, but Sarah's new at Glades Academy, and her fellow freshmen aren't exactly making her feel welcome. When an opportunity for an unauthorized side trip on an airboat presents itself, it seems like a perfect escape—an afternoon without feeling like a sore thumb. But one simple oversight turns a joyride into a race for survival across the river of grass. Sarah will have to count on her instincts—and a guy she barely knows—if they have any hope of making it back alive.
Lost in the River of Grass takes on the classic survival genre using one of the country's most unique wild places as a backdrop. In this tense, character-driven thriller, Sarah must overcome prejudice and the unforgiving wilderness in a struggle to survive.

My Thoughts: Lost in the River of Grass is the kind of book I would have loved if I were a few years younger than I am. It was a good read with a beautiful cover, but it didn't really do anything for me. It was like this: I started the book, I finished the book, and then I had to review the book. And I didn't know what to say. Nothing really seemed to grab me, except for the fact that the story was unique in how it was set in the Everglades.

I think it was sweet that the author wrote this story based on her husband's experiance (as quoted from her website): “Lost in the River of Grass is based on the true story of my husband’s ill-fated trip to the Everglades with his then girlfriend in his airboat. While they were ‘visiting’ one of the hunting camps in the Everglades, the airboat sank. It took them three days to walk out.”

Not every author can write a good survival story, but Ginny Rorby did. It was realistic, and there were no crazy, unbelievable things happening to Sarah and Adam out there in the Everglades. It was nice reading and learning about all the different plants and animals in the wild as well as the survival skills used to survive out there.

Looking back on it, I think I enjoyed this book more than I've let on. I would recommend Lost in the River of Grass to anyone looking for a good survival story, but I don't think you should expect it to be absolutely amazing.