The River Author: Gary Paulsen. Pages: 132. Publisher: Delacorte Press. Price: $15, hardcover; $3.99 paperback.

You feel as if you're on a dull ride down a slow-moving river without any twists and turns in it. You're tired and bored, about to fall asleep. Guess what? You're reading the book The River by Gary Paulsen.

The River is a sequel to the book Hatchet, also by Paulsen.

Hatchet tells the story of 14-year-old Brian Robeson, who is stranded in the Canadian wilderness for 54 days with only a hatchet for survival. During this time of survival, not only does he learn how to survive in the wilderness, but how to deal with his parents' divorce.

Revisiting the wilderness

The River takes place a year after Brian is rescued and returns home safely. Some government officials come to his house and ask him to spend time in the wilderness again. This time, a government psychologist, Derek Holtzer, will accompany him. Holtzer will observe Brian and take notes for the survival courses he plans to teach to astronauts and to the armed forces.

After Holtzer and Brian get settled in their wilderness area, a terrible storm comes. Lightning strikes Holtzer and causes him to go into a coma. Brian has no way to get help except to build a raft and travel 119 miles down a dangerous, rapid river to a trading post.

The River is a dull adventure book. Although it has some suspenseful parts, it's unrealistic because of all the bad things that happen to Brian. It is very predictable, and has a "happily ever after" ending. No matter what bad situations Brian gets into, he will get himself out of them with hardly any complications or surprises.

Overboard on description

Almost every description in The River goes overboard with intensity and gruesome details:

"He (Brian) knew absolutely nothing, except the river and the paddle and his hands, which had gone beyond bleeding now and were sores that stuck to the shaft of the crude paddle . . .

Food, hunger, home, distance, sleep, the agony of his body-none of it mattered anymore.

Only the reach.

The bend forward at the waist, the pull back with the arms, two on the left, two on the right.

"Two left.

"Two right.

"Two.

"Two . . ."

The River is for kids at about a fifth- or sixth-grade reading level. I don't recommend The River unless you like slow-paced, overly descriptive adventure books.