Michael Neale’s The River delivers a poignant story of a young man’s coming of age and coming to terms with his father’s tragic death.  It is an interesting read with engaging description and several riveting sections, but the lack of a clear Christian message somewhat disappoints.  Neale frames this narrative as a tale told in an airport by a world travelling whitewater guide.  Journal entries by the guide and others are sprinkled through the novel.  The story centers on Gabriel Clarke, who at the age of five, witnesses his father’s rescue of a careless kayaker.  Dad John Clarke saves the kayaker’s life but loses his own, and Gabriel is devastated.  Through the years, Gabriel harbors a resentment  toward  the kayaker who lived and for the river that took his dad’s life. The story follows Gabriel as he grows up with a mom he has hardly known, and as he searches for answers in unlikely places with surprising results.  Neale’s descriptions take the reader into the rugged outdoors. We can almost hear the rushing water and feel the craggy rocks under our sneakers.  We can smell those sizzling rib eyes on the campfire.   We can empathize with Gabriel’s plight because we’ve all searched for life’s answers.  However, this story does not cite Christian answers.  Redemption is a theme, but it is not clear that it is Christian redemption.  This novel is recommended as a compelling story, but it lacks the message expected from “Christian fiction.”  I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the words expressed here are my own.