Summary
This short novel
focuses on one tragic day in the lives of best friends Joel and Tony. The boys,
who have known each other since they were babies, couldn’t be more opposite in
temperament: Tony is the adventurous daredevil, while Joel is the careful
rule-follower. One day, Tony dares Joel to climb the bluffs with him at the state
park. Rather than risk being thought a coward, Joel evades Tony by asking his
father’s permission to ride to the state park, secretly hoping that his father
would give them a flat denial. To the consternation and surprise of Joel, his father
grants his permission on one condition: the boys must promise not to go
anywhere near the notoriously dangerous river. Joel promises his father on his
“honor” that he would stay away from the river and reluctantly makes the
twelve-mile trek to the park with his venturesome friend. When the boys arrive
at the state park, Tony decides to raise the stakes. He dares Joel to get in
the river with him. Against Joel’s better judgment, he joins Tony in the water.
Nervous about disobeying his father’s directive and worried about the river’s
strong current, Joel gets into an argument with his friend, who threatens to
leave the river to climb the dangerous bluffs. To assuage his angry friend,
Joel challenges Tony to swim with him out to the sandbar. Tony agrees and the
boys begin the perilous swim out. Joel has to fight hard against the current to
make it to the other side; he turns to find his friend has gone missing. It is
at this moment that Joel comes to the horrible realization that Tony couldn’t
swim and the “forbidden river” has caused his friend to drown. After an
agonizing search for Tony in the river by himself and with the help of some
passersby, Joel promises to go straight to the police barracks to report the
incident, but instead heads home. Guilty and torn with grief, Joel decides to
cover up his involvement in his friend’s death to protect his “honor.” He
denies having seen Tony at the river to his and Tony’s parents. Overcome with shame,
Joel is torn by his guilty conscience and the repercussions that could happen
if he tells the truth. With the gentle help of his father, Joel is finally able
to make sense of the tragedy and to face the truth for what it is.
Interest
The book will
very likely appeal to a broad range of readers: the focus on everyday
adolescent life will appeal to those in middle adolescence and its heavy
thematic material will appeal to those in late adolescence. Adolescent girls
will be drawn to the book for its well-developed and thought-provoking
characters, and boys will be drawn to the book for its male protagonist and
moments of action and adventure.
Developing Well-Adjusted Readers
Progressive Independence and Separation
from Parents: One
of the main conflicts of the book is Joel’s conflicting desire to obey his
father’s instructions and please his adventure-seeking friend. After the
tragedy, Joel finds himself angry at his father for allowing them to go to the
park in the first place. But, Joel must come to recognize his own culpability
in the death of his friend and face the repercussions for his own personal
choices apart from his father’s influence. The adolescent reader will be
inspired to carefully consider how they would respond in a similar situation.
Changed Relationship with Peers: Although Joel
and Tony have been best friends all of their lives, Joel is beginning to make a
clear divide between his parents’ and his friend’s influence on his actions.
Joel knows better, but he begrudgingly consents to Tony’s crazy ideas to keep
the peace between them. This is a clear representation of the fact that Joel’s
friendship with Tony supersedes his relationship with his father – to his and
Tony’s detriment. Adolescent readers will likely be able to relate to Joel’s
inner conflict of trying to please both sides and should be able to discern the
repercussions that come from having an imbalanced priority in relationships.
Achieving an Integrated System of
Values: Joel
has always been a rule follower. He does not take risks. He has a good
relationship with his attentive parents and aims to keep it that way. When he
promises to obey his father’s command on his “honor,” he means it. But, when he
is confronted with this horrific tragedy, his feelings of guilt and shame
overshadow his sense of duty and honor. It isn’t until after Joel’s father
blames himself for the accident that Joel takes full responsibility for his
part in his friend’s senseless death. He comes full circle – his character and
behavior are now consistent with his value system. Even if they haven’t faced a
similar situation, many teens will be able to relate to Joel’s fear of owning
up to the truth in the face of such severe repercussions. His example should
encourage them to act consistently upon their values regardless of the outcome.
Issues
This book is easy-to-read,
but it is not an easy read, and the wise Christian school teacher will be
sensitive to that distinction. In light of the heavy thematic material, the
teacher will want to be careful to openly discuss the ideas of death, guilt,
despair, and grief that are so prevalent throughout the book. The teacher may
also want to focus on idea of lying and its consequences. Another issue that
arises late in the book is the author’s nebulous view of heaven. A teacher
would be wise to generate a healthy discussion on the appropriate theology of
the afterlife and how it compares to Joel’s idea of afterlife in the book.
Recommendations
On a positive
note, this book won a Newbery Honor Award in 1987, which distinguishes it as a
worthwhile read. The characters are believable and engaging. The plot is
interesting and provocative. The difference between right and wrong is clearly
defined in the novel, and it is clear that the author believes that right
(truth) is what is good and honorable. The author handles the sensitive subject
material with simplicity and tact. I would highly recommend this for reading by
those mature adolescents that can approach its heavy themes with discernment
and understanding. I thoroughly enjoyed this book – it is a story that isn’t
easily forgotten.
