Survival of the Fittest - Softcover

Gr 6-9-Rus Cooper, 13, and his two younger cousins board a small plane on the last leg of a journey to the rain forests of Peru, where his uncle is volunteering as a surgical technician. Rus is a reluctant tagalong, still hurting from the death of his alcoholic mother. Engine problems force an emergency landing in a river and the children are the only survivors. Frightened, but quick to rally, they take stock of their supplies and attempt to build a raft. Friction and bickering between surly Rus and his cousins is overplayed but subsides as survival becomes their focus. The story becomes episodic as they travel down the river, weak from hunger, sunburned, and lost. A lush but dangerous setting is vividly portrayed, complete with insects and piranhas. In a dramatic climax, the children are separated, lose the raft, and are found by tribal Indians. Adults are ephemeral and readers only assume a parental reunion. Rus resolves his relationship with Matt and Jodie but remains in character, avoiding a too sentimental ending. Reluctant readers will enjoy the realism and fast-paced adventure.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY

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