Red River Runs True to Form

Title: Red River
Author(s): Kelly Van Hull
Publisher: Kelly Van Hull
Copyright: 2013
ASBN: BOOGQLNDOG
Format: market paperback & ebook
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Part of Series: Book Two in the Tent City Series
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Kelly Van Hull continues to keep our attention in the Second Book of the Tent City Series: Red River. Many writers of dystopian fiction can fall out of balance between maintaining realism versus “crossing the line” in the sequel. However, Van Hull maintains a realistic balance in this novel for young adults despite her apocalyptic theme, the Biblical references to end of times plagues and the “advancements” which empower some of the characters. Continuity is maintained between the first and second books with the first-person point of view narration through the eyes of 17-year-old Dani. We learn that Dani’s 5-year-old brother, Brody, is the prophesized “Golden Child”. Dani’s determined to protect Brody by keeping his identity secret, even from their friends in Tent City. Like Van Hull, Dani is doing a balancing act. Dani is still undecided about her feeling for the brothers, Bentley and Jack, but that’s the least of her worries.

The novel opens with Dani discovering that Brody has the mark of the Golden Child as the young people from Tent City, along with Dani’s mother and father are on their way back to Tent City. The second plague occurs as they cross the river, which has turned to blood. This means that Bentley and Jack’s father, General Burke, can no longer be called a religious lunatic, he’s right! They now know they must face the remaining plagues soon. However, even concern about the plagues must be put on the back burner because winter in the Black Hills is approaching and they need a new camp.

The plot pacing is enjoyable, as Dani and Bentley search for a winter camp, but for me it’s just a backdrop for the inner conflict which Dani faces as she wavers between the pouting teenager whose parents are “in charge” and the strong young woman she is becoming. I like that her protectiveness of Brody keeps her firmly rooted in her own strength and that she constantly battles her own temper when she is forced to share the camp with the infamous General Burke. New characters are smoothly introduced into the sequel and flesh it out to create a lively conflict for Dani’s inner conflict. A few surprising twists toward the end makes us wonder what will happen in the third book to this trilogy.

Though I enjoyed Kelly Van Hull’s second book, Red River, it didn’t capture my attention as much as the first book, Tent City, which I gave five stars. It’s still a good read, though, and I highly recommend it for the young people and adults who are following Van Hull’s series.