Book Review: Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids by Jill Osborne

Title: Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids
Author: Jill Osborne
Published by Zondervan
Series: The Good News Shoes #2
Date Published: 2014-01-28
Pages: 256
Genres: Children's Fiction, Secular Fiction, Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Source: Booklook Blogger Program
Purchase: Amazon~ B&N
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Rating:

If you’re gonna run for your life, you gotta wear the right shoes.

Life is rapidly changing for pre-teen shoe spokesperson Riley Mae. After the last photo shoot and trek up the Half-Dome in Yosemite, Riley Mae and her Swiftriver friends find themselves in Northwest Montana, the perfect backdrop for a river sandal campaign. The first problem is a plane malfunction. Then the rigorous raft training for the “Ready Eddy” river sandal campaign brings more bumps and bruises. And given that she is in Montana for a shoe campaign instead of back home with her friends, Riley thinks life can’t get much worse. But then she meets Sunday, a 10 year-old boy from Kenya, who wrestles fish, battles bears, and tackles leukemia. And Riley soon learns that life is as unpredictable as the raging waters, which, if she is not careful, will sweep her away and into the hands of the enemy---who is even closer than she thinks.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Author/Booklook Blogger Program and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.

My Thoughts:
Sadly, this is my first adventure with Riley Mae. Happily, I loved it! I am big on the adventures of young folks. I love the situations they find themselves in most all the time. Sure, I’m a 30-something mom of two boys, but I love that feeling of exhilaration I get when I follow a kid on an adventure. With Riley Mae, we meet lots of fun along the way, lots of sadness and lots of mishaps, but in the end, we get a powerfully inspirational message from Riley Mae, God and a sweet little boy!

This is definitely a 5 star worthy faith-filled book that will teach young children and teens alike, the importance of embracing life and cherishing each moment God gives to you. Sunday’s character was amazingly created and had me in awe of all he tackles on a day-to-day basis. Definitely inspiring and eye opening for sure!

If you are a kid at heart, love reading or know of a child who loves to read, get them a copy of this book. It’s book 2 in a series but definitely fun to follow along with! I can’t wait to go back and read the first in the Good News Shoes family. Well done, Ms. Osborne!