Disappointing. This book is not particularly well-written. Heller waxes majestically about the scenery and topography he sees, but I still can't visualize it. And he shifts his voice several times throughout the book, sometimes writing as if he were delivering sacred text, other times casually reaching out and attempting to speak to the reader one-on-one. It's hard to get a feel for the story he's trying to tell. Add that to the fact that there is not a single compelling character in the book and it makes it a little tough to slog through. I find that I just don't care what happens to these people. And this may sound silly, but an adventure book without pictures of the location is a bad idea. I hate to sound like I'm in 4th grade, but it would have been really helpful to have some visual aids to understand the geography they were in and the effect of the water on their kayaking. No photos. It hurts the book.