Blood on the River

Blood on the River


By: Elisa Carbone
Reviewed by: Jewel, 13
Rating: It was amazing!


Samuel Collins was practically nothing in society's eyes; he was a street urchin, an orphan, and even a thief. It seems as though luck is shining on him when he becomes the page of Captain John Smith and boards the Susan Constant, bound for the New World. He's heard that gold washes ashore with every tide. But beginning with the stormy journey and his first encounter with the native indians, Samuel realizes that the New World is nothing like he imagined. The lush Virginia shore where they settle is both beautiful and forboding, and it's hard to determine friend and foe. The settlers' troubles are just beginning-the summer of 1607 brings mysterious illness, and winter brings starvation. It's soon clear to Samuel that the ways of the English don't always work in this unfamiliar land. The settlers need to find new ways. As he learns the language of the Algonquian Indians and observes Captain Smith's wise diplomacy, Samuel begins to see that he can be whomever he wants to be in this new land.


Recommended to: Any lovers of history and a good, thrilling story!