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Alex Carey and Bender Baxter had been friends since early childhood. Now, approaching their sixteenth birthdays, Alex is drowned in the Latoon River in a tragic diving accident. While Bender goes for help, Alex is mysteriously rescued, but unconscious, never sees his savior. Assuming him to be Jubel Owens, a local hermit, Alex and Bender set out to find and thank Old Jubel. What they discover in Jubel's forest is beyond their wildest dreams...
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by C.H. Foertmeyer ISBN 0-595-26541-3 175 pages at 13.95 paperback www.iuniverse.com This is the fourth book I've read by C.H. Foertmeyer and it won't be the last. His books are always imaginative and well written, complete with excitement, danger, and life lessons as a subtle part of every story. Alex Carey and Bender Baxter are teenage friends. They live in a small Idaho town bordering on forested wilderness. One day while swimming in the river, Alex drowns and Bender cannot save him. An unexpected and miraculous rescue occurs, and Alex is discovered alive days later. Both boys set out to find whoever saved Alex from death. Their search takes them deep into primeval forest, and a world no one could possibly believe exists today. Jubel Owens is a hermit like his father before him. Half Indian and half white, he prefers his life in the peaceful forest, away from the modern world. Still, he befriends Alex and Bender and helps them understand the mystery they uncover on their trek. The Atiri are throwbacks to an ancient time before the white man threatened their existence. Although different from native Indians and modern man, the Atiri have their own language and way of life, are compassionate and devoted to their families. Jubel, Alex, and Bender finally meet Bersh, the male Atiri who rescued Alex and nursed him back to health. Bersh has a wife named Brish, and a son named Besh. The adventure proceeds as planned until two teenagers named Dirk and Carter stumble onto Besh and shoot him. From that point, less than kindly townfolk get involved in searching for the Atiri. Jubel and his young friends have their hands full in protecting the Atiri and preventing the world from invading their home. Along the way, lives and attitudes are changed. New alliances and friendships are formed. And good behavior wins out over bad. With C.H. Foertmeyer, each book is a new adventure. The American wilderness and human nature are portrayed as what they were and are. This author's books are appropriate for both adult and young adult readers. The occasional mild expletive does not detract from the message. Highly recommended, as are all this award winning author's books.
Laurel Johnson
Review by: Sue Hartigan Alex Carey is dead. Of that his best friend, Bender Baxter is sure. He saw it with his own eyes. Alex had jumped off the cliffs into the water, and did not surface. Bender jumped in and finally found Alex anchored to the river bottom, and although using every bit of strength that he could master, he could not free him. Alex was dead, and Bender knew it. After finally summoning help to the area, Bender knew that they would find Alex, but it would be his body. It had been over twenty-four hours, and besides he had seen Alex dead under the water. He was completely heartbroken, but they had to retrieve the body, and Bender knew where it was. Or did he? Meanwhile, soon after Bender dove into the icy water to help Alex for the last time, and had left to summon help, Alex woke in a dark cave. There was nothing around him except for a small fire, and even that didn't light up the darkness around him. He remembered drowning, and Bender trying to save him, and couldn't figure out what in the world was going on. Alex tried to light a torch and explore his surroundings, however the torch wouldn't stay lit long enough to see much of anything. Finally giving up he went back to the fire, and promptly fell asleep. When he woke again he found that someone had killed, dressed, and put a rabbit on a spit for him to eat. After eating, he fell asleep again to wake to a shimmering light coming from the river of water running through the cave. After much consideration he figured that was the only way out, and dove into the water, and swam in the direction of the light, to surface again in the river. The river current being so strong, it pushed him onto a sand bar, where he lay unconscious until Bender and the rescue crew finally found him, alive. Bender is totally dumbfounded. Although completely, and utterly ecstatic that Alex is alive, he can't believe it. After all he saw with his own eyes that Alex was dead. There was absolutely no mistake about that. After Alex is treated and able to tell Bender what happened, the boys decide that they are going to investigate this phenomenon. Bender's mother had told him the story about an old hermit, Jubel Owens, that lived on the other side of the river, in the wilderness, and Doc confirms this story. Although Doc thinks that this old man has to be dead. After all, he would be 85 by now, and hadn't been seen in town, getting supplies, for a long time. Alex and Bender decide that they are going to hike over to the other side of the river and find old Jubel so Alex can thank him for saving his life. Jubel has to be the only explanation as to how Alex got free, and was saved. After getting enough supplies to last them a couple of days, Alex and Bender head off to find old Jubel. Meanwhile unbeknownst to them, two boys, Dirk and Carter, who have been tormenting Alex and Bender off and on for quite a while, decide to follow them. The woods on the other side of the river are quite different than the ones on the side where the boys live. Although only a few miles from home, on that side of the river the woods are virgin, very thick, and with overgrown foliage. But that doesn't stop Alex and Bender. They are determined to find old Jubel. And it soon looks like they may have done just that. After spending their first night in the woods Bender wakes to find a man sitting by the fire petting Snitch, Benders dog. ALEX 'N BENDER is absolutely wonderful. As with other books that Mr. Foertmeyer has written you cannot put it down. It is written so simply, and yet with so much heart and soul that the reader finds himself in the story, actually seeing the beautiful scenery around him. The characters are so realistic that you actually feel their breath on your skin. The only problem that one may find while reading ALEX 'N BENDER is that Mr. Foertmeyer has tried to demonstrate to the reader the actual language of the Atiri. He has written their thoughts in English, but spelled the words backwards, in order to demonstrate their true language. Although this is different, it certainly isn't that difficult to follow, once you get the hang of it. And in my opinion has added a lot to the feelings of the story. Mr. Foertmeyer gained my appreciation, and admiration of his writing abilities with the first book that I read, CARVER: HIGH MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY, and ALEX 'N BENDER only solidified it. He is a master of the art, and continues to completely thrill me with his work. ALEX 'N BENDER is another masterpiece and will completely engage any reader in the first chapter, carrying them through to the last page. Although he is a talent unto himself, and I don't normally like to compare one authors talent with another, I cannot help but be reminded of Samuel Langhorne Clemens when I read Mr. Foertmeyer's work. He writes in much the same fashion, and I honestly believe some day Mr. Foertmeyer's work will be thought of as the modern day Samuel Clemens.
I completely recommend that you get a copy of ALEX 'N BENDER immediately,
and prepare yourself for a ride into a wonderful world, one that you
will not want to leave. One that will leave you waiting, and hoping,
for another world that Mr. Foertmeyer takes you into again, soon.
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