Peace Like A River Book Review Novels & Stories

A crystal-clear river flowed peacefully through the center, its surface sparkling beneath the sunlight. Beautiful wildflowers of every color bloomed along its banks. Birds chirped sweetly overhead while the cool breeze gently brushed strands of hair across my face. Everything felt...Peaceful. "Do you like it?" Dominic asked, watching my expression. I could barely speak. "Of course." The words came out as little more than a whisper before I found myself laughing and twirling around like an excited child. For the first time in what felt like forever...My heart felt light. This place soothed something deep inside me. It satisfied the lonely little child I'd kept hidden for so long.

Melodic strains of birdsong, sounds of the forest, and the water rushing quietly by all blend together into the soothing rhythm of peace. I've done this more times than I can count, spending hours and hours sitting by this river, reveling in the vastness of this place and the absolute solitude. The peace and stillness out here used to be my refuge. But at some point, that changed. Now it feels different. Something is missing.

The growing egos in the room was becoming suffocating. "I don't care what you do with someone that would degrade herself as low as she has. I was simply being polite. Now, the treaty." As always, River made no sense as he spoke. Just like last night, his words contradicted everything that came before. His body language was tense and uncomfortable, and I had no idea what could cause him such discomfort. "Terms?" Jackson asked when no one began speaking. River smiled to him, relaxing his tense body and leaned back in his chair. He had this delightfulness mixed with evil in his eyes. He seemed to be excited at the idea of mayhem or danger. I was afraid of what he would demand of us to keep peac

he asked. I nodded with a smile, then took another sip. "Sharon made it." River cracked a grin. He then took his share, sipping quite a lot. "Not bad," he commented. I shook my head and walked over to the small shelf above the fireplace. My fingers sorted through the books until they settled on an orange-covered book with the words XXX XXX XXX written on it. I bring it back to the sofa, keeping River company as he returns to his tablet. A few minutes later, our cups were empty, and my heart was suddenly beating faster than it should. I put the book down on my lap, then looked up at River, who I could tell from the look on his face that he was also feeling strange in his body.

They are good - but too different. Walking along the cobblestone sidewalk, barely touching the metal railings covered with cracked and peeling paint with her fingers, Leah looked at the pockmarked surface of the water. The restless river stretched towards a gray-pink horizon streaked with scanty clouds: thin and translucent, like a sweet cobweb on the rim of a machine that creates cotton candy. The predawn twilight impressed her so deeply that for the first time since she learned about the upcoming move, she felt pleasant peace and gratitude towards her parents. For a brief moment, she even had the thought that such a radical change of place of residence was not such a bad idea.

“I can see it in their eyes.” “They’re scared. That’s it, really.” “Alright.” We walked past the river. It had grown wide and now moved through parts of the city. Children released small blocks of ice into the water to follow them down river, it was so clear. “It’s peaceful here,” I said. “It can be,” he replied. “But peace never last long in our world. Now you know what I’m trying to defend from Salvatore.” I glanced at him. “Are you always expecting war then?”

But what surprises Vienna was the volume of the books, no offense but she thought Leopard was not the type of guy who likes to read books, other than maps and such. She somehow landed her eyes in a certain book lying on the table that caught her attention. Vienna took it and read the title, Where I truly Belong. She smirked at the book's title, it seems like even the book is confused about where it truly belongs, just like Vienna. She returned it above the table and walk near the window where the houses and the large scale of water surrounding the island shines as the morning setting sun appear, turning the seawater into gold. She has never been this peaceful ever since, and it gives her suc

Next thing I knew, she lay on the sand, and encouraged me to so the same, and I did. "This is actually the good part. Just lying down here and listening to the sound of the water and watching the sky. Think of the thing that is bothering you for a moment, then you focus on the sound of the water." She smiled as she went quiet for a moment, and I tried to think about Aaron. "The funny thing about the river is that you will hear the same movement of the water over and over again, but you will not get tired of it, instead you will feel peace."

I’ve spent more time at this river than I have anywhere else, and yet I’ve never once gotten inside the river, never. Despite that though, I seem to have a connection with this place. Maybe it’s the fact that this is where I was found, in this river, so I have subconsciously made it sacred to me, or maybe it’s not, but I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it, just feel it. Just like the trees that I draw, this place brings me peace, it calms me and makes me feel safe.

Zed’s POV I woke up before the alarm, lying still for a moment, listening to the quiet rhythm of River’s breathing beside me. Her hair spilled across the pillow, messy and perfect at the same time, and I couldn’t stop myself from staring. There was something about watching her sleep that both steadied and unsettled me. She had this way of looking so peaceful, like the chaos of the world couldn’t touch her here. For years, I had woken up in a house that felt cold, next to someone who had felt like a stranger. But with River? It was different. She was my warmth. She was my comfort. She was home.