by Jim Lynch
This is an unusual book in that it seems to be a cross between a young-person's book and an adult novel. In most cases I would consider this to be a disadvantage caused by an unsure writer, cranking out his first novel. Not this time... it somehow works.
I was drawn to the book by its setting: Puget Sound near Olympia, Washington; an area I know fairly well from my days living in Oregon. It is a fascinating area full of beauty and great variation in that beauty.
The main character is a 13-year-old named Miles O'Malley who has been raised on a diet of books by Rachel Carson from which he can quote from memory. His home on the edge of the Sound allows him to wander the tidal reaches and, most important, see what is there that others miss.
Early in the book he comes across a giant squid which really should not be there. Once the media latch onto the story, Miles becomes the focus of their attention. He is asked:
"Why do you think this deep-ocean creature, this 'giant squid,' as Professor Kramer calls it, ended up in this little bay by your house?" That's when I said what I said. It was a throwaway line, the sort of thing I'd heard fancy-smart people say on television when asked impossible questions. I could blame it on exhaustion, but there was a part of me that believed it. All of that doesn't much matter, though, because I said it: "Maybe the earth is trying to tell us something." They liked that a lot. A kid says something like that, and people go ahhh. Offer a plausible scientific explanation and they yawn. Dip into the mystical, especially if you appear to be an unsullied, clearheaded child, and they want to write a song about you.
I was interested to see how the author was able to share his knowledge of biology with the reader and present it in a way that creates a sense of wonder. There are some beautifully written passages scattered through the book describing Puget Sound mixed with others that introduce a parade of interesting characters and subplots.
Well worth the reading.
Reviewed by David Nale
I was drawn to the book by its setting: Puget Sound near Olympia, Washington; an area I know fairly well from my days living in Oregon. It is a fascinating area full of beauty and great variation in that beauty.
The main character is a 13-year-old named Miles O'Malley who has been raised on a diet of books by Rachel Carson from which he can quote from memory. His home on the edge of the Sound allows him to wander the tidal reaches and, most important, see what is there that others miss.
Early in the book he comes across a giant squid which really should not be there. Once the media latch onto the story, Miles becomes the focus of their attention. He is asked:
"Why do you think this deep-ocean creature, this 'giant squid,' as Professor Kramer calls it, ended up in this little bay by your house?" That's when I said what I said. It was a throwaway line, the sort of thing I'd heard fancy-smart people say on television when asked impossible questions. I could blame it on exhaustion, but there was a part of me that believed it. All of that doesn't much matter, though, because I said it: "Maybe the earth is trying to tell us something." They liked that a lot. A kid says something like that, and people go ahhh. Offer a plausible scientific explanation and they yawn. Dip into the mystical, especially if you appear to be an unsullied, clearheaded child, and they want to write a song about you.
I was interested to see how the author was able to share his knowledge of biology with the reader and present it in a way that creates a sense of wonder. There are some beautifully written passages scattered through the book describing Puget Sound mixed with others that introduce a parade of interesting characters and subplots.
Well worth the reading.
Reviewed by David Nale
1 comment:
Miles also has more everyday concerns: the future of his parents' marriage is in doubt, he is deeply worried about the health of his elderly friend and neighbour, Florence, and he is going through the usual adolescent learning curve of all things sexual. He is smaller than normal for his age and people are reluctant to take him seriously.
I learned a huge amount about the area of Olympia and Puget Sound and all the ocean life there. I also enjoyed the way the author was able to blend the extraordinary and the ordinary, making Miles' world seem very real. I finished the novel, but was left feeling a little puzzled as to what the author really set out to achieve.
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