Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Highest Tide, Jim Lynch

The Highest Tide is a fiction story told from the perspective of a 13 year old boy who has a love of the Pacific Northwest waterways. He combs the tidal flats of the bay near his Olympia home. During his late night explorations he encounters unusual marine life that brings him attention.

Miles has a collection of interesting friends including a funny peer that provides comic relief and a fun insight into how teen boys educate each other about sex. Miles has a sweet relationship with a neighbor whom is a surrogate mother figure. She is also a seer and predicts some unusual activities that change the face of their small community.

In addition to Miles’ buddy, and psychic neighbor he is in love with the 18 year old hip and troubled neighbor and is mentored by her father. The relationship with his parents is strained and he struggles with the fact that their marriage isn’t as stable as he would prefer.

We didn’t have a lot to discuss regarding this story. We analyzed the relationships and reviewed the incredible amount of information provided about marine life. There didn’t seem to be an underlying message for the reader, but the story was enjoyable, the characters were diverse.

Unlike most discussions, we relied on the “book group questions” in the back of the book. That generally happens when we like the book, but the story is unremarkable.

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