|
Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Jim Lynch's THE HIGHEST TIDE.
Autumn from Newtown, PA
What writers do you read?
I don't usually read particular authors but find that if I enjoy a book I've picked up I am more inclined to try another by the same author. Most recently, I've been reading Ayn Rand, Sue Monk Kidd, Barbara Kingsolver, Anita Diamant, Carl Hiaasen and Sara Donati.
What did you think of THE HIGHEST TIDE?
I truly enjoyed this book for its colorful characters, setting and plot. Lynch brilliantly provides all the necessary details of the characters' lives for the reader to truly admire their plights and passions.
Would you ever read a future book by Jim Lynch?
Definitely. Plus, I plan to suggest THE HIGHEST TIDE to my book club for a future reading.
Betsy from Dracut, MA
What writers do you read?
Diana Gabaldon, Grisham, Sidney Sheldon, Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, Dean Koontz and Dan Brown
What did you think of THE HIGHEST TIDE?
I rather surprised myself in that I really enjoyed this book. I did not come of age as a young man, but as a young woman, but many of Miles' feelings were the same. I had empathy for his short stature as I dealt with the opposite --- much taller than everyone else my age and being very self-conscious as Miles was. I love the way the characters were described. I could immediately see them in my mind's eye. I feel that Miles was way ahead of his friend Phelps with his rather incredible knowledge of the ocean and its creatures and the way he helped out his elderly neighbor. I felt much sympathy that it took Miles being on television for his parents to finally realize how special he was. They offered everything but all he wanted was for them to stay together
Would you ever read a future book by Jim Lynch?
Yes.
Danielle from Omaha, NE
What writers do you read?
I have lots of favorites. Should I stick to current authors? Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth George, Kazuo Ishiguro, Katherine Fowler, A.S. Byatt, Marian Keyes, Arturo Perez-Reverte, and many, many others, as well as many mystery writers! And I am always looking to find new authors as well!
What did you think of THE HIGHEST TIDE?
This has been an extremely enjoyable book! To be honest, I wasn't sure what I would think at first. It is sort of outside my comfort zone --- I thought, a novel narrated by a 13 year-old boy? Am I going to be able to relate? However, at the same time it intrigued me, and I think some feelings and emotions are just universal. Jim Lynch's writing is real and very eloquent! The story just flows. I can totally see a kid like Miles --- as unusual as he is!
Would you ever read a future book by Jim Lynch?
Yes, I hope he continues to write!
Kathleen from Virginia Beach, VA
What writers do you read?
James Salter, Alice Munro, Robert Stone, Michael Ondaatje and Pat Conroy.
What did you think of THE HIGHEST TIDE?
I enjoyed the setting and learning about the tidal life in Seattle. The book was packed with facts and the research showed. The story and characters were well-integrated so there was always some plot line to keep the momentum.
Would you ever read a future book by Jim Lynch?
Yes.
Larry from Cuyahoga Falls, OH
What writers do you read?
I read almost everyone but to name a few: John Irving, James Patterson, Dan Brown and Patricia Cornwell. I also like writers that use the same characters, i.e. Sue Grafton
What did you think of THE HIGHEST TIDE?
I really enjoyed reading THE HIGHEST TIDE. It was hard to believe this was a first novel. The characters were well-developed and the story had a good flow to it (like the tide coming in). It was an excellent "coming of age" tale, revealing the highs and lows of growing up: friendships, loves, interests, family life. A very good book
Would you ever read a future book by Jim Lynch?
A definite yes.
Marion from Temecula, CA
What writers do you read?
My favorite writers are Michael Connelly, Nora Roberts, Nancy Thayer, Rick Warren, J.K.Rowling, etc. (in no
particular order).
What did you think of THE HIGHEST TIDE?
THE HIGHEST TIDE, a different type of coming of age book, is delicately written. Though the beginning of this novel doesn't grab you, stick with it. You will not want it to end.
Telling the story is Miles, an intelligent, empathetic teenager. This is a character to admire --- as opposed to the boy in THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. THE HIGHEST TIDE is so much more worthy of recognition than Salinger's trite tale. Miles' relationship with an invalid, elderly woman is wonderful, as is his relationship to the bay and the creatures within it.
As the story unfolds. I got a slight deja vu feeling of Miles and his friend Phelps as a modern-day Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a bay setting rather than a river one.
Would you ever read a future book by Jim Lynch?
I'll look forward to Jim Lynch's next novel.
Thomas from Vernon, TX
What writers do you read?
Some writers I like are Elmore Leonard, James Lee Burke, Annie Proulx and Sarah Vowell
What did you think of THE HIGHEST TIDE?
I thought THE HIGHEST TIDE was very well-written. Everything rang true --- except for the big blocks of information about the sea. Though interesting in and of themselves, they felt shoehorned into the narrative and slowed down the flow. A minor irritation in an otherwise fine novel
Would you ever read a future book by Jim Lynch?
I would very certainly consider reading a future book by Jim Lynch.
Rachel from Northvale, NJ
What writers do you read?
While I enjoy reading a range of writers, my favorite authors include Douglas Adams, Jasper Fforde, J.K. Rowling and Kurt Vonnegut
What did you think of THE HIGHEST TIDE?
I very much enjoyed Jim Lynch's THE HIGHEST TIDE. The author did a wonderful job with creating believable characters through the use of small details and through the interactions between characters. The story itself was engaging, though I felt the ending was perhaps a bit rushed (only 15 pages were devoted to the event for which the book was named). Balancing scientific facts with human emotions, the author reflects the mystery and beauty of the natural world. If you have ever observed an animal or an event in nature and been in awe of what you have seen, you will appreciate this book. And if you have not, familiarize yourself with Wordsworth's "The World Is Too Much With Us."
Would you ever read a future book by Jim Lynch?
Yes.
Joe from Albuquerque, NM
What writers do you read?
I've read hundreds of authors, but I think two of the finest writers America has ever produced are John D. MacDonald and John Hersey, and though they're not producing anything new, I am constantly looking for more of their writings, something of theirs I haven't read. That's not to say that there's anything wrong with Ed McBain, Elmore Leonard, Stuart Kaminsky, William Humphrey, John McPhee, Wendell Berry, Gene Logsdon, William O. Douglas, Victor Davis Hanson, Norman Spinrad, David Quammen, Les Roberts, Stephen Hunter, Richard Manning or Thomas Perry (in no particular order). And for sheer imagination, Jasper Fforde. Where are the women, you ask? Let's see --- Sara Nelson (SO MANY BOOKS, SO LITTLE TIME), Laura Joh Rowland and the late Angie Debo. There are a few others, but they're not on the list of authors I'm going out of my way to find. Sexist? Sorry. So far, nobody's come close to MacDonald or Hersey.
What did you think of THE HIGHEST TIDE?
While it wasn't the best book I've read this year, it certainly wasn't the worst... In this day and age, I found the character of Miles to be pretty anachronistic. I'm sure there are lots of prodigies out there, in lots of fields of interest (music, art, computer programming), but I found the more realistic and interesting character to be Miles' friend Phelps. What teenager "wants" to visit, much less take care of an invalid woman who's not related to them? Miles' sales of sea creatures to various characters (the restaurateur, the Professor, the collector) seemed unrealistic, and we never see or hear what Miles did or wanted to do with the money he earned. His "relationship" with Angie Stegner was a bit unusual --- I can't imagine a young woman like that being more than passing interested in a boy 4-5-6 years younger than her --- and near the end "The ocean will wait for you Miles, and so will I." --- Let's back the bus up here. Throughout the whole book it's been a platonic (notwithstanding Miles' barely concealed lust for Angie), no more than brother-sister kind of relationship, and now she's "I will wait for you." Huh? I give that idea about 15 minutes, until Miles can paddle the canoe into shore. I guess if Miles is supposed to be a "normal" teenager, I missed the point. If he's supposed to be a "savior" or a "prophet," he's a bit too passive for my tastes.
All of that said, Lynch is actually a very good writer. He has a knack for words and phrases: "It wasn't that I was starting to feel that I actually had some higher calling, it's that I'd begun to feel as though I'd received a bigger role than I'd auditioned for." "Time had erased their cheekbones and dulled their eyes and skin the way ocean surf rounds and fades rocks until they all look the same." Several other times throughout the book I marked passages that appealed to me, including this one, which seemed to summarize the entire story, "It was a huge relief, in a way, to know that I hadn't actually been selected for anything, but I admit being disappointed to know, for certain, that I was as ordinary as I felt." Lynch has a good storyteller's ability, and the book read easily.
Overall, on a scale of 1-10, I'd give THE HIGHEST TIDE a 6. Good writing, fair story, some good characters, but not enough to make me want to read it again
Would I ever read a future book by Jim Lynch?
Sure. He's pretty good with the words. Let's see what else pops out of his head.
Richard from Groton, CT
What writers do you read?
A great many, including DeMille, Patterson, Crichton, Dan Brown, Silva, Douglas Preston, James Lee Burke, Clancy, Atkinson, Robert Parker, Lee Child and Cormac McCarthy.
What did you think of THE HIGHEST TIDE?
What a wonderful book! It touched me personally because I love to go clamming on Martha's Vineyard and see the amazing things the ocean reveals at low tide. The marine biology was of particular interest but what a beautiful story and written so well. Seeing life through the eyes of a thirteen year old reminded me of my younger years when I would wake up in the wee hours to go trapping. It was written with humor, sensitivity and great feeling. My wife and clamming partner, Jane, loved the book as well.
Would you ever read a future book by Jim Lynch?
I can't wait for his next one. I think he'll be very successful.
© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
Back to top.
|
