Reviewed by Dianna Geers for TeensReadToo.com
Miles says that most people don't believe him when he describes what he sees in the water--they often think he is exaggerating or lying. But when he finds something that is almost unbelievable to both himself and Professor Kramer, people begin seeing him a bit differently.
What he saw was a giant squid, which is usually a deep-ocean creature. The mystery of how such a creature would end up in the shallow waters of the Puget Sound caused quite a commotion in his own community and among the science community at large. Since Miles tends to be a quiet teenager, sudden attention focused on him seems a bit unsettling.
When Miles finds more unusual creatures in the area, more attention and questions are focused on him. Why is he the only one finding all of these remarkable things? Miles says it's because he is probably the only one looking. Indeed, he spends more time looking at the water than most kids spend on the computer. He becomes seen as a sort of scientific genius, a prophet, and even a hero. More and more people begin showing interest in this area and Miles struggles with the constant attention and the disturbance to the once quiet area. All of this is happening while Miles struggles with his parents' troubled marriage, his crush on a girl, helping his elderly friend stay out of a nursing home, and just plain old growing up.
Never before have the details from a book intrigued me so much that I immediately wanted to research them so I could see what was described in the writing. Until I read THE HIGHEST TIDE by Jim Lynch, that is.
Miles, the main character, has such a love for water life, and he spends a great deal of his time exploring. When Miles describes the things he sees it is with so much respect and awe that readers can't help but be drawn into a fascination of this world that is so often overlooked. I found myself wanting to pick up the book during my day so that I could see where else Miles's discoveries would take me. And when I did research, the pictures of these creatures were just as breathtaking as Miles described them.
Jim Lynch is able to create beauty with words the way artists do with paintbrushes. Read this book. You will see our planet differently. At least the 2/3 of it that is water and contains such intrigue.
Miles says that most people don't believe him when he describes what he sees in the water--they often think he is exaggerating or lying. But when he finds something that is almost unbelievable to both himself and Professor Kramer, people begin seeing him a bit differently.
What he saw was a giant squid, which is usually a deep-ocean creature. The mystery of how such a creature would end up in the shallow waters of the Puget Sound caused quite a commotion in his own community and among the science community at large. Since Miles tends to be a quiet teenager, sudden attention focused on him seems a bit unsettling.
When Miles finds more unusual creatures in the area, more attention and questions are focused on him. Why is he the only one finding all of these remarkable things? Miles says it's because he is probably the only one looking. Indeed, he spends more time looking at the water than most kids spend on the computer. He becomes seen as a sort of scientific genius, a prophet, and even a hero. More and more people begin showing interest in this area and Miles struggles with the constant attention and the disturbance to the once quiet area. All of this is happening while Miles struggles with his parents' troubled marriage, his crush on a girl, helping his elderly friend stay out of a nursing home, and just plain old growing up.
Never before have the details from a book intrigued me so much that I immediately wanted to research them so I could see what was described in the writing. Until I read THE HIGHEST TIDE by Jim Lynch, that is.
Miles, the main character, has such a love for water life, and he spends a great deal of his time exploring. When Miles describes the things he sees it is with so much respect and awe that readers can't help but be drawn into a fascination of this world that is so often overlooked. I found myself wanting to pick up the book during my day so that I could see where else Miles's discoveries would take me. And when I did research, the pictures of these creatures were just as breathtaking as Miles described them.
Jim Lynch is able to create beauty with words the way artists do with paintbrushes. Read this book. You will see our planet differently. At least the 2/3 of it that is water and contains such intrigue.
