The Highest Tide: A Novel [B1798-PB]

2006 PB in nice clean condition. YA, 12-18-years. A mesmerizing, allegorical, and beautifully wrought first novel about one boy's fascination with the sea during the summer that will change his life. One moonlit night, thirteen-year-old Miles O'Malley slips out of his house, packs up his kayak and goes exploring on the flats of Puget Sound. But what begins as an ordinary hunt for starfish, snails, and clams is soon transformed by an astonishing sight: a beached giant squid. As the first person to ever see a giant squid alive, the speed-reading Rachel Carson-obsessed insomniac instantly becomes a local curiosity. When he later finds a rare deepwater fish in the tidal waters by his home, and saves a dog from drowning, he is hailed as a prophet. The media hovers and everyone wants to hear what Miles has to say. But Miles is really just a teenager on the verge of growing up, infatuated with the girl next door, worried that his bickering parents will divorce, and fearful that everything, even the bay he loves, is shifting away from him. While the sea continues to offer up discoveries from its mysterious depths, Miles struggles to deal with the difficulties that attend the equally mysterious process of growing up. In this mesmerizing, beautifully wrought first novel, we witness the dramatic sea change for both Miles and the coastline that he adores over the course of a summer-one that will culminate with the highest tide in fifty years.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Appreciated this novel and its close-up lens on marine life in the South Puget Sound. We trust and want to follow Miles, the 13-year-old self-taught marine biology protege on his explorations of bay life. (I was less interested in his underage friends and their obsessions with sex and female anatomy.) Loved the integration and adoration of Rachel Carson in these pages. I will look at a low tide walk differently from now on. Enjoyed the humor regarding others' and Miles' own awareness of his short stature. This book is inspiring in a 'bloom where you're planted' way. It leaves one with a call to open your eyes to the wonders around you."; "Re-read it for Book Club discussion. Lots of description reminds me of the Nisqually earthquake we had. Reminded me of the Ramtha cult that I guess still exists. I like the use of Rachel Carson and the sea and its creatures."; "A sweet coming of age story with ocean life as the supporting character. Well researched and beautifully written. You will be able to visualize the sea life."