I
was excited to read this novel chosen as the Whidbey Reads for 2017.
While the novel takes place on a fictional island in the San Juans,
the author notes that she borrowed heavily from Whidbey Island of
which I am a resident and native.
The
plot revolves around an event that happens once every hundred years.
For six nights a bay on a small island glows, tiny creatures giving
off light. The event has been a part of native lore, passed down from
generation to generation. Researchers descend on the bay. One of them
has an ulterior motive and that will change the destiny of many.
I
enjoyed this novel, mostly because it takes place nearby. The
characters were not developed as well as I would have liked. The
character driving the plot is Rachel, an organic chemist who is
obsessed, hoping to find an answer to her physical pain in the
luminescent animals. She is probably the best developed character
although it took nearly half the book to find out the source of her
physical pain. Other characters help provide a subplot that I thought
was a little far fetched.
I
was disappointed in the ending of the novel – not what happened to
whom but how it all came to be. I felt the plot was moving forward
but then it all seemed to spread out and just end.
I
recommend this novel to those who would like to get a flavor of life
in the Pacific Northwest and the San Juan Islands. You'll learn some
about sailing and boat repair too.
My
rating: 3/5/stars.
Ashley
Ream got her first job writing for a newspaper when she was sixteen.
This is her second book. She and her husband live in Seattle. You
can find out more at http://ahream.com/.
Flatiron
Books, 320 pages.
Author photo by Eric Stone.
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