spepp reviewed Map of the Harbor Islands by J. G. Hayes
Review of 'Map of the Harbor Islands' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
9.5
Observation: Impossible not mention At Swim, Two Boys, not as a comparison but as a mere fact that both books were made to sit side by side on a bookshelf. Though they differ as narratives, At Swim dealing specially with the banality of war and the burden of loss while A Map deals with the struggles of accepting that life is and such should be celebrated, both walk side by side on their thematic sidewalks.
A Map of the Harbor Islands is a rather hard to find 2006 book about the comes and goes of two friendships throughout the years, best genre always. Danny's "fear leading into impulsivity" is a constant throughout the book and it's what draws most of the narrative's conflicts while Petey is an omnipresent figure: when he is not right there in front of you, he's hidden behind every word. Birdy.
The writing …
9.5
Observation: Impossible not mention At Swim, Two Boys, not as a comparison but as a mere fact that both books were made to sit side by side on a bookshelf. Though they differ as narratives, At Swim dealing specially with the banality of war and the burden of loss while A Map deals with the struggles of accepting that life is and such should be celebrated, both walk side by side on their thematic sidewalks.
A Map of the Harbor Islands is a rather hard to find 2006 book about the comes and goes of two friendships throughout the years, best genre always. Danny's "fear leading into impulsivity" is a constant throughout the book and it's what draws most of the narrative's conflicts while Petey is an omnipresent figure: when he is not right there in front of you, he's hidden behind every word. Birdy.
The writing style is the one where a bug crawling up a thigh can last half a page. If you're not fond of such, be at least aware of that. Petey's long long rants are a blessing, and just when I started thinking they were maybe becoming a bit too much, the book smartly does something with it that starts introducing new sides to the main cast - as if Petey were some sort of God, or Jesus, and his behaviour dictated the people's behaviour around him, directly or not.
The book focus directly on meandPetey, skimming through the starts and endings of "outer happenings" but lingering endlessly on the tinniest details of every now. This decision led to one user here mention that Danny and Noreen have a "sudden maturation", but to me it felt more like the lines didn't merge until they did. Meaning, Noreen's presence didn't matter to meandPetey's adventures until it did - and the book's trust and consistency on this method pays off, fitting its pieces in the end. Except for, maybe, "Petey's frogs" who are never mentioned again. Danny kept us hanging on that one.