The Highest Tide

By Jim Lynch

Book Overview

WINNER OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST BOOKSELLER AWARD

The unforgettable international bestseller and ode to the Pacific Northwest, "an irresistible coming-of-age fable, dappled with lyricism, briny honesty, and good humor." (Los Angeles Times)

One moonlit night, thirteen-year-old Miles O'Malley, a speed-reading, Rachel Carson-obsessed insomniac out looking for tidal specimens in Puget Sound, discovers a giant squid stranded on the beach. As the first person to see a giant squid alive, he finds himself hailed as a prophet. But Miles is really just a kid 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. As 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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1582346291
• ISBN13: 9781582346298
• Release Date: May 2006
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

A Novel That Captures the Beauty of the Ocean and the Challenges of Adolescence

I read this book on a recommendation, and didn't quite realize what I was getting into. That was fine, as THE HIGHEST TIDE turned out to be a welcome surprise on a number of levels. However, for those on the outside looking in, it may be useful to know that this book is prototypically "Pacific Northwest." In this case, that means that this novel is an example of very well-written (inspiring, even) environmentalist fiction. Given some of its frank sexual content, it is a bit of a surprise that this is sort of a Young Adult (YA) book. While the story of young teen Miles O'Malley and his best friend, the over-revved Phelps, will appeal to high school students as well as adults. (And speaking of adults, true to classic YA form, virtually all of the grown-ups in HIGHEST TIDE are useless.) If you want a mini-synopsis: The book is set in the Puget Sound and explores the eventually fantastic adventures of Miles, a young man fixated on marine biology who has to deal with divorce, girls, and death. It's very funny; one of the laugh-out-loud sections is the dialogue between Miles and Phelps concerning a sexy model. The book is quite touching as well; all in all, it's quite a successful and impressive outing. Nice work, Jim Lynch!

An Owen Meany of the West Coast?

I received this book in the mail last week as my first selection from Seattle's Elliott Bay Book Company's "Maiden Voyage Program" and I loved it. The main character resembles Owen Meany from John Irving's, "A Prayer for Owen Meany". Set in the Pacific Northwest, it is a teenage tale of death, innocence lost, love found and the mysteries of nature that we encounter (or choose not to encounter) every day seen through the eyes of an undersize boy who is wise beyond his age, but is still searching for answers. I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book right through to the last page. Thank you, Holly!

A jewel I could not put down

It has been a long time since I could not put a book down, and yet I wanted it to keep going. This book is so beautifully written, the science and mystery delightfully presented. It is not a true story, but it has much fact. It is a magical work of fiction with a naturalists' touch of truth. The story is about a young boy, obsessed by Rachel Carson, who sneaks out of his house to explore the tidal flats of Puget Sound every night. Thirteen year old Miles O'Malley experiences a summer that changes him forever, all because he sees things that others walk past, he cares strongly about everything living, and he says things from a deeply thoughtful perspective. I love the sea and everything about it, and so clearly does Mr. Lynch.

Like a good friend

The Highest Tide is like a good friend, you just can't help but keep coming back for more. Set in the Pacific NW in Olympia, WA, Miles O'Malley is a marvelous and interesting young man and this is his story of a summer of discovery in more ways than one. There is alot of marine life details that help put the reader right in the middle of Miles' life. His story was such fun and heart warming I could not put the book down and I was very sad when it was over. A definite "must" read!