I'm a fan of Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley series, so I was curious about 'Saratoga Woods: The Abandonment of Hannah Armstrong, Book One', a re-lease of 'The Edge of Nowhere' (2013). I didn't know Saratoga Woods was a YA book, but I caught on pretty quickly.
This novel has garnered many negative reviews, usually along the lines of 'Elizabeth George doesn't know how to write for teens.' The book does have flaws, but I think it would appeal to some readers.
As the novel opens, we meet 14-year-old Hannah Armstrong, living in San Diego with her mother - Laurel Armstrong, and stepfather - Jeff Corrie.
Hannah is psychic, and since childhood, she's been able to 'hear' snippets of other people's thoughts. These tend to obscure actual sounds, which makes it hard for Hannah to be among people.
To quiet the psychic chatter, Hannah has a specially made device called an AID, which looks like an IPOD. Hannah tells people this gizmo assists her hearing.
Laurel's stepfather Jeff and his partner Connor run an investment firm that's always looking for new clients. During recruitment meetings, Jeff has Hannah serve refreshments and 'spy' on the thoughts of potential investors, so Jeff and Connor can craft a suitable portfolio.
When Jeff's partner Connor stops coming to work, Hannah senses ominous thoughts coming from her stepfather, along the lines of 'dead' and 'stop her from talking.'
The next thing Hannah knows, she and her mom Laurel are on the run, escaping from Jeff and his murderous intentions. Laurel changes Hannah's name to Becca King, and for a disguise, Becca dyes her hair and wears heavy goth makeup.
After driving all the way up the west coast, Laurel sends Becca to Whidbey Island, Washington, where Becca will stay with a woman called Carol Quinn. Meanwhile, Laurel plans to establish a safe home for herself and Becca in British Columbia, Canada.
Things go wrong from the get go. When Becca arrives on Whidbey Island, Carol Quinn has just died from a heart attack, and Becca can't reach her mother by phone. Becca tries to call, day after day, but gets no answer.
Still, Becca seems to have unusually good luck, meeting a series of people who help her. These include:
Diana Kinsale - a widow with a menagerie of dogs, who provides Becca with truck rides and sage advice.
Seth Darrow - an 18-year-old boy who works in a convenience store. Seth is very kind-hearted, has a dog name Gus, and and helps Becca in a variety of ways.
Debbie Grieder - a motel owner who's grieving the loss of her daughter and raising two grandchildren. Debbie lets Becca stay in one of her motel rooms, and registers Becca in school as her niece. In return, Becca does a bit of cleaning and babysitting.
On Becca's first day at her new high school, a 16-year-old boy named Derric Mathieson takes her under his wing. Derric helps Becca find her classes, locate the cafeteria, etc. Derric is an anomaly on Whidbey Island, being a Black Ugandan boy adopted by White parents.
Derric's folks, Sheriff Dave Mathieson and Rhonda Mathieson, fell in love with Derric when they visited a Ugandan orphanage. Derric grew up to be a good student, star athlete, and popular young man.....especially with the high school girls.
Derric's kindness to Becca SERIOUSLY irritates a girl named Jenn, who's very possessive of Derric. Jenn is jealous, mean, nasty, and constantly berates Becca, saying things like, 'You're such a pathetic piece of trash with your ugly glasses and your stupid dyed hair. You don't belong here; NO ONE wants you around. Don't you get that fattie?; You're a loser; Are you a retard or something?; and so on. Jenn's thoughts, which come through loud and clear, are even more scurrilous.
Becca, meanwhile, is shy and restrained, and does nothing to defend herself. We're meant to understand that Becca is trying to stay under the radar, terrified that Jeff Corrie will discover her location and murder her.
One day, lots of Whidbey Island teenagers are at Goss Lake, which has trails, peaks, ravines, caves, flowers, trees, wildlife, and so on. The adolescents are doing bike time trials; hiking; walking their dogs; meeting up; getting stoned; and so on.
Becca goes along to Goss Lake with Seth and his dog Gus, to give the pooch a run. Gus is an exuberant pup, and he takes off.
Seth and Becca try to catch Gus, and end up jogging all over in random directions. Finally, Becca sees Gus at the bottom of a ravine, lying next to Derric, who's unconscious and bloody, with a badly fractured leg. Becca phones for help, then leaves the scene, VERY FEARFUL of coming to the attention of the first responders.
Derric is taken to the hospital, where he's comatose, with tubes sticking out of his body, and his leg in traction. Derric's high school friends take turns visiting him - talking, reading, and playing music, which is supposed help Derric wake up. Still, Derric sleeps on and on, though Becca can 'hear' him thinking, 'Rejoice'.
Sheriff Mathieson (Derric's father) does an investigation, determined to find out who pushed his boy down the ravine. But Becca hides from the sheriff, which is easier said than done.
This is the main plotline of the book, with tangential issues like drug use; alcoholism; unassuageable grief; broken promises; debilitating illness; young love; sad breakups; adultery; abject poverty; being Black in a White community; and more.
The biggest problem with this story is Becca's continuing silence. It's obvious that Becca should tell SOMEONE (probably Diana or Debbie) about not being able to contact her mother, and feeling deathly afraid of her stepfather. Yet Becca remains stubbornly silent.
Though the story has unrealistic elements, the characters are interesting, and (at least) some teens would like the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Elizabeth George for a copy of the book.
This novel has garnered many negative reviews, usually along the lines of 'Elizabeth George doesn't know how to write for teens.' The book does have flaws, but I think it would appeal to some readers.
As the novel opens, we meet 14-year-old Hannah Armstrong, living in San Diego with her mother - Laurel Armstrong, and stepfather - Jeff Corrie.
Hannah is psychic, and since childhood, she's been able to 'hear' snippets of other people's thoughts. These tend to obscure actual sounds, which makes it hard for Hannah to be among people.
To quiet the psychic chatter, Hannah has a specially made device called an AID, which looks like an IPOD. Hannah tells people this gizmo assists her hearing.
Laurel's stepfather Jeff and his partner Connor run an investment firm that's always looking for new clients. During recruitment meetings, Jeff has Hannah serve refreshments and 'spy' on the thoughts of potential investors, so Jeff and Connor can craft a suitable portfolio.
When Jeff's partner Connor stops coming to work, Hannah senses ominous thoughts coming from her stepfather, along the lines of 'dead' and 'stop her from talking.'
The next thing Hannah knows, she and her mom Laurel are on the run, escaping from Jeff and his murderous intentions. Laurel changes Hannah's name to Becca King, and for a disguise, Becca dyes her hair and wears heavy goth makeup.
After driving all the way up the west coast, Laurel sends Becca to Whidbey Island, Washington, where Becca will stay with a woman called Carol Quinn. Meanwhile, Laurel plans to establish a safe home for herself and Becca in British Columbia, Canada.
Things go wrong from the get go. When Becca arrives on Whidbey Island, Carol Quinn has just died from a heart attack, and Becca can't reach her mother by phone. Becca tries to call, day after day, but gets no answer.
Still, Becca seems to have unusually good luck, meeting a series of people who help her. These include:
Diana Kinsale - a widow with a menagerie of dogs, who provides Becca with truck rides and sage advice.
Seth Darrow - an 18-year-old boy who works in a convenience store. Seth is very kind-hearted, has a dog name Gus, and and helps Becca in a variety of ways.
Debbie Grieder - a motel owner who's grieving the loss of her daughter and raising two grandchildren. Debbie lets Becca stay in one of her motel rooms, and registers Becca in school as her niece. In return, Becca does a bit of cleaning and babysitting.
On Becca's first day at her new high school, a 16-year-old boy named Derric Mathieson takes her under his wing. Derric helps Becca find her classes, locate the cafeteria, etc. Derric is an anomaly on Whidbey Island, being a Black Ugandan boy adopted by White parents.
Derric's folks, Sheriff Dave Mathieson and Rhonda Mathieson, fell in love with Derric when they visited a Ugandan orphanage. Derric grew up to be a good student, star athlete, and popular young man.....especially with the high school girls.
Derric's kindness to Becca SERIOUSLY irritates a girl named Jenn, who's very possessive of Derric. Jenn is jealous, mean, nasty, and constantly berates Becca, saying things like, 'You're such a pathetic piece of trash with your ugly glasses and your stupid dyed hair. You don't belong here; NO ONE wants you around. Don't you get that fattie?; You're a loser; Are you a retard or something?; and so on. Jenn's thoughts, which come through loud and clear, are even more scurrilous.
Becca, meanwhile, is shy and restrained, and does nothing to defend herself. We're meant to understand that Becca is trying to stay under the radar, terrified that Jeff Corrie will discover her location and murder her.
One day, lots of Whidbey Island teenagers are at Goss Lake, which has trails, peaks, ravines, caves, flowers, trees, wildlife, and so on. The adolescents are doing bike time trials; hiking; walking their dogs; meeting up; getting stoned; and so on.
Becca goes along to Goss Lake with Seth and his dog Gus, to give the pooch a run. Gus is an exuberant pup, and he takes off.
Seth and Becca try to catch Gus, and end up jogging all over in random directions. Finally, Becca sees Gus at the bottom of a ravine, lying next to Derric, who's unconscious and bloody, with a badly fractured leg. Becca phones for help, then leaves the scene, VERY FEARFUL of coming to the attention of the first responders.
Derric is taken to the hospital, where he's comatose, with tubes sticking out of his body, and his leg in traction. Derric's high school friends take turns visiting him - talking, reading, and playing music, which is supposed help Derric wake up. Still, Derric sleeps on and on, though Becca can 'hear' him thinking, 'Rejoice'.
Sheriff Mathieson (Derric's father) does an investigation, determined to find out who pushed his boy down the ravine. But Becca hides from the sheriff, which is easier said than done.
This is the main plotline of the book, with tangential issues like drug use; alcoholism; unassuageable grief; broken promises; debilitating illness; young love; sad breakups; adultery; abject poverty; being Black in a White community; and more.
The biggest problem with this story is Becca's continuing silence. It's obvious that Becca should tell SOMEONE (probably Diana or Debbie) about not being able to contact her mother, and feeling deathly afraid of her stepfather. Yet Becca remains stubbornly silent.
Though the story has unrealistic elements, the characters are interesting, and (at least) some teens would like the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Elizabeth George for a copy of the book.
Rating: 3 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment