I think I found this the same place I found Lawrenson's novel The Lantern: within Vancouver Public Library's (VPL) "New Fiction" lists, the likes of which I scour when I run out of novels to read. God, don't I learn?The Facts
Length: 317 pages.
Publisher: New American Library.
This is Shors's fifth novel.
Quick Summary
Rotational third-person point-of-view on the various inhabitants of Ko Phi Phi Island. American Patch is on the run from the law and hides out at a resort of Lek and Sarai, trading room and board for badly needed skilled labour. However, Patch's brother Ryan (and Ryan's girlfriend Brooke) travel to the island in order to persuade Patch to turn himself into the authorities. In the midst of the 2006 Boxing Day Tsunami, however, the characters reveal their true selves (barf). The story is told in chapters, which describe each individual day leading up to the Tsunami.
The Bad
Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh. This book is - extremely juvenile in its character development and plot. Somewhere in the middle of the novel I wagered on who would eventually perish in the Tsunami; I ended up being 100% right. I was never sure what the hell Conservative Ryan was doing with Liberal Brooke in the first place, and obviously Brooke would fall in love with equally Liberal Patch (Patch and Brooke never disagree on anything; their soulmate compatibility is disgusting). One character goes on and on about how things will be, hypothetically, when she eventually dies; I think you can properly guess what happens to her.
The writing is almost amateurish. "Watching her grin, Ryan thought about the differences between them. Their histories were as varied as water and sand. And yet, they were also connected."
Gross.
The Good?
Ok, ok, ok. So I was able to finish it, which must mean something, right? Two things I want to point out that I at least found decent about the entire novel (thanks for the subtitle, by the way): the recent reality of the tsunami, and Ryan's relationship with Dao. Like I said with The Lantern, it was refreshing to read about something real and present which I had witnessed during my lifetime. I wish Shors had somehow described it in greater detail. Perhaps wisely, the descriptions of the imminent chaos and destruction are given to the reader in a chaotic fashion; I had no idea what the hell was going on when the tsunami hit the characters. Does Ryan swim from one side of the island to the other? Where does all the blackness come from? Where does he tear his leg? I wasn't sure if it was superb writing or if Shors just throwing everything at us at once, or maybe a little bit of both.
(Spoilers in the proceeding section)
Ryan's relationship with Dao also peaked my interest. The implications of Ryan's last wishes regarding Dao felt like they needed to be explored one more step: I wanted to see the look on Dao's face when Patch told her of Ryan's fate, and what that means, monetarily, for her future. Unfortunately, however, Shors ends the novel prematurely, focusing entirely on Patch's resolution to change his ways and his own nascent romance with Brooke. We never get to see Dao's reaction to Ryan's death, nor her reaction to his gift for her education (such a large financial gift would've seemed inappropriate to me, considering Dao and Ryan had known each other for little under a week). It's disappointing because it would've been new, unlike the old rehashed crap most of this novel turned out to be.
The Ugly
I'm going to keep saying it until this practice stops. The subtitle. What the hell is up with publishers enforcing this redundancy?
The Bad
Previously, I mentioned my interest in the tsunami. I also mentioned how I at least got through this novel. The truth is, folks, that most of the reason I kept reading was because I wanted most of these characters to be wiped off the face of the planet, so I wouldn't have to keep reading the same old "We're poor!" dialogue from Lek and Sarai or "We're meant for each other!" dialogue from Patch and Brooke. And the 2006 Tsunami was a tragic natural disaster with heartbreaking consequences. Which makes me feel wretched for wishing it would've happened sooner in the novel's timeline.
Final Thoughts
Don't read it. Chick lit which is so chick lit it's almost making fun of itself. No character ever changes their philosophy, so it feels like they are simply driving into a great brick wall of terrible, repetitive dialogue. I'm frankly surprised this is Shors' fourth novel, but I mean, hey. At least his heart is in the right place, right?
Arbitrary Score: 0.5 out of 5.
Next book: The Assassin's Song: A Novel*, by M. G. Vassanji (2007)
*Really!?
