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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
This book is like The Outsiders for the Pacific Northwest. It’s a gorgeous, simple yet profound, coming-of-age tale that lets you see the world through the eyes of a guy on the cusp of adulthood in his small corner of Oregon in the 1960s. I really appreciated this lens, having been a native Oregonian my whole life; I felt immersed in the history of places I myself am so familiar with, getting to know them through other’s past experiences. All of the characters in this book were so well-developed, and by the end of it you find yourself feeling that same sense of anticipation and longing that is so universal amongst new adults. When Jesse, a Native American from out of town, moves to the tiny town of Calamus, he ushers in new ways of thinking, telling stories, and doing life that is filtered through the perspective of the protagonist, Wade. Wade and Jesse become close friends and the narrative demonstrates the ways in which Jesse’s presence changes the small town, the-way-it’s-always-been mindset that Wade has grown so comfortable with and complacent in. The narrative takes us through Jesse’s and Wade’s final year as high schoolers, and the reader sees the slow but steady transformation in Wade as his appreciation for Jesse’s cultural and personality differences come into conflict with the status quo expectations of Calamus. Cody’s writing is poetic yet clear, and a beautiful tribute to the oftentimes wild and unexpected changes that come about with growing up.
Why do I get the sense that I'm reading a high school text book? Well, for starters, the 25th edition proudly proclaims that the new edition is "suitable for use in high schools". Then there is the advertisement in the back of the book for the author's "in-depth Discussion Guide" that has questions such as, " What is the literary purpose of the short chapter lead-ins?" I was starting to think that every literary device in the book existed just to be explained to high school writing students! Even the production of the book was an assignment for writing students (albeit University level). It was an OK story, but I couldn't relate well to any of the characters, didn't find the story believable, and the whole river thing is becoming overdone.
A charming, if slightly diffuse, coming of age story set on the Clackamas River in 1960s Oregon logging country. The writing is wonderful. It's like the YA version of David James Duncan's The River Why and the 20th century version of Huckleberry Finn. Some reviewers seem to take issue with representation and tokenism, particularly of Jesse Howl, the American Indian character. I don't disagree. It does seem problematic to be too accepting of portrayals of the colonized (along with all their implied and explicit stereotypes), written by the colonizers. Cody deals with this problem a little bit in the book, but not quite enough.
I think the best thing about this book is that it really captures the small town feel or rural Oregon. It felt familiar and real. Growing up in a town, definitely not as small as this, I kept nodding my head with the realization that yes, yes this is exactly what it's like.
My struggle, which I realize has everything to do with my growing and learning politically and socially the last few years, is the date in which it takes place. While I definitely realize 1960 to 2018 are vastly different and that much of the language is dated, it also felt too close to home sometimes. In turn, I think this is exactly what books are supposed to do: challenge us, make us question familiarity, and, ultimately, form our own conclusions and beliefs based on the influences of the words we read.
My struggle, which I realize has everything to do with my growing and learning politically and socially the last few years, is the date in which it takes place. While I definitely realize 1960 to 2018 are vastly different and that much of the language is dated, it also felt too close to home sometimes. In turn, I think this is exactly what books are supposed to do: challenge us, make us question familiarity, and, ultimately, form our own conclusions and beliefs based on the influences of the words we read.
This book surprised me. From the start, it was really quality writing, and the plot was fairly interesting. But the more I got into it, the more I got the sense of it being something bigger than itself. It gave me the same kind of feelings as The Outsiders, with the 50's-60's era teens just trying to survive high school and societal expectations. While these kids are stuck in a way-back town in a very typical high school setting, you start to get the sense that even with all the clicks and groups and 'boxes,' the biggest thing for young adults and teens is to just know that they are individuals, not just part of another box. This book really amazed me, and the ending was moving. Make sure to stick it out all the way through!
Ricochet River is a beautifully written story about friendship and growing up in a small town. Wade meets Jesse, an Indian who is as graceful as he is quirky, and despite the town's barely hidden animosity, the two become good friends. Calamus is a town of loggers, proud of their history and critical of outsiders. Wade loves Calamus and struggles to understand why his girlfriend, Lorna, is so eager to escape town lines, though she tried to explain to him that the small town has put everyone in a category, a box, and unless they were leave it's impossible to break free.
Jesse—wild, reckless, idealistic, soon-to-be-rich, full of natural athleticism—does not let himself be governed by the same rules that apply to others. When Wade gets sick, Jesse stole medicine for him. Upset that the salmon's paths were blocked by the spillway, Jesse used dynamite to blow it up, inadvertently killing all the salmon eggs. The town sits in judgement on Jesse for these actions, and others. Wade understands that Jesse is a good person and that though his actions were bad, his intentions were good. Jesse can fish for salmon in a dry ravine and make an old man weep tears of joy. Wade begins to believe there is something to what Lorna believes about Calamus putting people in boxes.
Jesse died in the same way he lived: graceful, in the public eye, and without fear of consequences. Watching his best friend plummet to his death was enough to send Wade into a "white blizzard" of something like depression. In talking it out with Lorna, he realizes that Calamus had never really gotten Jesse. "Calamus just coughed and spit him out, dead but unhurt. Jesse never stopped being Jesse."
This story is about friendship more than anything else, about how one person can enter your life and open your eyes to things you would never notice otherwise. Through Jesse and Lorna, Wade learned a lot about his town and himself; Jesse especially influenced Wade to get out of Calamus before he got stuck in his box. He needed to break free.
Jesse—wild, reckless, idealistic, soon-to-be-rich, full of natural athleticism—does not let himself be governed by the same rules that apply to others. When Wade gets sick, Jesse stole medicine for him. Upset that the salmon's paths were blocked by the spillway, Jesse used dynamite to blow it up, inadvertently killing all the salmon eggs. The town sits in judgement on Jesse for these actions, and others. Wade understands that Jesse is a good person and that though his actions were bad, his intentions were good. Jesse can fish for salmon in a dry ravine and make an old man weep tears of joy. Wade begins to believe there is something to what Lorna believes about Calamus putting people in boxes.
Jesse died in the same way he lived: graceful, in the public eye, and without fear of consequences. Watching his best friend plummet to his death was enough to send Wade into a "white blizzard" of something like depression. In talking it out with Lorna, he realizes that Calamus had never really gotten Jesse. "Calamus just coughed and spit him out, dead but unhurt. Jesse never stopped being Jesse."
This story is about friendship more than anything else, about how one person can enter your life and open your eyes to things you would never notice otherwise. Through Jesse and Lorna, Wade learned a lot about his town and himself; Jesse especially influenced Wade to get out of Calamus before he got stuck in his box. He needed to break free.
If you're looking for a coming of age story set in the 1960's then this is the story for you. If you're also looking for a story with strong imagery, then this is the story for you. As someone who just moved to Portland not that long ago it was fun to read a story set in the place that I'm living. When Wade and Jesse rafted down the river I felt like I was there with them or when they rode in Wade's truck I felt I was on the seat next to them. The characters as well as the scenery come alive in this book.