A review by emwolf
Ricochet River by Robin Cody

5.0

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.