A review by annikajdr
Spartina by John Casey

1.0

Ugh. I did not like this book. I read it to fulfill the requirement of a book published the year I was born, and it had won awards, so it seemed promising. No. At first I was won over by the inside look into the life of a New England fisherman, but an unsympathetic main character, and a plot that seemed built purely on creating drama, not on logic, made this a somewhat painful read. Spoilers ahead because I need to rant a bit. Even though I could guess that an affair was coming, but it didn’t seem to make sense once it actually happened, nor is it that likely that the chick would get pregnant after such few instances, and, really, what are the chances that a life-long fisherman would launch his new boat, the thing he’s been working on for the whole book, and not stop to check the weather first and notice that a GIANT HURRICANE was coming that day to the exact spot where he lives?! That defies disbelief. And I don’t care if the girl tells you she can do well on her own, if you get a girl pregnant, you automatically offer to help pay for the support of the child, and you don’t come to that conclusion as an afterthought. Lastly, tying up a crummy book with some “deep” thoughts about everyone being just small things floating in the waves of the universe is a stupid cop-out. Rant over.