Scan barcode
A review by dreesreads
Sea Monsters by Chloe Aridjis
3.0
*from the 2019 Camp ToB longlist*
Sometime in the mid-1980s. This short novel follows 17-year-old Luisa. She disappears after school one day, traveling to Oaxaca (Zipolite) with her new friend/boyfriend Tómas (19). She claims to be looking for a group of Ukrainian dwarves who disappeared from the Soviet circus they were traveling with. Tómas takes her to a tourist beach he likes. They mostly hang out, eat lunch at one of the beach restaurants (which sounds much more casual and cheaper than a CA beach restaurant), drink beer, and sleep in hammocks--as they slowly run through their money. One day they walk to town. She thinks about calling her parents, but doesn't. She has not exactly run away (she knows she will return), but they do not know where she is. She and Tómas drift apart, as she realizes they don't have much in common. Instead she hooks up with an older (30ish?) man she imagines is from Eastern Europe and does not speak Spanish. They eat dinner together regularly, apparently never talking? She finally sees him during the day and learnsthat he is Gustavo, one of the Mexican men who has a dinghy that takes tourists back and forth to different beaches .
More spoiler:She does not head home herself, her father finds her, with the assistance of Tómas' father. She perfectly willingly returns home, and seems rather glad to be found.
A coming-of-age story, through really there isn't much here. She is gone maybe 10 days? The cover flap says "pulsing to the soundtrack of Joy Division, Nick Cave....". Not exactly. The best parts, for me, were the mentions of bands and songs (The Smiths, several times, and others). But I wouldn't call it a soundtrack.
Moody and atmospheric, but it doesn't really go anywhere.
Sometime in the mid-1980s. This short novel follows 17-year-old Luisa. She disappears after school one day, traveling to Oaxaca (Zipolite) with her new friend/boyfriend Tómas (19). She claims to be looking for a group of Ukrainian dwarves who disappeared from the Soviet circus they were traveling with. Tómas takes her to a tourist beach he likes. They mostly hang out, eat lunch at one of the beach restaurants (which sounds much more casual and cheaper than a CA beach restaurant), drink beer, and sleep in hammocks--as they slowly run through their money. One day they walk to town. She thinks about calling her parents, but doesn't. She has not exactly run away (she knows she will return), but they do not know where she is. She and Tómas drift apart, as she realizes they don't have much in common. Instead she hooks up with an older (30ish?) man she imagines is from Eastern Europe and does not speak Spanish. They eat dinner together regularly, apparently never talking? She finally sees him during the day and learns
More spoiler:
A coming-of-age story, through really there isn't much here. She is gone maybe 10 days? The cover flap says "pulsing to the soundtrack of Joy Division, Nick Cave....". Not exactly. The best parts, for me, were the mentions of bands and songs (The Smiths, several times, and others). But I wouldn't call it a soundtrack.
Moody and atmospheric, but it doesn't really go anywhere.