The Walking Otters

by Edward O'Malley

Set in present-day Detroit, The Walking Otters is a young-adult novel with depth that will appeal to readers of all ages. The story spans the eighth-grade year of Cab and Julia, classmates drawn together by the sudden death of Cab’s binge-drinking father. Their friendship is fueled by curiosity and intelligence—Cab’s street-smarts and her cultured sophistication. During a year of physical, intellectual and emotional growth, Cab and Julia come to understand the intrinsic orderliness that governs their universe of art, poetry, science and football. Together they travel the uncertain path to adulthood that leads them through a minefield of deadly risk.

446 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2024

Reviews

[MaryBeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was asked to read this and my thoughts about the book.

First. There is so much potential in the book, however, there were sections of the book that could have been removed or edited way back. There was a lot of potential but the book was slightly disjointed in what the actual theme was. The book started off as a coming of age, young love, and personal growth but then flipped to a intense cat and mouse/thriller novel then back to more of the original theme and then a historical or informational tour guide of DC.

Second, the characters. A book about Jule and Cab should be about Jule and Cab. The in-depth background for Baird and HORUS was overdone and takes away the focus from the kids. There were other sections that added too much investment into other topics and characters, which caused the story to drag out. The book promotes that they bond over the death of the MMC’s father’s passing but the MMC states he is not mourning his father and the father wasn’t mentioned again after page 9.

Was this good? It kept me invested in the characters so it was decent, was it bad? No. But, there were times I wanted to completely skip sections because it wasn’t adding to the story of Jule and Cab.

[Judith A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt The Walking Otters is a story that celebrates heroes: the two teen protagonists, Cab Sandall and Julia Kalmbach, but also their teacher, Miss Joanne Jenimar. Readers of all ages will love these characters, their story of a deepening friendship, and the impact of their inspirational teacher. Added to that is the heart-pounding race to avoid an horrific disaster. You will also learn so much about art, science, and poetry. Set in Metro Detroit, the hometown of its author Edward O'Malley, The Walking Otters is a fabulous read that demands a sequel. Available in paperback, both the color version (worth the extra money), black and white or as a Kindle download.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very, very slow beginning, but picked up later on.