Seagull

by Lawton Paul

You gonna fall down or stand and fight? Fourteen-year old Jesse is tormented by the thought that maybe his aunt is lying to him about how his mother died. To find the truth he has to overcome his the local bully, the large dark shapes that he imagines in the middle of the dock at night, and the thought that maybe his brother is right, he's just a warped kid who thinks too much. Will he find the courage to stand and fight? Q&A with Lawton Paul What sparked this novel? Two things. I wanted my kids to know where I came from. The very southern setting—North Florida on the St. Johns river, is where I grew up. And I wanted to give them a feel for that time and place. Watching the sunrise on a stinky crab boat in the St. Johns—what could be better? And the second When I'm not writing, I'm teaching kids. I see a lot of young people who have such promise but for some reason or another, give up right before they're about to make headway. I see my own kids struggling at certain points in their lives. And one thought keeps coming don't give up. So I wanted Jesse (main character in Seagull) to really have some heavy issues to navigate the death of his mother, Johnny the bully, and of course, the girl, Hailey. You'll have to read the book (savvy marketing ploy alert!) to find out how it all turned out for Jesse. Why should readers give this novel a try? If I've done my job well, you'll enjoy the ride and maybe even get that little happy-glow feeling at the end like you just watched Rocky again, or someone said your hair looks nice, or you got an “A” on a pre-calc test. (Another genius bit of marketing there.) How would you describe Seagull? Southern fiction. A coming of age southern novel with a young main character that should appeal to fiction readers of all ages. Younger readers will sympathize with our teen heroes Jesse and Matty and adult readers will be taken back to earlier days. My style has a literary feel, but the book is plot-driven and suspenseful, especially at the end. And even has a hint of romance. Thanks for giving Seagull a try. Please let me know what you thought of it. —Lawton Paul

131 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 25, 2014

About the author

Lawton Paul grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, studied fiction at the University of Florida, and now lives in Japan with his wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Connie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a poignant, fresh, well-written book with a wonderful protagonist. It's not often that I read books from the perspective of a teenaged boy; I would definitely recommend this for those regular boys who have to deal with bullies and/or anxieties. I loved the way Lawton Paul described Jesse's fears and thoughts. Just beautifully done. 4.5 stars.

[J L Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this was a well-written and thought provoking story! I was really able to immerse myself in the life of "seagull" but the ending was somewhat abrupt. I said to myself "that's it?" I want more!

[Mary Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seagull: A Southern Novel by Lawton Paul is a young adult historical novel set in the 1980s Northern Florida. The novel has cross-over appeal to an adult audience. The fears, anxieties and conflicts that the likable main character encounters feel genuine and immediate. The supporting characters lend plenty of texture, and the river landscape is real enough to smell. The action moves quickly, if perhaps too telescopically quickly near the end. The grammar is untidy. If this is deliberate to reflect the main character's vulnerable but growing-in-strength point of view, then curse the critic and laud the writer. It's certainly not Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, but it is a solidly entertaining read.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seagull, A Southern Novel by Lawton Paul is a very well written novel that I really enjoyed reading, a coming of age tale of Jesse, a fourteen year old young man who like the rest of us at that age is trying to find out exactly who he is and where he belongs, without getting too much into the story, I will say that I recognized some of the emotions and feelings from that time in my life, which made the characters both good and bad here believable.

Well done Mr. Paul, I look forward to reading more from you in the future, and will be proud to recommend Seagull as a must read.

[David Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept me up too late! This is a really well written coming coming of age story. Wonderful characterization, good plot, very good pace (although some might feel the pace to be just slightly laid back - Southern style!) and superb at not ever falling into sentimentalism. For a novella rather than a full length novel it offers an impressive depth and complexity of narrative threads. I will look for more by this author.

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live in FL, about 150 miles south of Jax. I found the book entertaining because I recognized Jax landmarks and references to the St John's River.

The story is a typical coming of age story... nothing too original or profound, but the writing is good and the characters engaging.

Besides the book was free on Kindle!!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

short and sweet.

it's your basic coming to age book about a boy. he is different, lives with his aunt and uncle instead of his mom, has an older brother who seems perfect, is picked on by the class bully, and has questions about his past. so this is his little adventure of learning about his past and how to overcome fears and trials.

all in all good quick read.

[Gloria Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a boy who is being raised by his aunt and uncle, but believes there is something about the story of his mother being dead that just isn't right. He proceeds to try to figure out what happened to her, and in the meantime learns to confront his fears. Not a bad story, but it just didn't really grab my interest.

[Donald R Coscia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seagull grow a balls

Cute. Story of a young man who is trying to figure out who he is. The author will bring you in on a boys journey to overcome his fears and his quest to find out about his dead parents.

[Dick Whittington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, quick, real. Think we've all lived with some of these fears. Good, but I think it could have been even better had it been longer. Tried to do too much too quick for me.

[Margaret S Dullnig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

I enjoyed this book but would have liked a little mitt detail in what traumatized the boy. I would recommend thks book.

[Thom Kimes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy coming of age in the South.