What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I read this in the late 80s or early 90s. About all I can remember of the plot is that the protagonist (boy? girl? I'm not sure) goes to this pond with a small island in it and tells someone stories about how it's Krakatau (or some other volcano), but gradually starts believing the stories, including one dark moment when their life is going bad and the volcano explodes.

Jason, what is the story's time period and location - country, region, big city/small town?

Can you tell us more about the protagonist - age, family/friends, interests/hobbies, challenges they're facing, etc.?

Is most of the story realistic or fantastical?

I wish I could answer those questions, but it's been so long. All I can say for sure is that the story is realistic rather than fantastical.

Jason ~~
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Was the part about the volcano the main part of the story? Or, a side story?

Tab wrote: "Was the part about the volcano the main part of the story? Or, a side story?"

It's intertwined with the main character's breakdown.

The Language of Goldfish?

[The MC] finds herself painting “the island” over and over again. The island is symbolic of her childhood. She and her sister, Moira, used to sit by the fishpond and whistle up the goldfish. Moira said that if they called them, the fish could carry them to the island in the center of the pond. Carrie wishes things were always this way, magical, simple, and unchanging.

Rainbowheart wrote: "The Language of Goldfish?

[The MC] finds herself painting “the island” over and over again. The island is symbolic of her childhood. She and her sister, Moira, used to sit by the fis..."

Nope, not it. It's a good read, though!

No worries, I hope we can track this one down for you!

Do you think the main character was more likely a boy or a girl? High school age?

Do you think the main character was more likely a boy or a girl? High school age?"

Feels more likely to be male, and adolescent. Could be younger than high school, but not much.

I'll keep looking!

Did you definitely read it before 1995?

Did you definitely read it before 1995?"

Yes. Early 1995 at the latest.

Pictures of Adam?

I can't find that exact scene, but there are several mentions of a pond.

Jason, is this YA novel about coming of age or mental health?

What is the story's time period and location/ country?

I copied some book details to the topic header. Feel free to edit it.

It's not Pictures of Adam.

The point-of-view character has the breakdown at the climax of the book. I think he was male, but I'm not 100% positive.

I remember wanting the main character to end up with another character (opposite sex) but it didn't happen. I don't think the book was focused on romance, but it may have had a focus on how this other person changed the main character. They have little to no interaction after the breakdown. (Maybe the main character sees them and decides not to approach? Or it's a very "oh, nice to see you again" sort of quick conversation? I just can't remember.)

I think it's coming-of-age. I was attracted to fantasy/sci-fi at the time, but there's no magic or anything in the book. I'm thinking I might have picked up the book after reading a blurb and assuming there would be more to this imaginary island.

This is a tough one!

I never realized how many books there were with mentally ill moms, dads, brothers, sisters, uncles, and friends, lol. Very few from that era have the MC be the one who is suffering.

Notes for Another Life, The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear, and Something's Waiting for You, Baker D have male MCs. I Can Hear the Mourning Dove and The Year It Rained have female MCs. But I cannot find the specific scene you mention in any of these books.

If it helps, I don't think mental illness is really a focus of the book. It might just be something that just "happens". As in, "he got so stressed out he just went crazy one day..."

Ah, that helps! I'll see what else I can find.

The Room with No Windows?

A troubled English girl feels alienated from the people around her and confides her problems in Tass, an imaginary friend.

Doesn't seem like it. I probably borrowed this from a school library in Texas, so I don't think it's likely to have been published only outside the US.

The Summer Before?

There are several mentions of a pond.

Rob's Place?

The Silver Link, the Silken Tie?

This sounds vaguely familiar, like maybe I looked at or read part of it at school. Maybe at a Scholastic book fair?

Google Books has a limited preview of Rob's Place by John Rowe Townsend - Rainbowheart's suggestion. You might get lucky search for keywords. This book has different cover images.

- Preview: https://books.google.com/books?id=3F6...
- Quotes: (p. 30) ... you need a break you can come down here, in sight of the island, and use your imagination as a boat. You can do it, young Rob, I know. When I've gone, I'll think of you doing it.
- (p. 136) And then he was fully awake. He said, 'I had a bad dream, Mum, that was all.'
- (p. 145) But the happiness was brief. All wasn't well, and there couldn't be endless peace. Brightness was falling from the air and smoke hung heavily over Krakatoa. A scent of danger was in his nostrils.
- (p. 146) ... Krakatoa on the map! Rob! In your dream, did you ... did you go to the island?'
Rob stared back at her. For a moment it was in his mind to deny it. But he couldn't. 'Maybe I did,' he said.
- (p. 154) It was going to erupt. That was the cause of his terror. It was going to erupt any moment. He'd always known it would erupt; and now its time had come.

Rob's Place sounds like it! I started trying to read it back in April just to confirm for sure, but life's been really rough lately and I forgot about it. I'm about two thirds in and I recall parts of it here and there. But I really remember the map in the book. I was always into maps and it's probably what drew me in to begin with.

Oh, awesome, super glad it was the right one!

Jason wrote: "Rob's Place sounds like it! I started trying to read it back in April just to confirm for sure, but life's been really rough lately and I forgot about it. I'm about two thirds in and I recall parts..."

Sorry, hope things get better.