jj’s Reviews > The Invisible Wild > Status Update

"Are you here with your family? Where are you in from?”
I shrugged. “I’m from here, actually.”
The woman gasped and turned to yell up the beach to her husband. “Honey! She’s a native!”

Nts: reread parts of this book if ever need to remind self of tourist ick and harm by exploitive tourism industry

The delivery wasn't smooth; forceful to just spell out the theme. Spoonfeeding shows a lack of trust of readers to 'get it' (which wtv isn't the worst thing) but I just don't believe and don't believe in the character that says it. Oh but also the character didn't even say it out loud. She said it in her head so it's obv for reader not person she was shouting during that scene.

(2) "...birdsong instead of street traffic, with the wind whistling through the ironwood trees and the distant barking of dogs. We could walk down the side of the road and wave at every single car that passed by and know that even if somebody got your address wrong, the postmaster would put it in the correct box anyway, because they knew you."

Main theme of the story. Admirable sentiment but delivery was lacking...

"Would it have been nice to be able to rely on always having enough water to wash the dishes and take a shower even in a drought? Yes. Would it be nice to be able to drive on a road without worrying about the undercarriage of your car? Sure. Or what about being able to order perfume and other things that often won’t ship to a PO box? Absolutely. But not having all those things meant that instead we could hear ... (1)

I really want to like this book but there's something -it's not exactly choppy, more like the transitions between "major/pivotal/revealing" plot points are not smooth. A lot of exposition is spent on one detail and then the next are abrupt descriptions or quick explanations that gloss over things. The rhythm of the story is jarring and there is not enough tension/the stakes are not built convincing for this rhythm.

There’s a kernel of gold in the story but it’s unpolished. The POV is teenager first person but reads like a fourth grader’s diary entries.

The only thing that keeps me reading is an interest in learning more about Hawaiian culture and folklore.