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There are currently 26 member reviews
for The Starboard Sea
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Malinda N. (Wheeling, WV)
The Starboard Sea
I absolutely loved this book. I read it from cover to cover and wished there was more. I longed to know what choices Jason made in the future as I found him to be a faulted yet loving character. Dermont writes beautifully and creates a poignant story about adolescence. At the same time she creates an aura of suspense that keeps the reader riveted. I have to admit, however, that part of my attraction to the story was based upon the fact that I graduated from an East Coast prep school in 1986...just a year before this story takes place. I was easily able to relate to the prep school codes as well as the fashion and music of that era. Others who have not lived through an adolescence in a prep school might not understand the sad truth and reality of what Dermont writes about.
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Judy B. (Marysville, OH)
Sailing in deep literary seas
The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont is intensely powerful, full of suspense and well written. I think of a cross between Lord of the Flies and Ordinary People. Jason Prosper (a highly ironic name on many levels) arrives for his senior year at Bellingham, a “second chance” private boarding school, among other rich kids of his class. He is sent there because of troublesome behavior at his previous boarding school following the suicide of Cal, his roommate, best friend and sailing partner. The mystery of Cal’s death underlies Jason’s story of his time at Bellingham, a mayhem of hazing, elitism, cruelty, vandalism, assault, and even, possibly, murder. Among these dangerous shoals, he must come to terms with his own culpability in causing harm to those he cares about in spite of his loving and caring heart. The abiding lodestar in Jason’s life, and a pivotal metaphor in the book, is sailing. Descriptions of his sailing matches conveying a deep passion for the challenge of wind and waves are some of the most beautiful passages in the book. The title is a phrase from a game of Jason and Cal’s to call up words and phrases that originate from sailing (“…’true blue,’ ‘high and dry,’ ‘hand over fist,’ ‘know the ropes’….”). When they decide to make up their own phrase, Cal comes up with “the starboard sea,” meaning, he says, “the right sea, the true sea, or like finding the best path in life.” This is a gripping story of redemption by the power of the human spirit to find find its way through pain and confusion to the starboard sea. This book will stick with me for a long time, and I look forward to more books by Amber Dermont.
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Lauren C. (Los Angeles, CA)
Nice character study
I thought the author did a good job of getting inside the thoughts of her main character. I was particularly impressed that unlike most books about teens that either have them talk and act like adults or like children, this one seems to really have captured that age (17) of being close to a young adult but not quite there. The character alternates insightful thought and considerate actions with thoughtlessness and stupidity.
This isn't a book where a lot happens, but I thought that it captured the atmosphere of a Massachusetts prep school and a kid from a dysfunctional family in New York. It kept me engaged.
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Jerry P. (Santa Rosa, CA)
The Rich are not Immune to Suffering
Amber Dermont, as other graduates of the Iowa Writers Workshop, has written a captivating first novel. I frequently reread many sentences to better digest the story and its characters. She clearly portrayed Jason Prosper's intense emotional pain, guilt and loneliness and vividly described how his self-absorbed family was clueless to his emotional pain. I cringed when I read the section where Jason's father hit him in the head with a folded copy of The Wall Street Journal as Jason was speeding on the highway.
Buried memories of my college experiences surfaced as I was reading the book. I remembered similar actions, not as intense and violent however, of fraternity brothers who had wealthy parents.
My only critcism is since I know very little about sailing and boats, I kept looking up nautical terms in the dictionary, interrupting the flow of my thought processes. I frequently regretted there was not a glossary in the back of the book and recommend one be in the next edition.
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Susanne B. (Canton, OH)
The Starboard Sea
This book was well written but I had a difficult time relating to the characters and the sailing terms. Many times I was impatient with the self indulgent, spoiled characters. Ms. Dermont is a good writer and her "male" perspective was very interesting. The prep school genre has been done and I wonder how do these young people survive emotionally? Although I have a serious fear of water the sailing references were lovely. I liked the book but didn't love it. Also, I am not sure my book club would like it.
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Lynn S. (Nokomis, FL)
Familiar and Not
Very good writing...perfect book for those who only read a chapter or two a day. Though the story covers a period of time in which I lived, on the surface the story reflects a class of people and experiences foreign to my youth. The emotions portrayed, certainly not on the surface are universal. I don't consider myself a literary expert, but I keep thinking of the writing of Joyce Carol Oates. Amber Dermont is likely to bring us an extremely interesting set of characters over the next several years.
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Darcy C. (San Diego, CA)
Richer Isn't Always Better
I eagerly awaited this book and it did not disappoint. I love the genre of Preppy & Maladjusted & Karma Coming Around. One part of me wanted to really dislike these entitled rich kids, but the book was written so well that I really felt the emotions of Jason Prosper, the protagonist. He - for the most part - wanted to be a better person, but couldn't rise above the rich-kid-apathy in some areas of his life. I knew this was a good book because I couldn't wait to pick it up and find out what really DID happen to his love interest, Aidan. When it is revealed in the end of the story, I was not disappointed. I think Amber Dermont did a great job of closing the story and wrapping things up. This was truly an interesting and enjoyable book. I highly recommend it!!
