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Published Nov 2017
300 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
Meagan Macvie's debut novel raises questions of love, purpose, and the power to choose your own future even when your future's the thing that scares you the most.
Meri Miller lives in Soldotna, Alaska. Never heard of it? That's because in Slowdotna the most riveting activities for a teenager are salmon fishing and grabbing a Big Gulp at the local 7-Eleven. More than anything, Meri wants to hop in her VW Bug and head somewhere exciting, like New York or L.A. or any city where going to the theater doesn't only mean the movies. Everything is so scripted here - don't have too much fun, date this guy because he's older and popular, stay put because that's what everyone else does.
But when her senior year should be all boys, SAT prep, and prom drama, Meri feels more and more distance between herself and the people she loves. Her grandma dies, her brother gets hurt, and even her best friend checks out to spend more time with some guy. As she struggles with family, grief, friends, and hormones, Meri must decide if she really is ready for the world beyond her backyard.
"Starred Review. An unforgettable journey to adulthood." - Kirkus
"A strong debut novel featuring memorable, relatable characters making adult decisions at the edge of high school in a fantastically drawn Alaskan setting. Grade 9 and up." - School Library Journal
"Macvie movingly explores the ever-shifting highs and lows of adolescence." - Publishers Weekly
This information about The Ocean in My Ears was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Meagan Macvie was born and raised in Alaska. She received her MFA in fiction from Pacific Lutheran University. Her work has appeared in Narrative, Fugue, and Barrelhouse, as well as the short story anthology, Timberland Writes Together. Meagan lives with her husband and daughter in Washington State.
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