The Highest Tide

A Novel

By: Jim Lynch

Narrated by: Fisher Stevens

A spellbinding first novel about a young boy's fascination with the wonders of the seashore during a summer that will change his life.

One moonlit night, thirteen-year-old Miles O'Malley slips out of his house, packs up his kayak and goes exploring on the flats of Puget Sound. But what begins as an ordinary hunt for starfish, snails, and clams is soon transformed by an astonishing sight: a beached giant squid. As the first person to ever see a giant squid alive, the speed-reading Rachel Carson-obsessed insomniac instantly becomes a local curiosity. When he later finds a rare deepwater fish in the tidal waters near his home, and saves a dog from drowning, he is hailed as a prophet. The media hovers and everyone wants to hear what Miles has to say.

But Miles is really just a teenager on the verge of growing up, infatuated with the girl next door, worried that his bickering parents will divorce, and fearful that everything, even the bay he loves, is shifting from him. While the sea continues to offer up discoveries from its mysterious depths, Miles struggles to deal with the difficulties that attend the equally mysterious process of growing up. In this unforgettable, beguiling novel, we witness the dramatic sea change for both Miles and the coastline that he adores over the course of a summer—one that will culminate with the highest tide in fifty years.

©2005 Jim Lynch (P)2005 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

2005 Audie Award Nominee, Literary Fiction

“The Highest Tide is a plunge into sustained and intelligent wonder. Jim Lynch creates a richly tumultuous world on a microcosmic stage. His characters and events are as complex and surprising as the sea that surrounds them. He's got me re-reading Rachel Carson and itching for tide pools of my own.” —Katherine Dunn, author of Geek Love

“A small but engaging debut that works both as a poignant coming-of-age story and an enchanting primer on the life acquatic. The Highest Tide is as crisp and clean as a cool dip into the water, and just about as refreshing.” —Entertainment

Unexpected surprise

I'm not sure why I bought this book but I was unexpectedly surprised that it was so enjoyable. Its has a interesting plot and lots of information on sea life which was also something that I found very interesting.

All and all, I'd reccommend this quiet book.

Interesting Choice Of Narrator

While the story was interesting it was hard to get past the raspy voice of the narrator. I will not listen to him again when there are so many with nice smooth voices out there. A shame as it was a good story.

outstanding work

really enjoyed it and the narrating was great I love that I was able to make connections as I live near Mud Bay

Marine Life

A sweet and funny coming-of-age story about 13 year old Mike O'Malley's summer on Puget Sound. Mike sneaks out of his home one night to explore the marine life when the tide is out and discovers a giant squid.That's just the beginning of a special summer for a kid that knows all about the tides and what they bring to his town.

Immersion into sea life, coves, tides.

Lynch’s language is melodic, as being rocked by the tide in a canoe. Imaginative. Peaceful.

Flat Characters

The story was interesting enough, but I didn't feel any connection with the characters, which I found to be rather flat. I'm not sure if the reader reduced my enjoyment by making the best friend's voice sound like Biff; I found those parts particularly unenjoyable. The descriptions of marine life and the awe of science were the best parts.

13 going on 30

Pros:
Coming-of-age books can be great and moving reads. This book was loaded with emotion, and chock full of beautiful descriptions of life on the ocean (or bay, as it were) by one who obviously loves it and is well versed in the subject.

Cons:
There is plenty of what I'd expect a young teen to be thinking of and doing in this novel. But, about one-third the way into the book, I started to doubt a 13 year old could ever know as much as Miles O'Malley did. The story started to flatten for me as more and more very detailed facts about marine life, elegant quotes from Rachel Carson's writings, and very adult emotions came tumbling out of Miles. As Miles drones on about clams and the reproductive habits of obscure squid, I found my attention drifting more than once.

Loved it

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, particularly the discussions about the wonders of nature. Judging from other reviews, I may be unusual in this regard. (Okay, I majored in Marine Biology many years ago.) The reader did an excellent job capturing the artless enthusisasm that we as adults too often lose.
Like another reviewer, I was a bit disconcerted by the sudden ending, as if the writer just ran out of steam and quit. But all in all, I highly recommend this book, especially to people with an interest in sealife or biology in general.

One Of My Favorites!

I got this book soley based on the narrator. I absolutely LOVE Fisher Stevens' voice talents. For all the people who have negative reviews about his performance, and it IS a performance, I'd like to see how well they could do creating the personalities of such a varied cast of characters!
As for the story, I learned a lot about what it's like to live in that part of the US. I have listened to this story many times over, as I do all my favorites, because it has so much information and I want to really absorb all the minutiae that the writer put into the story, not as filler, but as layers. The story and the characters in it have many layers, just like living people do, and I didn't find any of the cast to be flat.

When I start a new book, I want to learn and be entertained; I got both in this gem. That's a rarity.
Also, there's no annoying music or sound effects! Just one awesome performer reading an awesome story. Ahhh....

one of my favorites. many interesting facts.

a little glimpse into the mind of a adolescent boy. good read for teens and adults