Rivers, Karen.
Before We Go Extinct.
Macmillan/Farrar Strauss 2016 252p $17.99
ISBN 978-0-374-30240-5
hs
Realistic fiction
VG-BN
The tragic loss of JC’s best friend in a fall from a skyscraper
causes JC to withdraw. Sharky, as JC is
known by all, spends the summer with his father on an island off the coast of
Vancouver where he has to find his voice and decide whether or not life without
The King can ever be normal again. JC’s
nickname, Sharky, is a metaphor for someone who “kills” his best friend. Sharky is just as
confused as he is certain that he had a role in The King’s fall from a
beam high off the ground. Would The King
commit suicide just because JC was caught hugging Daff, the third member of
their group? Karen Rivers writes about
pain in such a way that all readers can relate to it whether or not they themselves
have
ever
felt such loss or heartache. In fact,
Rivers has taken two universal dilemmas, the loss of a friend
and the angst over relationships,
and
turned them into a descriptive work that engages older teen
readers beautifully. At times, her use
of similes distracts the reader from the story line, but lovers of
thought-provoking examples of figurative language who read intelligently will
feel the pain of JC’s loss, the frustration at his inability to talk after the
accident, and the growth of a redeeming
relationship
with a girl he meets at the island where he must spend
his summer. The list of supporting characters
includes Daffodil Blue, the dynamic teen who loves both boys and who continues
to text JC throughout his struggle to accept the King’s death; JC’s
father, the country bumpkin type who accepts the challenge of helping his son
when they have not had a stellar relationship; Kelby, the daughter of Dad’s
girlfriend who is visiting the island during summer vacation; The King,
who,
although absent, has a story to tell which he does eloquently in a letter
written to JC that JC sees after his death. The symbolism is powerful, the theme is
universal, and the struggle to find one’s voice after a
tragedy
is poignant. Readers will appreciate
Rivers’ writing.
With a violent death and one passing reference
to physical relations between Sharky and Kelby, this book is best for readers
at the high-school level
and higher. It is a noteworthy selection and deserves a
place in a high-school library.
Summary: JC finds his
lost voice after death of best friend.
Friendship-Fiction, Suicide-Fiction --Martha
Squaresky
