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BOY IN THE WATER
by Stephen Dobyns
St. Martin's, July 2000
448 pages
$6.99
ISBN: 0312975228


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

In The Church of Dead Girls, Stephen Dobyns introduced us to the small fictional town of Aurelius, New York. Everyone in town suspect their neighbors of wrongdoing after the disappearance and murder of several local teenage girls. They jump to conclusions creating huge misunderstandings and resentments until the story's surprising conclusion. Now, the author is ready to move us from there and take us to a private academy in New England where the status quo is about to be challenged and the faculty is not ready to surrender their own personal freedoms.

Jim Hawthorne is the former director of The Wyndham School, a residential treatment center in San Diego. He left his prestigious position after a momentary lapse of judgment with one of his students named Stanley Karpasso. The boy traps the director's family in their home before burning it to the ground killing them. Dr. Hawthorne is completely distraught and resigns. He accepts the headmaster job at New Hampshire's Bishop's Hill Academy as penance and his last chance at redemption. The local Board of Education is considering closing the school forever even if it might be the last chance some of its students will have in getting an education. The academy's upkeep has been high and many people are considering cutting their losses and starting looking for new alternatives for the school grounds.

Boy in the Water is a strong study in human nature where the staff takes an us vs. them survival approach in dealing with change while ignoring the wards in their care. Most of Bishop's Hill teachers are ill-trained and unqualified to work at any other educational establishment. Dr. Hawthorne whom they see as a token figurehead and not much else threatens them. The new headmaster is genuinely interested in helping his students and everything he does is with them in mind. He has little support from the teachers and tries to convince them as to his improvement plans for the school with little success. The only exception is with Kate Sandler, an idealistic Spanish teacher who wants to make a difference. The other staff members are skeptical and begin a campaign of harassment that will turn ugly when a student is found murdered at the natatorium.

Dobyns's chilling novel is not as strong as The Church of Dead Girls but its message is quite clear. The author shows through colorful characters and exaggerated situations that poorly trained teachers face in handling unruly students. The point is that in could happen anywhere from an inner-city school all through a prestigious academy. The book might entertain some readers while others might be troubled by the subject matter. Boy in the Water suffers from an overabundance of secondary characters plus a weak ending. The book is full of good intentions and worth a look. It definitely gives you something to think about once you are finished.

Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, December 2002

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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