Sea Change

Twelve-year-old Eliot spends a summer in Nova Scotia, where he befriends locals, encounters a bully, becomes aware of town politics, and struggles with what to do upon learning that his new sweetheart is being physically abused. Expressionistic illustrations in a limited palette are integral to the story and carry emotional heft. The mix of imagery, text, and design offers a fresh, moving reading experience.

Twelve-year-old Eliot Dionisi's parents send him to his great-uncle Earle's in Point Aconi, Nova Scotia, for the summer. He has a series of experiences that, in typical coming-of-age-novel fashion, allow Eliot to grow and change into a self-described "whole other person" by story's end. As the summer progresses, Eliot befriends the locals (including Timmy, a shy boy who stutters); encounters a bully; becomes aware of town politics (the avaricious Bushwhacker Coal Company wants to buy village land); and struggles with what to do upon learning that his new sweetheart, Mary Beth, is being physically abused by her father. Viva frequently incorporates humor, including a memorable scene in which the protagonist unknowingly urinates on his great-grandmother's gravestone. The remote setting is intimately drawn, with distinct dialect reserved for residents (not all of whom are culturally sensitive: "Pa's not gonna give a rat's arse about your wop friend") and plenty of introspection-especially aboard Uncle Earl's fishing boat, the YNOT. With limited colors (blue, black, cream, and a vivid pink) Viva's expressionistic illustrations, which are integral to the story and appear throughout as spot art and full pages, carry emotional heft. The words often appear as concrete poetry or undulate on the page, with text resembling stars in the sky, fishing lines, and facial expressions. While fans of Viva's picture books (Along a Long Road; A Long Way Away, rev. 5/13) will recognize the artist's sleek style, the mix of imagery, text, and design here offers a reading experience that is as fresh as it is moving. elisa gall