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Summary
Summary
How do you move on from an irreplaceable loss? In a poignant debut, a sixteen-year-old boy must learn to swim against an undercurrent of grief-or be swept away by it.Otis and Meg were inseparable until her family abruptly moved away after the terrible accident that left Otis's little brother dead and both of their families changed forever. Since then, it's been three years of radio silence, during which time Otis has become the unlikely protégé of eighteen-year-old Dara-part drill sergeant, part friend-who's hell-bent on transforming Otis into the Olympic swimmer she can no longer be. But when Otis learns that Meg is coming back to town, he must face some difficult truths about the girl he's never forgotten and the brother he's never stopped grieving. As it becomes achingly clear that he and Meg are not the same people they were, Otis must decide what to hold on to and what to leave behind. Quietly affecting, this compulsively readable debut novel captures all the confusion, heartbreak, and fragile hope of three teens struggling to accept profound absences in their lives.
Author Notes
Paula Garner lives in Chicago with her family and their psychotic cat. Phantom Limbs is her first novel.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
While 16-year-old Otis Mueller's teammate and self-proclaimed swim coach, Dara, wants to see him qualify for the Olympics, Otis is more interested in reconnecting with his first love, Meg, whom he hasn't seen in three years. Meg's parents' separation lands her back in Illinois, the scene of the accidental death of Otis's younger brother, Mason, an incident Meg cannot overcome and Otis's mother cannot forgive. Despite the mutual attraction between Otis and Meg, her PTSD and boyfriend keep the two in friend territory. When Dara-missing a partial limb after a shark attack, suffering from phantom limb pain, and uncertain about her sexuality-begins to act self-destructively, Otis has to decide who is most important to him, Meg or Dara. Garner's debut sensitively portrays Meg and Otis's bruised emotions, both recovering from deep loss. Though the description of Mason's accident is a gut-punch in its realism, much of the plot unfolds predictably. The novel's strongest moments go to Dara, whose no-holds-barred personality-"she was the human equivalent of a Venus flytrap"-livens and complicates the novel. Ages 14-up. Agent: Molly Jaffa, Folio Literary Management. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Over three years ago, sixteen-year-old Otis Mueller's first love, Meg Brandt, moved away following the tragic death of Otis's little brother Mason in the Brandts' home. Otis has tried to move on, honing his swimming talents with eighteen-year-old Dara--formerly a swimming phenom herself before the amputation of her arm--as unofficial coach and unpredictable new best friend. But now, after years of silence, Meg is coming back for a few weeks; a summer of awkward reminiscing, unspoken confessions, and romantic tension ensues, all while Otis tries to keep up with swimming, help Dara through her own struggles, and deal with the grief reignited in his family by Meg's return. Even if the will-they/won't-they romantic suspense feels draggy, it's grounded in the believably complicated young love Garner has crafted between Otis and Meg. And while narrator Otis can be sappy at times, his mindful presence--in both everyday teenage life and in larger emotional moments--outdoes the sentimentality. Garner does a fine job cultivating the book's titular theme, with Dara's phantom-limb pain, Otis's grief-filled memories, and Meg's PTSD (she discovered Mason's body) evoking in readers the acute ache of losing something, or someone, vital. As her debut powerfully mines the depths of such loss, it also charts the terrain of healing that follows, leaving readers with hope via Otis's wise insights: "If something is unbearable, then how do you bear it? It's an oxymoron. And yetSomehow I was bearing it." katrina hedeen (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
It's been three years since Otis' little brother died under mysterious circumstances, and Meg, Otis' best friend and first love, moved away. Otis, grieving and confused, threw himself into swimming, catching the eye of Dara, a former Olympic hopeful whose own swimming dreams were dashed when she lost an arm. Dara's determined to turn Otis into the Olympic swimmer she can no longer be, but for the most part, he's just going through the motions until Meg, who has been out of touch since she left, comes back to town, turning his world upside down and making him question what really happened three years ago. Otis' journey as a competitive swimmer and as a grieving brother is a poignant one, although beautiful, troubled, dream-girl Meg reads a little flat. It's tough-talking, reckless Dara who will intrigue readers. Her struggles with her father, her sexuality, and the dreams deferred because of her accident complement Otis' story, elevating this to a narrative as much about human connection as it is about sports.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2016 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-This debut novel is a story of loss, love, and friendship, about a teenager coming to terms with the past and dealing with repressed memories that are resurfacing. Otis Mueller, 16, an introverted swimmer at Willow Grove High School, is thrown for a loop when Meg, his all but forgotten first love and former next-door neighbor, sends him a message telling him that she is returning to his life for three weeks over the summer. When she left suddenly three years before, he was brokenhearted and unable to cope with the recent death of his little brother. Spending his time swimming for fun, Otis comes under the wing of Dara, a troubled 18-year-old with an amputation who wants to help Otis make it to the Olympics. Otis must unite his past and present and rank his priorities: regaining Meg's love despite her longtime boyfriend, helping Dara through her phantom limb pains, staying committed to the sport he has grown to love, and fully understanding the death of his younger brother. Readers will find Otis relatable and endearing in his first-person perspective of first love and heartbreak, as well as his unwavering loyalty to his friends. Meg and Dara round out a cast of well-developed characters who have extensive troubles of their own. VERDICT Most teenagers will find a little bit of themselves in this well-executed work; a must-have for most YA collections.-Kristin Unruh, Novi High School, MI © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
