The Ocean in My Ears

The Ocean in My Ears by Meagan Macvie was named a Best Teen Book of 2017 by Kirkus.  This new novel is a coming-of-age story about Meri Miller, who lives in Soldotna, Alaska a small town where nothing ever happens. She dreams of big adventures somewhere exciting, like New York or L.A. but is terrified of leaving everyone and everything she’s ever known.

Meagan Macvie's inspiration came from a short piece in her community writing class called "Pink Socks" about a little girl named Meri back in 2009.  Based on some rich material drawn out of her own adolescent years, Meagan acknowledges the teen years are full of confusing, horrible, and wonderful experiences.  These years are exciting and intense and make the perfect backdrop for Meri's adventures.  Meagan hopes readers will " ache with Meri and celebrate with her too, that they question gender expectations and how those expectations can play out in negative ways for both boys and girls, and that they are reminded how seeing people as individuals first builds the best kind of relationships." 

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Book Synopsis:
The Ocean in My Ears:  Meri Miller lives in Soldotna, Alaska. Never heard of it? That’s because in Slowdotna the most riveting activities for a teenager are salmon fishing and grabbing a Big Gulp at the local 7-Eleven. More than anything, Meri wants to hop in her VW Bug and head somewhere exciting, like New York or L.A. or any city where going to the theater doesn’t only mean the movies. Everything is so scripted here—don’t have too much fun, date this guy because he’s older and popular, stay put because that’s what everyone else does. But when her senior year should be all boys, SAT prep, and prom drama, Meri feels more and more distance between herself and the people she loves. Her grandma dies, her brother gets hurt, and even her best friend checks out to spend more time with some guy. As she struggles with family, grief, friends, and hormones, Meri must decide if she really is ready for the world beyond her backyard. Meagan Macvie’s debut novel, The Ocean in My Ears, raises questions of love, purpose, and the power to choose your own future even when your future’s the thing that scares you the most.

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