"Seasons' End"

"Seasons' End," a novel by Will North, is the third novel I have read by this author and, although each is very different, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them all.  I think my favorite is the first one I read, "The Long Walk Home" but all three have well developed characters with a depth that made me feel I was part of the lives that were being lived out in the story.  One challenge I did have with this book was an inability to keep up with all the characters.  Sometimes I had to flip back to see who was who and wished for a list with notes as to how they were connected.

In "Seasons' End" the central character is Colin Ryan, veterinarian on an island in Puget Sound.  Although he was raised on the East Coast, he met Tyler Strong when he was a student living in London.  Tyler convinced him that sharing a flat and expenses made sense for both of them. Charming Tyler easily persuaded Colin and from that Colin met Tyler's girlfriend, Martha "Pete" Peterson.

Tyler and Pete and another family had history together and spent the summer season at their family beach cottage compounds on the island where Colin now practices in Puget Sound and were gracious enough to include him.  However, he's almost an observer of their lives.

Although Pete did marry Tyler, their life has had its tragedies and Colin seems stuck having loved Pete from afar since he first met her.

This summer has been different -- full of jealousies, hot tempers, and passions.  On the last day of the season everything comes to a head and it changes all their lives forever.  pazt