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Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Mountain View by Otis West is a literary coming-of-age novel steeped in nostalgia and quiet melancholy, set in 1980s suburban California. Returning home for the summer after his first year at Berkeley, Colin finds himself adrift in a sea of fading friendships, unresolved feelings, and the slow unraveling of youth. Caught between past and future, he revisits old haunts and old flames, including a deteriorating relationship and a barely functioning Plymouth Barracuda. Through road trips, parties, and long conversations, Colin comes to realize that some parts of his life are slipping away forever. Filled with Gen X-era detail, Mountain View evokes the wistful tension of growing up in a rapidly changing world.
Author Otis West has captured a perfect snapshot of a place and time with this literary feat. It offers nostalgic readers a richly atmospheric snapshot of 1980s suburban life and youthful disillusionment. For those who didn’t live through this time, there’s plenty in the way of reference points to appreciate Colin’s listless mindset, and readers will relate to the ways he tries to find himself in a world of rapid adjustments and shifting culture. The dialogue and lyrical description are beautifully penned, slow-flowing in true literary style, and capturing the bittersweet essence of lost love and the subtle ache of transition in proper slacker fiction. But there’s also a reflective tone and authenticity in how Colin is portrayed that keeps you invested, desperate to know where his turning point may come, if at all, and wanting better for him as the past slips away and the future looms. What results is a sophisticated story told with understated grace, and it’s certainly a novel that lingered in my mind long after the final page. Overall, I would certainly recommend Mountain View to fans of accomplished and immersive drama.
