Reviewed by Inga Buccella for Readers' Favorite

Squid Season by Maithy Vu is a uniquely written story told in rhyme. In this coming-of-age poem, four twenty-somethings journey on the sea, searching for an elusive squid. Although August, Solomon, Winnie, and Camelle are acquainted before the adventure begins, learning their backstories and relationships with each other adds dimension to this modern adult fairy tale. Time is elusive for the seafarers, as is the squid they are hunting. The story alternates between present tense and past experiences. Each person has a different motivation for being aboard. Themes like love, death, ambition, friendship, and competition are all present in Squid Season.

Squid Season by Maithy Vu would make a great screenplay! The style is sophisticated, and the writing is clever. Besides each character's memories, most of the tale takes place on a ship. The dreamlike, fluid sequences had my imagination flourishing with colorful animation of the four "friends" negotiating the high seas. Character development is exquisite in this story. What makes this book so irresistible is that although tragic memories come up, the overall aura of the story is whimsical. However, the prose is not so light that it becomes silly. Nor is it so heavy that it becomes dismal. Between its magical descriptions, the tale contains deep philosophical lines such as, "For a moment he remembered who he was and not who he had become." Like an ancient Greek mythological poem, Squid Season will take you to a strange and wonderful place. I took that journey when I set sail for this 'Odd at Sea.'