Red Palms
by Cara Haycak
Published by Wendy Lamb Books/Random House
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Reviewed by Kaitlin Burkard
The Great Depression of the 1930s has forced Benita and her family to abandon their comfortable life in Guayaquil, Ecuador for the lonely island of Paita that is uninhabited except for some fishermen and the mysterious, primitive natives. With her father coming up with one mad get-rich-quick scheme after another, her mother falling into a downward spiral of bitter regret, and no friends on the island to share her troubles with, Benita doesn't know what to do with herself.
However, when Raul, the handsome young islander, starts showing interest in her, Benita is given the opportunity to flee her troubled home for an adventurous life in the wild jungle of Paita. But is this what she really wants? And what mysteries and life lessons await her deep in the heart of the jungle?
Red Palms is an interesting and unique book. In fact, it is the uniqueness of the setting and the characters that make it stand out from other adolescent coming-of-age stories. The exotic culture the characters are immersed in and the wild tropical setting give the novel a unique feel to it; a kind of mango-flavored "punch" that is both welcome and refreshing.
There are a few moral problems with the book, however. Throughout the middle and second half of the novel, the main character and her boyfriend are living together outside of marriage. This section of the book also contains a few short but rather graphic "intimate" scenes that the story could have done without.
Also, in the latter half of the book, Benita gets mixed up in the pagan religion of the Paita natives due to a few very odd spiritual encounters with island spirits. Depending upon the religious background of the reader, they may or may not be uncomfortable with this.
Armchair Interviews says: All in all, Red Palms is an interesting read, its strengths lying in vivid imagery and pure originality. If all the reader wants is a fresh summer read, this may be just what they are looking for.