Submarine

More about the book

The dryly precocious, soon-to-be-fifteen-year-old hero of this engaging debut novel, Oliver Tate, lives in Swansea, Wales. As a self-styled social scientist and a budding emotional explorer, he navigates the murky waters of adolescence. His goals include uncovering the secrets of his parents’ troubled marriage, unraveling the mystery of his intriguing classmate Jordana Bevan, and finding his place among the diverse personalities around him. When he learns that his affable dad is struggling with depression, Oliver employs his limited pop-psychology knowledge and vivid imagination to try to mend things. However, this venture into the complexities of adult life proves challenging for a teenager still learning about the highs and lows of existence. His awkward yet passionate relationship with Jordana is accelerating toward a pivotal moment, while his detective work leads him to confront his mother’s old flame, who threatens to disrupt their family dynamic. Juggling the delicate balance of his parents’ happiness, his own burgeoning sexuality, and the intricacies of human emotion, Oliver stands on the brink of innocence and experience, determined to take the plunge into adulthood.