Four mid-teenaged kids embark upon adventure amid a waterway in a swamp.
Ensconced therein Tom, Chris, Justine, and Apple Jelly encounter self discovery as churned in a stew of fear and revelation.
So it goes in “Swamped!” (Little Creek Books, $10.95). Penned by Joe Tennis, a longtime features writer for the Bristol Herald Courier, the book embodies the author’s second published foray into fiction.
“Half of the book was written by a guy in his 40s,” said Tennis, 49, of Bristol, Virginia. “Half was written by a teenager.”
In a roundabout way “Swamped!” allowed Tennis to “escape” back to his years as a teenager in Virginia Beach, where he grew up. He actually birthed a great deal of the book before each of his nine previous books.
“I wrote the original version of this book 30 years ago when I was living in Virginia Beach,” Tennis said. “I wrote it in college. The first chapter is pretty much what I wrote in college. The second chapter was written in the past two years.”
Published in October, “Swamped!” bounds quickly along. On the first page, we find the teenaged foursome in their boat in the water and in deep trouble. A broken oar essentially anchored them to forthcoming tumult.
“This sucks,” said Apple Jelly, the first two words in the book. “This really sucks. You know it sucks. And I’m not putting up with it anymore. I’m serious.”
Apple Jelly, who serves as the book’s narrator of sorts, addressed Tom, the group’s leader.
“Shut up,” replied Tom. “I ain’t got time for your wimpy complaints.”
Thereby begins pervasive friction that threads throughout “Swamped!” The four characters bicker often, disagree frequently, and maintain a state of confusion throughout. They’re lost in more ways than the obvious.
“The four characters are very distinct,” Tennis said. “None of them are best friends. None of them really knew each other.”
For instance, lovebirds Chris and Justine met but two days before their excursion into the swamp.
“When you’re a teenager, you need to try to find your own voice,” Tennis said. “You need to make your own footsteps.”
Consequently, the book’s characters begin and carry on in an array of chaotic ways. They debate the wisdom of Tom as their leader. Out of the boat and taken to their steps, disagreements continue and arise as to proper directions out of the swamp.
“You need to find your own way. Be aware,” Tennis said. “Have your eyes open. Apple Jelly and Tom know that.”
Readers of Tennis’ book will notice an immediate difference in “Swamped!” as compared with his prior volumes. Most tellingly, dialogue and fiction drives “Swamped!”
“When I was a kid, this is what I did. I wrote little novels,” Tennis said. “This is the one that was most complete. It was in a file cabinet for 30 years. Two years ago I said, ‘This might be the craziest thing I ever do, but if I don’t finish it now, I may never do it.’”
Thus completed, “Swamped!” can be read in multiple ways. One, the text as written relates an afternoon of unexpected adventure for four teenagers who learn critical life lesions en route. No reveals, but other interpretations certainly exist, which serve to heighten the book’s allure and strength.
A hint emerges in the being of the book’s fifth character, Jim. Though briefly mentioned, he embodies a clue as to an alternative explication of the book.
“Jim doesn’t go on the boat,” Tennis said. “They all got together because they were friends with Jim. For whatever reason, Jim doesn’t go out into the boat.”
Consider it a potentially intriguing twist to a book that on the surface maintains a rapidly paced and gripping story.
“It’s for teens and teenagers at heart,” said Tennis, 49, of Bristol, Virginia. “I wanted a book that caught teenagers as they really are. It’s for people who like a good escape.”
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