Closer By Sea by Perry Chafe

Welcome, or Welcome back! My name is Amanda and this is where I share spoiler-free book reviews and other bookish things. Not every book is my cup of tea – and that’s ok. Even if I didn’t like it, I attempt to find readers that would. Thanks for visiting. Let’s get Smitten For Fiction.

I read a digital advance copy of Closer By Sea by Perry Chafe. This book is set in a small fishing town on the coast of Newfoundland, and having grown up in Labrador I jumped at the chance to read it. I’m grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy of the book in return for my honest review.

“Set in an ancient Newfoundland community on the cusp of momentous change, Closer By Sea is an evocative, tender novel with a haunting beauty that lingers long after you finish the last page.” – Allan Doyle, lead singer of Great Big Sea

“A deeply emotional exploration of the important ties that bind us to the people and places we love. It’s also a fine coming-of-age story compellingly grounded in adventure, intrigue, best friends, and the struggle to find a way through all the awkwardness of adolescence. . . . Chafe’s novel brims with seafaring charm and the marvelous details of a fishing village on the verge of economic collapse. Closer by Sea is a bittersweet, lovingly told tale that’s sure to win your heart.”
—WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER, New York Times bestselling author of This Tender Land and Fox Creek

About The Book 📚

Title: Closer By Sea

Author: Perry Chafe

Publication Date: May 23, 2023

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: Literary Fiction, Mystery, Canada (Newfoundland)

Pages: 272

Content Warnings: violence, death of a parent, missing teenage girl, bullying, emotional abuse, animal cruelty, cancer

PG Some material may not be suitable for children.

About The Author

Born and raised in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland
Canadian Television writer, showrunner, producer, songwriter
Cofounder of Take The Shot Productions
Cocreator and showrunner for Republic of Doyle
Executive producer and writer for Frontier starring Jason Momoa
Executive producer and writer for Caught
Writer and producer for Son of a Critch
Now lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador

Interview with Perry Chafe https://youtu.be/mJgIF2aFU6A

My Review

› “People really can vanish without a trace. I was only nine years old when I learned my father, Luke Jacobs, would never be coming home again. It was the summer of 1988. My uncle found his thirty-foot trap skiff drifting a couple of miles out from Perigo Island – our island – just off the northeast coast of Newfoundland. He was not on board.”

› Pierce has developed a strong dislike of the ocean since his father’s disappearance. This is complicated when his entire livelihood is attached to the Atlantic Ocean. It’s been three years since his father’s empty boat was found in the ocean. His mother is Diane Jacobs. She’s a hardworking person who works at the fish plant and the video store on the mainland. He and his mother have found a way forward, around the grief and don’t talk about it very much.

› Pierce heads down to the wharf every day with his two closest friends, Thomas and Bennie, to see if the fisherpeople will let them cut the cod tongues out of their daily catch. They sell those for a little pocket money. He’s saving up to fix up his dad’s boat which has been laying in his backyard since his father disappeared. They plan on finishing high school and then fishing for a living.

› One day, while on the wharf cutting out some cod tongues, Solomon Vickers drove by in his boat. A gust of wind lifted up the corner of the tarp covering something. Pierce saw small bones under the tarp. Who is this Solomon? What was he doing with the bones? What kind of bones are they?

› Ross and his two friends, “the Arseholes”, bully Pierce, Bennie, and Thomas repeatedly. They are verbally and physically abusive. Bennie’s cousin Emily comes to visit. She grew up in Manhattan so this small fishing town is a whole new world.

› When Pierce finds out Anna Tessier has gone missing he knows she didn’t run away like last time. While trying to avoid Ross and the Arseholes and be wary of the fairies, Pierce, Emily, Thomas, and Bennie embark on an investigation to find out more about Solomon and find Anna.

› I rate reviews similar to the CAWPILE method
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding

› Characters: 10
Thomas made me laugh a few times. “I only got one speed: flat-out.” These characters are well-developed with goals, strengths, flaws, external and internal conflict, backstory, characteristics and interesting side characters.

› Atmosphere: 10
From the cod tongues, to the crinkle-cut fries with meatballs and gravy, to the bologna sandwiches, to the Newfoundland sayings, fairies, the weather, to the mentions of Memorial University (which I graduated from in 2004), and the cod liver oil Closer By Sea is incredibly nostalgic for anyone who grew up in Newfoundland and Labrador.

› Writing Style: 10
Absolutely love Chafe’s writing style. High-quality writing with authentic dialogue.

› Plot: 10
I loved everything. The beginning, the middle, the end. This was a page-turner that I didn’t want to put down.

› Intrigue: 10

› Logic: 10
I never felt confused and didn’t notice any plot holes.

› Enjoyment: 10
Closer By Sea made me laugh and cry.

Average 10

My Rating ★★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• The sea took Pierce’s father. It scares him, but it also gives Pierce and his friends purpose. It gives them hope and brings them together. Emotional and poignant, Closer By Sea is a coming-of-age “Stand By Me” set in Newfoundland that tore my heart out, ripped it up, glued it back together with nostalgic memories of Newfoundland and Labrador, then plunked it back into my chest expecting me to somehow continue life as normal. This tale is about grief, guilt, friendship, and the collapse of the cod fishery and its impact on the lives of Newfoundlanders. I won’t be forgetting this story for a long while and I can’t wait to buy a copy for my shelves. This is a MUST-READ debut novel for all readers 12 years old and up. I have a feeling that Closer By Sea will be my favourite read of 2023.