Saving Cascadia by John J. Nance

Reviewed by Kellen, Grade 6,
Marshall Alternative Program, Spring 2008
Saving Cascadia
By John J. Nance
Published by Pocket Books in 2005
539 pages.

The authorities won’t give the warning. Doug Lam is a seismologist who has a theory about construction on Cascadia Island setting off a huge earthquake followed by a tsunami that could wipe out the entire Pacific coast. Cascadia is an island off the coast of Washington State.
Mick Walker won’t listen to the warnings from Doug and continues to build his resort on Cascadia. The U.S. Geological Survey ignores Doug’s pleas for an official alert.
But as micro quakes start getting bigger Mick and the U.S.G.S. start to have some doubts. Jennifer Lindstrom is a helicopter pilot and Doug’s girlfriend. She races to the rescue when things on the island start to go awry.
Will the “big earthquake’” happen or will Doug’s theory be wrong? And if the “big one” happens will people evacuate the island fast enough, or will everyone there die?
As the suspense builds and people start getting scared, Jennifer and Doug are having some romantic problems. Will they work it out or will their relationship crumble?
If you like to read books where the author really establishes the characters and makes you really like them, then you will enjoy this book. I personally think that John Nance waited too long to start the exciting part, but when the exciting part finally started I really wanted the characters to be okay, because it felt like I really knew them.
This realistic fiction book is a combination of romance and thrilling adventure. It’s a little slow for my liking, but it gets pretty exciting toward the end.