A PERCEPTIVE MODERN TAKE ON COMING-OF-AGE FICTION, Olivia Robinson’s The Blue Moth Motel, begins in the present day with a singer who loses her voice and questions her choices in life. Her cycle for answers leaves her yearning for the past. Robinson’s relatability to the millennial generation has the reader finding themselves in a character’s journey towards satisfaction, happiness, acceptance, and family.
Although authentic and loveable, Robinson’s main character, Ingrid, is not what carries the strength of this novel; it is Robinson’s writing style and choices through flashbacks and the present day have the reader hooked on every character and their personal development. Ties to the LGBTQIA+ community, all women characters, and solid millennial connections through television and music are part of the cohesive intertangles of the past and the present. Unlike the traditional hero in novels, Ingrid is living her life the best way she knows how, growing through every decision, question, and connection she makes to her past. The events and experiences Ingrid faces do not just resonate with millennials through nostalgia but a genuine internal dilemma that many adults face well into their adulthood.
Although the writing and the stylistic choices are strong, to the eye of a reader interested in action and drama, one might find Robinson’s novel uneventful. The telling of a woman finding her way through her childhood and adulthood without much climax or commotion can seem unappealing to some readers. However, with time, the reader can learn to appreciate the non-traditional approach to the storyline. The connection to Prince Edward Island, Canadian nostalgia, and everlasting bonds has a stronghold on the readers looking for a beach read that touches their hearts.
Robinson’s novel is original and authentic; its slow and steady development coincided with the P.E.I reputation of enjoying the moment instead of focusing too much on the future. Her novel leaves readers wanting to be part of the characters’ lives. As the author recounts the present day and past, there is a beautiful cycle and loop in the storyline, a genius plot in a non-traditional structure. As a reader who doesn’t settle on a specific genre, I firmly recommend this book for readers looking to learn something about themselves through a feel-good read while sitting beachside or curled up at the cottage.
9/10
A Feature Piece on Olivia Robinson will be available in Teagal eMagazine, No.2, Issue 1 released in December.
Follow Olivia Robinson on Instagram @oliviasbookshop
The Blue Moth Motel published by Breakwater Books @breakwaterbooks
Photo Credits: Scott Robinson