Books › Tangerine
Tangerine
First published 1997 · 324 pages
A sun-baked, eerie coming-of-age mystery where environmental hazards mirror the toxic secrets buried within a seemingly perfect family.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like standing too close to a smoldering muck fire, unsettling, atmospheric, and impossible to ignore. The diary format creates an intimate, steady rhythm, drawing you into the mind of a highly observant underdog who sees the truth everyone else chooses to ignore. The Florida setting is practically a character itself, with sinkholes and daily lightning strikes perfectly mirroring the volatile, simmering tension of the protagonist's home life. It is a deeply cathartic read that balances the visceral thrill of middle-school sports with a slow-burn psychological mystery. Fans of stories where the marginalized kid finally finds their voice and exposes the hypocrisy of the golden child will devour this tense, satisfying journey of self-discovery.
- Mood
- sun-baked
- eerie
- tense
- atmospheric
- Tone
- observant
- earnest
- suspenseful
- understated
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- uncovering buried truths · toxic family dynamics · finding your tribe · facade of perfection · overcoming perceived limitations
- The writing
- Accessible and sensory, utilizing a straightforward diary format that captures the sharp observations of an overlooked protagonist.
- The arc
- Moves from isolated confusion and fear to empowered clarity and self-acceptance.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love underdog stories, sports-adjacent drama, and unraveling dark family secrets hidden beneath a polished suburban veneer.
Content notes
- bullying
- sibling abuse
- death of a peer
- ableism
- gaslighting
About the book
Nearly blind, twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik, moves to Tangerine, Florida with his family and enters a place where being different is accepted, and soon Paul starts to remember the events that damaged his eyesight.
Description from Open Library.
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