To Hover Over Waters by Jesse Banner
In William Golding’s iconic novel Lord of the Flies, a group of schoolboys is stranded after a plane crash on an uncharted island. Far from civilization and with no adult supervision, they have a rare sense of freedom and govern by their own rules.
While it wouldn’t be fair to discuss Jesse Banner’s debut dystopian YA novel To Hover Over Waters (W. Brand Publishing) in the same breath as Golding’s classic, Lord of the Flies did in fact come to mind when reading Banner’s ambitious story of five children who separately, suddenly and inexplicably become invisible to their loved ones and everyone else around the world. Thrust into their own strange existence, cut off in recognition and acknowledgement from mainstream society, they are forced to survive and cope emotionally, and when they gradually meet (they at least are able to see each other), they too must set their own rules, needs and values.
The initial questions are many: How did they become invisible? Why did it happen? Why did it happen to them specifically? How many did it happen to? How long will it last?
Then, as their altered state settles in and their hope for rediscovery fades, a set of more philosophical and practical questions arise: Is the situation a blessing or a curse? Freedom or exile? How will they function? How will they eat? Where will they live? What will they do? Even greater, perhaps: What is their purpose?
PURPOSE FROM A YOUNG PERSPECTIVE
Banner says that, drawing inspiration from a variety of books and movies, he wrote the novel as an exploration of purpose, belief and culture from a kid’s point of view. The book evokes the readiness of youth to create and explore. But it also examines the effects that hardship and trauma can have later in life. “The wonder and fear of being a kid are heightened in this alternate state as the kids must figure out what they want and what they are meant to do.”
It starts with a five-year-old boy obscured by his blanket and waiting in an RV outside the office of a campground with his parents and siblings. His father comes out of the office to retrieve his family, only to ignore the boy and leave him behind. “And so it was that no one would see what the man had forgotten; not only forgotten – the man didn’t see him, and neither did the woman, nor the four other children.” The boy ponders: Did he do something wrong?
And so begins a life where Des, as he later renames himself in his new reality, has to fend for himself, find places to live on the fly and scavenge for food. Despite what his mother has told him about stealing, he can easily walk into a grocery store, unseen of course, and take anything and everything he needs.
He soon connects with Mar, another boy in the same dilemma, and as a team, they provide conversation, relatability, emotional support and a youthful sense of adventure to help them get through. In one instance, they decide to board a plane (remember, they are unseen). As to where it is taking them is anybody’s guess, including theirs.
Other “invisible” characters are introduced along the way in different parts of the world, and some of them come together. When they do, they set rules (for example, only take excess, not essentials, from people), decide how to establish a residence for themselves, figure out what they have in common that has united them, and what their purpose on earth has become.
A BREAKTHROUGH AUTHOR TO DISCOVER AND DELIGHT IN
Banner’s playing field is a plethora of themes and unique circumstances to consider, and he introduces them admirably. He has a gift for writing and uses beautiful descriptions to describe venues and people. Right from the outset, even before he takes on his unusual storyline, he writes, “The vast, desert terrain surrounding the RV park was flat and uninterrupted. At dusk, the occupants watched the day’s warmth gradually fade by the spectrum in the sky; a florid maroon steeled on the horizon and was fleshed out in layers that ascended heavenward, culminating in dull blue high above.”
Banner tinkers with this world he has created and strikes at our emotions along the way. He makes us think and consider every step along the journey. Often, one can’t be sure if the characters are actually seeing something or just imagining it in their dreams. And is there any crossover between the invisible childrens’ closed society and the real world?
The author says To Hover Over Waters is the first book in a planned series about children who have magically and mysteriously been made invisible to the world around them. If this first book is any indication, readers have a lot to look forward to. Banner is a talented, innovative writer worthy of your attention. Savor this book, because discovering authors like Banner is what makes our business so exciting. Check out his author profile for more information.
