Official Review: Once in a Blue Year by Michael D. Durkota

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bookowlie
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Official Review: Once in a Blue Year by Michael D. Durkota

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[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Once in a Blue Year" by Michael D. Durkota.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Once in a Blue Year by Michael D. Durkota is a debut novel in the Other Fiction genre. It examines the psyche of Navy personnel during wartime and the emotional toll on the people left behind. Two young Navy petty officers, Trevor and Dan, are cut before a Gulf War submarine mission for different reasons. Dan is given a medical discharge and Trevor is replaced at the last minute due to concerns about his uncontrollable behavior. Before Lead Petty Officer Nathan ships out, he invites Dan to stay in his home; it’s a good arrangement since Dan needs a place to live and Nathan would have a friend watching over his wife and baby while he’s away.

Dan and Trevor also deal with the flashbacks of a traumatic event at sea. In Dan’s case, going home is a major adjustment since he is accustomed to the military culture and being on a war footing. On one hand, he is glad to be away from the ship. Still, he has lost her bearings and needs to adjust to the “new normal.”

Certainly the issue of men returning to civilian life after the military is not a new one. Still, the author offers a fresh take on this well-worn topic. I liked the juxtaposition of Dan living with Nathan’s wife Heather while Nathan is away. It allows the reader to see Dan coping with the next stage of his life alongside Heather handling Nathan’s long absences. Her daily chalkboard counting of the days Nathan has been away is a good plot device, particularly as circumstances change. It’s also interesting to see that Trevor is so upset that he was cut from the mission while Nathan volunteered for it, even though he had just come home from a long deployment. It is clear that Trevor and Nathan are more comfortable away at sea than being home.

I quickly grew to care about Dan and Trevor, who are interesting, layered characters. The story is written in third person and switches between Trevor and Dan’s perspectives. The supporting characters could have been fleshed out more. Heather is upset that Nathan is away yet again on a long, dangerous deployment. Still, I didn’t have a good sense of her other than as a cliché, the young military wife who has been left behind at home. Jags, a fellow petty officer, is comical in his questionable mental state. It is unclear whether he is faking it to get out of sea duty. In particular, I think Nathan’s character could have been more developed. The author whets the reader’s appetite with a glimpse of Nathan’s possibly unstable personality, notably in a flashback early in the story. I would have liked to know more about him.

The story is quietly powerful. The author’s lyrical writing style is a joy to read, purely from a writing standpoint. The imagery is flawless. Before the submarine leaves port, there is “one last glimpse of horizon, one last gulp of fresh air.” When Dan goes to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for a job interview, I was transported to the claustrophobic maze of rooms, complete with chemical and plastic smells, the buzz of fluorescent lights, and thick air. With a subtle touch, the author always made me feel like I was right there, whether it was at sea in flashbacks or stateside with Trevor in the barracks and Dan and Heather at home.

The pacing moves along at a snail’s pace. Normally a fast reader, it took me a relatively long time to finish this book. There were several passages about Dan developing photos in a makeshift darkroom that were a few pages too long and tedious to read. In general, it seems that the story is being viewed in slow motion. Dan struggles to transition to life after the Navy, however slowly. I think it’s natural that a submariner coming home would have the feeling of “what do I do now?” As for Trevor, the emotional angle is portrayed well. His lingering insecurities and anger from an abusive childhood affect his relationships as well as his job. While the pacing is slow, I found the exploration of the characters’ mindsets fascinating.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I would give it 3.5 stars if the rating system allowed. The story is well-written with a lyrical style that borders on poetry at times. I find myself still thinking about the characters and that’s always a sign of a good book. Still, the plot moves along too slowly throughout most of the book. There is nothing propelling the story forward, although this may be intentional given the subject matter, primarily Dan’s inability to move in a new direction after the Navy. I would recommend this book to military families who can relate to the emotional costs of long deployments. Really anyone who appreciates excellent writing will enjoy this one.

******
Once in a Blue Year
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Post by Levi »

Fantastic review, Owlie!! You have such great form while still showing personality, and I really admire that. I like how you highlighted the flawless imagery and lyrical writing style as I have missed that lately. Maybe I should give this book a read soon. Thanks, Owlie!
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Post by bluemel4 »

Great review. It sounds like an interesting look into the psyche of the entire war culture. I am going to take a pass on this one.
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Post by bookowlie »

Thanks Escapeartist and Bluemel for the kind words. The author is a former Navy submariner and he really nailed the subject matter.
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Post by gali »

A book that examines the psyche of Navy personnel during wartime? Sounds good. Too bad about the slow pace, though. Great review, indeed. I am glad you liked the book. :)
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Post by bookowlie »

Thanks Gali. It was an interesting read.
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Post by Levi »

You're welcome!! Your reviews are great, and authors are lucky to have you review their books.
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Post by bookowlie »

Thank you! In this case, I was the lucky one. The book was very well-written and thought-provoking. I can't imagine what it would be like to be away on a submarine for 3 months or more.
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Post by Levi »

Any kind of time away on a submarine, or any ship for that matter, is intriguing to me as well, Owlie. And the effects of deployments or any kind of family-splitting life event is also interesting to hear.
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Post by bookowlie »

It was so strange that a few of the characters couldn't wait to go back on deployment.
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Post by Levi »

That's what happens, Owlie. I have a few friends that have deployed, and the craziness of military life or war becomes something they know how to deal with, and when they come back it's hard to deal with normalcy and other people's complacency.
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Post by bookowlie »

I think war missions are really hard to come back from. Even the ones who don't have PTSD still have to adjust to the regular, mundane things of life back home. What I liked about the book is that it showed one guy who was glad to be off the submarine and others who couldn't wait to go back.
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Post by bluemel4 »

Is the book anything like the movie The Hurt Locker? It was an amazing look at the struggle between coming home and redeployment. If the book is anything like that I think I'll have to add this to my to-read list.
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Post by bookowlie »

I never saw The Hurt Locker. I will have to look it up.
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Post by zeldas_lullaby »

Great review! I think if you all know me by now, then you know my likelihood of reading this book. It does sound like a great book, though. Your review was in-depth and vivid. :-)
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