Setting sounds exciting: Islands off California: State-preserving conservation pur, that is man-made nature museum, strikes running amok of conviction, wants to let nature be nature. Or maybe indulge only his ego? Offers plenty of space for exciting and surprising developments.
But what's the matter in the book: people, quite well represented - he can really good - but their motives somehow spongy for me and remained in the dark. It makes her job in conservation, but real passion or belief I could not see - he as Dauerquerulant because it's just how it is. But why merely? What he actually intended? The answer did not surrender until the very end.
In between elongated description of the islands and their history, without real value for the story itself. And this seems to be my problem with this book: the story ripples somehow to himself, sometimes faster, sometimes very slow. But much of what I like TC Boyle, often lacking. Although that was the spark, but no lit fire of enthusiasm. Not uninteresting, but I guess you would have just to get more out of the question, as we the nature (framed) want.
Is it not significant that he has now written a book about the islands? Maybe too much research and too little emotions.
Some seem to like it, some not at all, I did not find it bad, but it is not amazed also.
