The Principles Behind Flotation

by Alexandra Teague

A.Z. McKinney is on the shores of greatness. Now all she needs is a boat.

When the Sea of Santiago appeared overnight in a cow pasture in Arkansas, it seemed, to some, a religious miracle. But to high school sophomore A.Z. McKinney, it’s marked her chance to make history—as its first oceanographer. All she needs is to get out on the water.

Her plan is easier said than done, considering the Sea’s eccentric owner is only interested in its use as a tourist destination for beachgoers and devout pilgrims. Still, A.Z. is determined to uncover the secrets of the Sea—even if it means smuggling saline samples in her bathing suit.

Yet when a cute, conceptual artist named Kristoff moves to town, A.Z. realizes she may have found a first mate. Together, they make a plan to build a boat and study the Sea in secret. But from fighting with her best friend to searching for a tourist-terrorizing alligator (that may or may not be a crocodile), distractions are everywhere. Soon, A.Z.’s dreams are in danger of being dashed upon the shore of Mud Beach.

With her self-determined oceanic destiny on the line, A.Z. finds herself at odds with everything she thought she knew about life, love, and the Sea. To get what she wants, she’ll have to decide whether to sink or float . . . But which one comes first?

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Coming Of Age, Southern, Fantasy

328 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2017

About the author

Alexandra Teague was born in Fort Worth, Texas, grew up in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and has since lived in Missouri, Montana, Florida (where she earned her MFA at the University of Florida in 1998), Hawaii, California, and Idaho. Her first book of poetry, Mortal Geography, (Persea 2010) won the 2009 Lexi Rudnitsky Prize and the 2010 California Book Award. Her second book, The Wise and Foolish Builders, was written and researched in part thanks to a 2011 NEA fellowship, and published by Persea in 2015. Her first novel, The Principles Behind Flotation, is newly out from Skyhorse. She is also, with Brian Clements and Dean Rader, an editor of the forthcoming anthology Bullets into Bells: Poets and Citizens Respond to Gun Violence in the U.S. (Beacon, December 2017).

Alexandra's poetry has also appeared in anthologies including Best American Poetry 2009 and New California Writing 2012 and 2013, as well as journals including The Missouri Review, The Iowa Review, New England Review, Threepenny Review, and The Southern Review.

A 2006-2008 Stegner Fellow at Stanford, a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, and winner of the 2014 Jeffrey E. Smith Missouri Review Editors' Prize, she is an Associate Professor in University of Idaho's MFA program, faculty advisor for Fugue, and an editor for Broadsided Press. She is also a founding member of the BASK Collective. She lives in Moscow, Idaho, with her husband, the musician and composer Dylan Champagne.

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book - perfect for fans of YA who appreciate more substantive writing and a truly engaging story. Alexandra Teague's poetic sensibility translates beautifully to novel form. Each line is perfectly crafted; yet, the narrative flows smoothly, unfolding a fantastic set of events that could only happen in adolescence, when everything is confusing, meaningful, and epic. A.Z. will be instantly recognizable to smart girls who want to do something MORE with their lives - to grow beyond the boundaries of a small town with small expectations. And Kristoff is totally hot. But damaged. And an artist. (A lethal triple threat.) As an avid reader of YA fiction (100+ books per year), I can confidently say that this book is something special. A must-read.

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the way Principles Behind Flotation starts out, with A.Z., a 14-year old with good grades, a strong work ethic instilled in her by her librarian mom and journalist father, and a healthy interest in marine biology. Owing to the age of the main character, relative simplicity of the language, and relatability of the protagonist's problems, I assumed this was YA fiction. Initially the setting confused me, I wasn't sure if this was a dystopian future or set in the actual 1980's, or why religious pilgrims would be so gullible as to travel to this Compolodo place to honor a shyster's salty lake "miracle"?

As I read on, the focus seemed to shift from A.Z. being a science girl, confident in her smarts and abilities, knowing herself and geekily pontificating on wonders and truth and the lateral centering of a mast and whatnot, to more about acquaintances practicing blowjobs on frozen hotdogs, a friend wrecking her car multiple times in one weekend to no apparent consequence, the virtues of Mountain Dew, Jagermeister and beer, professing a bike as being "for retards," suddenly getting naked with a boy, and hangover-vomiting on the floor of a church. So if this book is written for 14-year olds, I think the author did well in intricately detailing A.Z.'s experience at Planned Parenthood; but I didn't see a lot of the other provocative stuff serving any purpose other than gratuitous titillation - and yes, I am aware that that is the norm - but I really appreciate Teague's strong and sensible framework (Shakespeare's Tempest, Chopin's Edna Pointellier, Sea Camp) and I want authors like her to know there is a market for that. Why have brainy women fixate on a belly pooch, with a 5'4" 122-pound frame?

[Karen Hayward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written but I was not really engaged throughout

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was better than most YA books but it was weird. The sentence structure was whimsical and fun. All of the characters were flawed enough to be real people and that was refreshing. A.Z. was engaging but not consistently written. Kristoff just really got on my nerves. He was flighty and artsy and it was irritating. Everything is "conceptual art" and I'm not sure how nerdy A.Z. considered that she could be in love with him, but at least it wasn't insta-love and that automatically makes it better than a lot of YA out there. Oh! And no love triangles! Thank the YA gods! A.Z.'s parents were very accepting and seemed like very good parents; especially her mother who doesn't judge or punish A.Z. for losing her virginity and actually drives her to Planned Parenthood (which was a very accurate and realistic depiction and I appreciated that) to get her necessities. The author gave A.Z.'s mother a weird back story and she tells all of these random stories that kinda make the entire book seem like a vehicle for different anecdotes the author collected.
The setting was weird; Arkansas in 1989 but there's something akin to Scientology called the New Arkansas Church which is mentioned a lot in the beginning of the book but not so much toward the end, where it focuses more on the Baptists.
Overall, this feels like a debut novel. The author has room to grow and if she does, I look forward to seeing what she produces next.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A.Z. is planning on spending her whole summer before 8th grade studying the miraculous sea that appeared 20-some years ago near her small Arkansas (Alabama?) town in preparation for her Sea Camp application. Her plans get derailed however by a loose alligator, religious protests, environmental protests, a bike accident, and lastly by a new boyfriend who is really into conceptual art and not very into being a very good boyfriend.
The setting was great and A.Z. is a wonderful young character, studious but also curious and romantic. She gets upset at upsetting situations and is altogether sympathetic and real. I also loved the story of Kristoff as being the first but not miraculous boyfriend. Not all first loves are magical and epic, instead most are messy things that you hopefully learn from.
I thought that this bogged down too much though in the middle and by the time the big conclusion came I was ready for it to be done. And for some reason this is marketed as an adult novel but I think it would be waaaaaaaay more successful if it was a YA novel.

[Rajal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the unusual style of the book. The rhythm of the language pulled me in so that I found my own internal dialogue echoing the rhythm of the book during the weeks I was reading it. I also loved the realistic complexity of the main character, who is brilliant and ambitious (she wants to be a scientist!) and also young and easily influenced by people around her. Note that although the protagonist is a teenager, it isn't really a "young adult" novel. I felt like it was aimed mainly towards people (like me) who were also teenagers in the 1980s.

[★ℕłℂØℓҾ★ (Nix) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wrote a whole review about why I disliked this book then didn't save it and don't want to think about it any longer. I was so depressed by this ending and this whole book in general. It was such a clever concept, and almost none of the book was about the sea or the science that the girl was supposedly so interested in. It was a huge flop for me.

[anneka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written by a friend of my dad’s, and I’m glad because that gave me the opportunity to read it.
I had low expectations for it, and the beginning was not amazing, but it actually got really good!
Thanks Alexandra, for writing this book! :)

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure how I feel about this book. It has a crazy group of characters: AZ, a sophomore trying to do research on the miracle sea near her house to use for her application for sea camp, her father, the journalist, editor, and publisher for the local paper who spout alliterations and Shakespeare like some odd form of Tourette’s, her mom, the town librarian who dropped out of high school and likes to tell a lot of odd stories that usually involve old boyfriends, and Kristoff, AZ’s boyfriend and supposed artist. I think I had the biggest problem with him. He seemed to be a slakker who used his “art” as an excuse for not doing what he needed to do or for making poor unthoughtful choices. This trait seemed to pop up at the worst possible times throughout the story. Oh, and the tourists that come to visit the Sea of Santiago (That the history of is never really spelled out. It just appeared one day and now people pay to come see it.) are called pilgrims. The story covers the summer between sophomore and junior year for AZ. She is trying to put together research so she can go to sea camp and become an oceanographer. This involves stealing water samples from the sea and is the center of a comedy of errors. Except it doesn’t feel so humorous as you read it. Like I said, I am not sure how I feel about the story. And the moment I thought should have had the biggest impact felt pushed aside.

A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

[Laina SpareTime · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and links and everything.

I think this is the most disatisfying book I’ve ever read. Nothing happens in this book. NOTHING. I can’t even. There is like no plot to this book and, okay, I can get behind slice of life books, but there’s not even like character development plot. Things happen, kinda, but there’s no conflict or anything exciting. It’s just dull and slow and I disliked so many of the people.

Maybe this kind of “coming of age” book just isn’t for me, but I had so much trouble reading this because I was so bored.

Plot Talk: I think we covered that I thought there was no plot, yeah?

Characters: Here’s a thing – I thought there were actually some interesting characters. But we spent no time with them. Instead we spent time with the girl who basically just gave up on her dreams because of a boy (and the emotional impact of that is so shallow a feather in sand would leave a deeper imprint) and an incredibly pretenscious, annoying boy who’s every “tortured artist” you’ve ever seen.

PG-13 stuff: The fourteen year old has a lot of sex and nobody seems to think it’s important to talk to her about that besides her mother saying make sure she has orgasms and a doctor giving her birth control pills and condoms and lube. This isn’t a YA book, it’s an adult book with a young protagonist, which is not the same thing, and I think that makes it less emotionally true to what being a teenager is like honestly. It’s like the sex is more about shock value than what it really means to A.Z.

There’s also a buttload of underage drinking, a bunch of language, and some really gory images about animal death. Felt again more like shock value than anything.

Cons, complaints, bad stuff, etc.: We’ve covered most of them. No plot, annoying characters. It’s very slow to start and the voice is super removed. It’s told in third person present tense, and it’s very… tell-y. There are so many “A.Z. feels” but you don’t really feel what A.Z. is feeling because the narration told you, but it didn’t show it. The time period is also really hard to nail down – it’s set in the 80s… because… reasons, but it’s hard to tell unless you really know pop culture and when Madonna wore a cone bra. I also found a lot of the backstory with the Sea confusing, and kind of glossed over.

There’s ableist slurs for no reason that nobody objects to, there’s no queer people, no disabled people, ONE POC who… exists, but I wouldn’t be quick to call good representation, and so much fatphobia. Every fat character is a stereotype and a jerk, and there are so many fatphobic comments.

Cover comments: Yeah, I don’t get it honestly. It’s okay. I like blue. I think the alligator is the only thing that actually matters to the book. It doesn’t speak to me though, as a cover.

Conclusion: I really did not like this. Honestly I’m kind of rushing this review because I really want to read something I’ll actually enjoy, and I’m tired of spending time with this book. Maybe if you like this kind of meandering slice of life/coming of age book, but when I wasn’t bored, I was offended or kind of grossed out, so it really just didn’t work for me. One and a half roses.

Other notes:

– Did 14 year olds, even in the 80s, know who Kenny G was????

– *I’m making this a thing. Books set in the 80s and 90s are going to be called this now. It’s a bit of an oxymoron, I realize, but I’ve decided.

[Sharon Mariampillai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read. The story was very interesting and engaging. Anastasia Zoe is obsessed with the sea and studies it greatly. The interaction with Anastasia and Kristoff was cute. She was very awkward. I thought her mother was a bit of a gossiper. Also, her father seems to love Shakespeare. I really enjoyed her journey to build a boat and examine the salinity level of the sea. The story was actually really funny, and I was surprised by that. Overall, an enjoyable read.

[BabeOBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND FLOTATION is just a delight! Teague gives us the town of Compolopo, a creatively imagined tourist trap whose industry depend on a miraculous inland sea. Teenaged Anastasia Zoe (aka A.Z.) is obsessed with the sea and studies it surreptitiously (direct investigation of the properties of the sea would never be allowed by the landowners on whose property it sits. She enlists help from the new kid in town, Kristoff, an artist, a chicken killer and a highly neglected teen. We watch A.Z. awkwardly navigate her crush on Kristoff, her oversharing mother and Shakespeare-spouting father while trying to build a boat to examine the salinity levels in the middle of the sea. This story was both hilarious and touching and I will be buying several copies for the teens I know.

[Natalie {I'd So Rather Be Reading} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original review HERE

This was an oddly crafted story. The writing style is more mature than most YA and seemed a bit poetic at times but it was still easy to follow and had a smooth flow of events. I enjoyed AZ and her determined spirit as she hits one road block after another in her pursuit of knowledge and life in general.

The story centers around The Sea of Santiago but the details are never fleshed out. I would have liked to have known a bit more on how this anomaly came to be or if it was just truly a scientific wonder.

The parentals in this story are present and odd all in their own right. I liked how they were fleshed out and believe their peculiarity helped to build the spirit of AZ. But they were different, that's for sure.

And Kristoff, the boyfriend... like any boyfriend of a 14 year old... he was just meh. He was, as my grandfather would always say, "just another dumb kid". I didn't really care for him.

One thing that really stood out to me right from the beginning was how the tourists that visit this little town are referred to as Pilgrims. I re-read one chapter because I thought maybe I was about to read something crazy like The Handmaids Tale. But alas, they were just tourists. #dang

I would consider this a heavier YA read just based on the sentence structure but with a story that is relatable and true to the heart of adolescence. AZ is well-written, engaging and gets caught in a pickle a time or two but you are sure to love her.

[Greg Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's basic, ancient science - how the air inside the dropper expands and contracts like the water can't; how a single object can keep switching between buoyant and heavy; how the slightest change of pressure can make what you thought you knew reverse itself. Even if you know exactly how it works, it sort of looks like magic."

Eureka Springs is clearly the setting for this novel, a place I lived off and on between 1987 and 2000. I went to 7th grade, parts of 9th and 11th grade with Alex Teague, though I wouldn't say we knew each other very well...but it's hard not to know everybody when there are only 30 students in your class.

In the acknowledgements, Alex says she "could not have invented this world without the teenage years I spent in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, an area and people I deeply love, and for which I wish only good stories."

She's given us one, a bildungsroman that I can see helping a young teenage girl see that she's not alone in this world, if she'll read it. I insist I recognize some of the characters in the novel, not just the protagonist, I mean this is semi-autobiographical, even though that was over 30 years ago, and the characters might be composites of more than one person. I might have been at some of those parties! Was that B.O.B.? biobi? - I hear the voice of Gary Jordan pronounce his name...

Alex Teague continues in the tradition of Cresecent Dragonwagon, Otto Ernest Rayburn and Cora Pinkley Call, though she may not know it.

Loved it. 5 stars.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the depth in the writing. A miracle and the life of teens and a town. The topics were a little heady while in the guise of a coming of age story. I did find it all wound up, though, and unsure if the audience was a teen or anyone. I suppose many could find a path there but it was all jumbled for me and I know my teen self would have put it down. I found the boat story to be distracting. I guess it did connect several of the characters, in retrospect.
The narrator voice is in an educated teen that seems to know more than her age would generally be assumed though with the insecurities and fallibility of experience.
There were painful community situations coded into the writing. It seemed to swing high and low which was likely intended but for me just didn't feel cohesive - likely because life is kind of like that, I suppose. The story wasn't my style. The expression of feelings and emotions were what kept me reading.

[Laura Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this coming of age novel about a young woman who knows who she is, a scientist, even as she's faced with navigating intersections between science and art, science and religion, her dreams and real life and love; all boldly navigated by AZ and explored poetically by the author. AZ's relationships with her father, who likes to have her around, her mother, who holds her accountable, and her friends, which span the spectrum from apathetic to serial protesters all reinforce AZ's character. A strong and inspiring female science teacher and an ever positive and creative foreign female business owner round out the cast. Finally AZ's honesty with herself about emotions during her ever changing experiences remind us that sometimes things feel kind of bad but kind of okay, and sometimes that's enough to keep us grounded through challenging and confusing times.

[Roblt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Self-possessed and self-conscious in equal measure, A.Z. McKinney just wants to spend her first high school summer devoted to science. Her struggle to do just that while surrounded by an eccentric cast of family, friends, and neighbors is told masterfully in this book. Although billed as a YA novel, "Principles" seems more like an adult-adult novel with a young-adult protagonist — the captivating A.Z. McKinney. Poetic and poignant, Alexandra Teague's fiction debut sets the bar high for other novelists this year.

[Carolyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are so many problems with this book I don’t even know how to begin! Zero plot. Pithy ending. Poor and HORRIFICALLY inaccurate information about “oceans”. When was it set? I think the 80s. The writing style was like reading a middle schoolers bad story “then they did… then they said… then they went…” And this doesn’t EVEN BEGIN to address the fact that the children in this book are 14 and spend a great deal of time getting drunk, wrecking cars, and having sex with zero repercussions. Sheesh what a train wreck!

[Bridgett Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.
Teenager Anastasia Zoe (aka A.Z.) is obsessed with the sea and studies it secretly (direct investigation of the properties of the sea would never be allowed by the landowners in which the property it sits. She enlists help from the new kid in town, Kristoff, an artist, a chicken killer and a highly neglected teen. We watch A.Z. awkwardly navigate her crush on Kristoff, her oversharing mother and Shakespeare-spouting father while trying to build a boat to examine the salinity levels in the middle of the sea.
overall a weird book, but I liked it.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific YA coming of age novel. This is a great tale of a young woman coming into her own. AZ is complicated, smart, and determined. The plot line is quirky to be sure, as are many of the characters, but it's never twee and it's not silly. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. This was a good read.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads Giveaways. Thank you. I almost gave up on this book....really slow start. However, it eventually grew on me to the point that I at least wanted to finish it. It's definitely unique!

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

It could be three stars, but I'm a little tired of the whole "hot, super-resourceful bad boy with a terrible home life who may or may not also be kinda crazy" trope. I guess it felt like it was trying too hard.

[Angularrrrr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is batshit crazy in the best way.

Despite everything being so utterly ridiculous, the storyline feels so incredibly real. The author doubled down on each character’s unhinged antics, and in doing so made their choices feel so devoutly personal.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, but I just don't care for coming-of-age novels.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good young adult book. Full of meanders and angst.

[Meaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Official review coming out in Front Porch Journal's next issue

[Makayla]

DNF at 62%

[Lace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I have ever read a book with a stranger plot than this one. But I guess that's kind of what drew me into it. This book is geared toward young adults. and being a little over that age category, I still really enjoyed this book. Plus it takes place in my home state so that made it even more interesting.

[Nikki]

Disclosure: ARC received from Edelweiss & publisher in exchange for an honest review. (They may regret this.) Any and all quotes were taken from an advanced edition subject to change in the final edition.