Product Details
The Arm of the Starfish (Laurel Leaf Books)

The Arm of the Starfish (Laurel Leaf Books)
By Madeleine L'Engle

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Product Description

A marine biology student reporting to his summer job on an island off Portugal finds himself at the center of a power struggle between his boss and another group of Americans.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #441054 in Books
  • Published on: 1980-01-15
  • Released on: 1979-12-15
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Mass Market Paperback
  • 288 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review

"What [Adam Eddington, a prospective Berkeley freshman] expects to be a quiet but interesting summer of work with the famous marine biologist Dr. O'Keefe becomes a time of intrigue, with Adam playing a leading role in the struggle to extract information on the doctor's experiments with regeneration of starfish." --School Library Journal

From the Publisher
When Adam Eddington, a gifted marine biology student, makes the acquaintance of blond and beautiful Kali Cutter at Kennedy International Airport on his way to Portugal to spend the summer working for the renowned scientist Dr. O'Keefe, he has no idea that this seemingly chance meeting will set into motion a chain of events he will be unable to stop.

Caught between Kali's seductive wiles and the trusting adoration of Dr. O'Keefe's daughter, Poly, Adam finds himself enmeshed in a deadly power struggle between two groups of people, only one of which can have right on its side. As the ddanger escalates, Adam must make a decision that could affect the entire world--which side is he on?

From the Inside Flap
When Adam Eddington, a gifted marine biology  student, makes the acquaintance of blond and beautiful  Kali Cutter at Kennedy International Airport on  his way to Portugal to spend the summer working for  the renowned scientist Dr. O'Keefe, he has no idea  that this seemingly chance meeting will set into  motion a chain of events he will be unable to  stop.



Caught between Kali's seductive  wiles and the trusting adoration of Dr. O'Keefe's  daughter, Poly, Adam finds himself enmeshed in a  deadly power struggle between two groups of people,  only one of which can have right on its side. As the  ddanger escalates, Adam must make a decision that  could affect the entire world--which side is he  on?

Customer Reviews

A bit of a departure, but still a great read4
The Arm of the Starfish is a bit of a departure from what I think of as usual L'Engle fare (Wrinkle in Time, Meet the Austins, A Ring of Endless Light, etc.) in that while it deals with characters in much the same way as her other novels, it also becomes a spy thriller. Her character development and coming of age story are excellent, as always, and I love the interaction of the families in her books (except for one rather unpleasant father and daughter in this story). The book holds together well and is an easy and is an engrossing read to the end.

It's also important to read this before reading A Ring of Endless Light because of some important, but in some cases very subtle, references to this story. If you're reading A Ring of Endless Light, make sure to notice what swimming trunks Adam wears. It's important and speaks volumes as to the effect of these events on his life.

Can you say Teriffic?!5
This book absolutely, catches your imagination. As Adam Eddington makes his way to the island Gaea he finds that he is caught inbetween a decision that could change his life forever.
Calvin O'Keefe (Dr.O'Keefe) who is introduced and plays a main role in A Wrinkle in Time and the time quartet is grown up and married to Meg. They have seven children and the oldest of all of them, Poly, befriends Adam. Adam has come to Gaea to work as a lab assistent for Dr.O'Keefe during the summer. But when his flight is postponed due to fog he meets Kali Cutter(a most unlikly relationship between the two of them starts) but Kali has her own reasons why Adam shouldn't go to Gaea. Throughout the story Adam finds that he needs to decide between Kali and Poly's sides. He chooses Poly once he finds that Kali's side wants the results of Dr.O'Keefe's tests only to make more money. In the middle of the story Adam has come closer to the O'keefe family and their friends. But by the end tears are brought to your eyes as you read through the sadest moments in the book. If you ask me, read the book and find out what i mean. Until next time.-Windrider3

Another Amazing Book form Madeleine L'Engle5
I have been a fan of the Time Quartet by Madleleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, Many Waters, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet) for a long time, so I was of course very excited to delve into this world again.

It tells the story of Adam, a marine biology student who is offered a summer job on the island of Gaea, which is off the coast of Portugal. There, a scientist named Dr. O'Keefe is conducting revolutionary experminents concerning starfish. On his way to Gaea, Adam encounteres many strange people and events. He is caught between two groups of people, and he doesn't know who to trust.

I loved this book. The plots twists are very interesting, as are the characters. I fell in love with Joshua from the moment I met him. I wondered if Kali really was one of the bad guys. I joined Adam as he tried to figure out what to do, who to trust.

This book is not quite like the Time Quartet, but is wonderful nonetheless. It kept my attention constantly; I couldn't put it down. I recommend it to everyone!