"If you are reading this, you have happened upon it by accident. Call me Is Male." pg. 1 Alex is a sixteen year old student at an all male boarding school, who is writing his memoir of an event that changed his life forever. He is also trying to read the great American novel, Moby Dick while at the same time he hides his journal behind it in the school library.
Alex feels guilty because his best friend Thomas died jumping off a rock outcropping into the river and when it came to telling the officials what happened, he lied about it. He was right there when it happened and the lines between truth and guilt become blurred. "Such is the nature of guilt; such is the nature of truth. But it is also the nature of guilt to sideline the truth. Welcome to the sidelines, Dear Reader." pg.1
"By the way, Is Male has a big crush on his teacher." pg. 8. Miss Dovecott teaches English and she sees potential in Alex and gives him special attention. She also has suspicions he is not telling the whole story in regards to Thomas's death. Alex communicates with Miss Dovecott through her varied and creative homework assignments. He tells his story through poetry, essays, newspaper accounts and letters. He is a rock who writes excellent papers.
Throughout the novel, are quotes from Moby Dick and the narrator Alex uses them to explain his own battle and struggles. Hubbard is a former English teacher and her natural writing ability shows as she using her creativity to craft a wonderful, smart and witty novel. The writing is beautiful and I was enthralled with Paper Covers Rock from the very first page.
