Summary

"The Seagull Army Descends on Strong Beach, 1979" – Fourteen-year-old Nal Wilson is on Strong Beach in Athertown on July 11, 1979 when massive flocks of seagulls descend on the place. It is the largest such gathering of gulls in history, which scientists cannot explain. Nal barely notices them at first, because he is thinking about how awful a summer it has been so far – from a bad haircut given to him by his cousin, Steve, to missing out on a pre-college summer program thanks his mom getting laid off, to having to work to bring in extra money for the family, to Nal’s older brother, Samson, dating the gorgeous Vanessa Grigalunas, the girl Nal himself has long had a crush on. Nal listens to Samson and Vanessa having sex behind a nearby dune, and he becomes even more...