Across The Risen Sea

 Bren MacDibble ©2020

In the first instance, I am glad I followed my own mantra: Don’t give up until you’ve read at least 50 pages. This is because it did take time to tune into the plot and the characters - longer than usual, methinks – and I am thankful not to have ditched this book prematurely. But that might be just me!

This novel is an entertaining adventure story for young readers, say 10 -14 years, set in future earth after some sort of Climate Event has caused the sea to rise drastically. Think ‘Water World’ meets ‘Snowpiercer’!! I had to get over the hurdle of reading the ‘evolved’ (or should I say, de-volved) English language to get into the flow of what turned out to be a rollicking good story. One word that featured in the protagonist’s future vocab was ‘prolly’ (probably) which annoyed me before said little girl stuck on me ‘like a tick’, which is another one of her ‘cute’ phrases. Neoma frequently says ‘coz’ and ‘aint’. This is a reminder that the children who have survived haven’t been educated in school. They are described as ‘dressed in rags and stinking like fish’ (p.196). What’s not to love?

Once you work out that there are several island communities, each having adopted unique customs and quirks, it is intriguing to see how they have managed to endure. The biggest daily activities involve scavenging and fishing, which is not surprising. I could literally see the whole story playing out as a fabulous movie akin to ‘Life of Pi’. Each chapter is only a page or two long, its title summing up the key event contained within. This is fabulous if you just want ‘snack’ read – it’s so easy to pick up where you left off.

The conflict involves – without giving anything away – an invasion, an electrocution, shark – croc – pirate attacks, abductions and maybe a death or two?!? There are also unexpected moments of humour to ensure the entertainment keeps on coming! Here’s an excerpt from a chapter called Trouble to whet your appetite:

There’s a small boat in the channel… On a fine day we'd stop and investigate, maybe take it back to its moorings if it's got a name on it we recognize. This one looks real familiar. And I can't think why until it spins a bit towards us and a golden sun on the prow reflects a flash of lightning.

‘Ma!’  I yell over the crashing waves. ‘It's the siblings’ boat from the Valley of the Sun!’

‘Din’t they tie it off proper?’ Jag asks.

‘Something's happened to them,’ I say. I know it, deep in my heart. I've known it since I went to Jacob's Reach.

 ‘I ain't stopping to tie it on, Neoma, no matter what's happened,’ Ma says. She's frowning over her shoulder but not at me, at that swirl of green and black chasing us down. ‘Storm’s almost on us.’

‘Sail close,’ I say, ‘I'll grapple it, and we’ll tow it in.’ This boat could have clues about why it's bashing around out here empty without a sibling to be seen.

‘You'll break the grapple rope before you get it up to the same speed we’re going,’ Ma says.

‘I’ll winch it out, so it don't!’ I say and nod at Jag to get ready to do that for me.

‘Okay, but likely we’ll have to cut the rope anyway if it slows us down.’

Ma sails close and I hand the end of the grappling rope to Jag to let out as needed, and wrap it round the winch. Last thing I want to be doing right now is handling rope. My hands is raw meat.

Then I lean way over the keel, holding on to a stanchion real tight, swing and drop the grapple hook gently, without too much sliding through my hand, into the boat and drag it forward to hook it onto the board across the top of the prow as we sail on by.

‘Okay!’ I yell to Jag. ‘Let the rope out so it turns and gets up to speed.’

I go to turn away but something pale twitches in the bottom of the siblings’ boat, and I wonder if a fish got slopped in there by a big wave, but the pale thing has a thick ribbed tail, and in a flash of lightning it becomes a hand, palm upwards! Someone's in there under the tarp!

I scrambled back to the deck. ‘Someone's in there!’ I yell.

Ma looks at me like I grew an extra head. ‘Don't lose that rope, Jaggy-boy!’ she yells, dropping the sail a little to slow Licorice so we don't lose our tow, then turns to Dizzy. ‘What kind of trouble are we hooked into right now?’ (pp.63-5)

Happy Reading!

Miss ^__^

The Boy Who Steals Houses - The Girl Who Steals His Heart

 C. G. Drews (c) 2019

Having just finished this book, I feel like I've been in the ring with Mike Tyson. It is a page turner and it is not for the  faint-hearted. 

The story centers around a couple of teen brothers who have had a vile childhood - their mother abandoned them; their drunk and violent father abused them before unceremoniously dumping them at their heartless aunt's house. Everything is exacerbated by the fact that the older brother, Avery, is autistic and is cruelly bullied by his peers. His younger brother Sammy has adopted the role of his Chief Protector, which sounds quite noble until you read that Sammy does what he knows best and resorts to uncontrollable physical violence, leaving a wake of blood and broken bones in their track.

The boys soon find themselves homeless and on the run.

Each chapter is interspersed with chronological flashbacks to help the reader see beneath the iceberg and maintain a shred of empathy instead of repulsion.

In start contrast, Sammy eventually finds himself swept up in the life of a 'normal' chaotic family who know nothing of his past and allow him to fall in step with their daily routines. And in this family, who are currently grieving the loss of their mother (who died too young of cancer), Sammy bonds with Moxie and begins to wrestle with his demons in the process of finding love. One asks, would she care for him if she really knew what he was like?

Here's an excerpt from early on wherein the brothers are staging a fight so they can steal wallets from the concerned crowd:

    Avery shoves him.

    It comes so fast that Sam doesn't have time to brace himself. He takes a stumbling step backwards, falling against a passer-by in a tangle of limbs and hair flopping over his face.

    'I'm sorry!' he gasps as the person shoves him off with a startled grunt.

    Their handbag isn't quite zipped.

    Sam's hand is in and out before he stands up.

    Then Avery is in front of him, shoulders knotted, jabbing a finger into Sam's chest. Right in the bruise. Sam's wince is real.

    'You want to run that by me again?' Avery shouts...

    Knuckles collide with Sam's jaw.

    His neck snaps to the side.

    His teeth sink into his tongue.

    The boardwalk reaches up and Sam's face c o l l i d e s with a thwack on the floorboard. His vision fractures.

    Avery really really forgot to fake that punch.

    Hands are already on Sam's arms, grabbing him, asking if he's OK as he's roughly propelled into a sitting position. Blood dribbles down his chin. Someone gives a heartfelt gasp. (pp.97-8)

And there's plenty more fight scenes where that came from, which leads me to think that this novel will appeal to any teens from year 7 - 9. It is fast paced from the start and contains an emotionally charged and satisfying ending. I enjoyed it!

Miss ^__^