Author: ND Stevenson
Genre: adventure
Age range: middle grade
Summary (provided by publisher): Viola and Wilmur have been waiting for their parents for fifteen boring years in the colorless town of Caveat. Their lives are a drudge of salt, trash, pirate stories, and what-ifs . . . until one very stormy night, when Captain Cadence Chase breaks down their door. They cut a deal with the captain: Chase can take their most prized possession, a mysterious book, but only if she takes them, too. After all, if their parents aren’t coming, Viola and Wilmur might as well have a grand adventure to find them.
Setting sail into the treacherous and beautiful world beyond Caveat, the two inseparable friends must uncover the facts behind legend—and the key to saving all of Dickerson’s Sea from obliteration—before the truth tears them apart.
What I liked: Stevenson's signature wry humor comes across nicely in this all text novel. We have a complex world with rules that we don't always understand but the intricacies are slowly laid out in a way that feels natural to the plot. The emotions are understated but realistic and the humor never gets in the way of the heart of the story.
What I didn't like: It's a bit slow to start. While the characters become more complex and complete as the book progresses, they are fairly basic in the early chapters. It feels like it takes a bit too long for the novel to find it's footing, like it doesn't initially take itself seriously enough.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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