Maya loves surfing, spending time on the beach with her friends, and her family’s home at Penrose Point. When she hears that a developer has offered her parents a large sum of money for the house and the land – including the beach – she is frightened, especially because her parents are taken by the idea of moving to a tropical island like Maya’s uncle. There are fewer fish for Maya’s father to catch and this means loss of income. The idea fades into the background until her father’s fishing boat is caught in a storm and both he and his friend are swept overboard. Although her parents don’t sell, they do take Maya on a journey halfway around the world that separates her from her friends and family.
Maya befriends local girl Kalani who teaches her how to see the island through responsible and caring eyes. Will Maya and her parents stay on an island that is slowly being decimated by tourists – tourists like themselves – or will they return to Penrose Point and the waters that Maya and her friends surf?
This is a topical but also human story. It touches on issues of climate disaster such as overfished waters and how people in certain parts of the world treat places where others live. Overdeveloped societies are guilty of treating other places as their playgrounds or as building sites ripe for financial gain or as rubbish tips. By meeting Kalani, Maya, and with her the reader, is introduced to the impact this has on the lives of people who have only ever taken from the planet what they need to survive.
Unlike many books that feature climate-based topics, the topical issues do not dominate the story. They play a part in it because they are part of Maya’s – and Kalani’s – experiences – but sailing, surfing, friendships and families trying to make the right decisions all play a part in narrative. I found it a touching and human tale and also a fun one.
The book is aimed at teens but would be suitable for middle grade readers too. I liked that, as a teen narrative, the characters felt authentically like younger teenagers. They have adventures in the waves but they also have parents overseeing them, worries about family and friendships and school, and the question of who they want to be is just starting to become a thought. Mainly they are playing – but their play is more adventurous than that of a small child. This is exactly what I think is needed more in the teen category.
A topical and enjoyable book from a talented author. I would read more of Ele Fountain’s work in a moment and look forward to exploring her past titles.
- Storm Child by Ele Fountain is available now from Pushkin Press. RRP. £8.99 (Proof provided as part of a promotional blog tour)
