Having read The Girl Who Stole An Elephant and loved everything about it, I was thrilled when The Boy Who Met A Whale landed on my door mat.
The story follows Razi who lives on the coast of Serendib with his sister, Shifa and his mum. Despite his love of fishing and the water, Razi is terrified of boarding a ship again following the recent death of his father in an accident at sea. Whilst out watching new-born turtles race for the shore one morning, he comes across a boat containing an unconscious boy. Saving him, he quickly discovers that he his wanted by 2 rather fearsome men who are determined to kill him. Helping him, Razi discovers that the boy, Zheng, has escaped a shipwreck and holds a map which will give the location to some much sough after treasure. Before long, Zheng's life is in danger again and Razi and Shifa become entangled in the hunt for the treasure; a hunt that will take them back out to sea and on the adventure of their lives.
This is a gripping adventure that grabs you from the very beginning (that opening page ...!).
I was thrilled that Nizrana had taken us back to Sri Lanka with the rich description of the landscape as well as the sea (the coast this time instead of the jungle) - this is just what we need during the cold winter months here in England (as I read the book, the rain pounded down on the windows and I was pleased to be curled up on the beach with the characters - well most of them!)
The characters are complex and have a lot going on in their lives which helps to add to their interest. Zheng is full of stories of treasure and sea monsters which all sounds incredibly fanciful to Razi who is still clearly grieving the loss of his father - his life has changed completely and the tragedy is having a huge impact on his life. Then there's Marco and Cook who are intent on getting the treasure and will stop at nothing to get it - including murder. They are really rather scary at times!
From the beach to the water, this story leads the characters out to sea after Razi decides that saving his new friend is more important than his fear of the sea. The adventure sees them out during a storm, encountering whales and stranded on a deserted island - but will they succeed in their mission?
The Boy Who Met A Whale is a gripping read that will have you voyaging from the beaches of Sri Lanka out to sea along with the characters - you'll be completely gripped and enthralled. This is a story of resilience, friendship, family; of doing what's right and learning to live again.
Released on the 14th January, this book will be the warming tonic you need during those post-Christmas chilly days.
No comments:
Post a Comment