Marina Minnow lives in the small seaside town of Merlington with her mum, Sally. Life has been difficult since her dad went missing at sea several years earlier, especially as the family fishmongers store is struggling. Marina spends her time daydreaming and telling stories to everyone who will listen to her; however, some of her friends feel that she's just a liar. It is after one such encounter that Marina runs off before noticing a light on in the ramshackle hut at the end of the old, haunted pier that is no longer connected to the mainland. Curious, she decides to row out to see who is there and discovers William, a young boy with a big difference: his body is covered in scales, his head is covered in tentacles instead of hair and he has claws instead of hands. Following a discussion, Marina promises to help him find his father and heads back to Merlington where she tells her friends about William. Her friends believe that she is simply telling one of her stories and don't believe her ... until William washes up on the shore the following day. Marina takes him home to her mum and William soon becomes quite the local celebrity; however, there is still the question of his father, as well as why Harold Mole, owner of the majority of the fishmongers in the town and head of The Reverential Federation of Fishmongers is so desperate to get rid of William.
From the very first chapter, I fell in love with Marina and her story-telling ways - her stories are a lovely addition to the book and I'd love to be just like her! She's a strong character who has a determination to follow her own ideas, no matter what. Her sense of family is strong which is why she acts the way she does (I won't spoil anything!) but it's also obvious that she cares deeply for William. And speaking of William: what a brilliant character! Unusual, loveable, genuine and somebody I'd love to get to know! I think he's a character that children will love and, with my teacher hat on, I can see so many writing possibilities connected to his back story/his life in the shack... The town is full of a wealth of different characters but I suspect that the best one to create and write would have been Harold. He's the sort of character that makes you squirm and I certainly wouldn't want to stand too close to him!
Reading this book made me want to find a village just like Merlington and move there immediately! The thought of small cottages right on the shore, so much seafood and the community feel (although there are some of the characters I could certainly live without!) is something I would love to be at the heart of. It's a summer read that will leave you longing for the coast and a bit of fish!
And oh my cod, I have to mention the fishy phrases and exclamations that are scattered through the book as well as the aptly named characters - such a great touch that had me hooked!
Funny and heart-warming whilst combing family, friendship and being yourself, this is one hake of a book but don't trout my opinion, why not go out and snap up a copy when it's released on the 5th August (I'll be getting my claws on a copy of the sprayed edge version from Waterstones where this book most definitely deserves a plaice on my August recommendations display).
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