Alex lives on the coast with his father, sister and grandfather; however, he won’t go near the
sea, for he truly believes that it is his enemy. So when an octopus befriends him and insists
on going home with him, he is somewhat bewildered. He names the octopus Kraken and then
discovers that Kraken wants him to head to the abandoned aquarium at the top of
the hill. Here he discovers the sea
dragon that is a celebrated legend in the town is actually being held
captive. Along with his friends Zoey and
Anil, as well as a bunch of incredibly cute otters and a mischievous seagull,
they decide they have to try to save the sea dragon before its too late. But can they do it and how on earth do you
begin to steal a dragon?
Can I just say
from the start that this is just a fabulous book! I read it whilst on a sunbed on holiday and
it’s the perfect holiday read. In
addition to the seaside setting (who doesn’t love a book set at the coast?),
it’s full of adventure, excitement and just the right amount of humour.
The characters
are perfectly formed and readers will delight in loving or hating them. Alex makes a wonderful main character as his
fear of the sea is apparent from the start and sets him up as a rather unlikely
hero of a book based around water. He
doubts himself but is utterly determined to do the right thing and help the
dragon. Zoey makes a quirky side-kick as
her confidence (especially in tech) is a perfect contrast to Alex; she is
strong and independent and I love that about her. Readers will delight in hating the bad guys
but, for me, it’s the creatures who really make this story: Kraken is the most
wonderful octopus who, at times, feels more human than octopus; the otters who
are loveable and huggable, and the seagull is a cheeky chappy who will
happily steal anything from anyone – they are a delightful bunch and the book
just wouldn’t be the same without them.
Released on
the 4th August and with family history and legends colliding in this
adventure which looks a friendship, being brave and doing the right thing, Alex
Neptune is the perfect summer holiday read.
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