Sea of Whispers by Tim Bowler book review

Book Title: Sea of Whispers

Author: Tim Bowler

Sea of Whispers is set on a remote island called Mora. The people that live there are suspicious of the outside world and shun anyone they consider an ‘outsider’. Hetty can see and hear things that the other Islanders cannot and this leads to her becoming isolated and disregarded. When a huge storm hits the Island, a stranger is washed up, this leads to a vast mixture of reactions from the residents of Mora; which in turn leads to a series of consequences that could not have been predicted.

There is an ethereal and menacing tone to the book. It is almost dreamlike in it’s depiction of the sea and there is a sense of isolation for both Hetty and the people who have lost their lives at sea. Only Hetty and the stranger can hear the whispering voices, but to whom do these voices belong? Do they want to hurt or help Hetty?

The story deals with loss and grief, as well as superstition and generational differences. It also describes sailing in detail. It would appeal to both boys and girls, as Hetty is a strong female character and it is exciting, yet mysterious. This is for the more confident reader as there are many hidden themes and dreamlike descriptions.

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

Before I post my review, I have to say that this is one of the most original concepts I have read in quite a while. It was so good to read something unexpected and I really enjoyed reading this. Although I loved My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, I think Annabel's new book far surpasses this. She is so talented and I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did.

I should also say that I wrote this review for a website...

Ketchup Clouds is written as a series of letters from a young girl known only as ‘Zoe’. She is writing letters from England to a criminal who has been sentenced to the death penalty in America. The confessional nature of her letters reveals more details about the crime of the American man as well as her own crimes. This is a unique concept and makes it feel as if Zoe is talking directly to the reader.

There are several tantalising mysteries running through the story, many not being solved until the very end. This includes Zoe’s real identity, which she can only reveal after confessing her crime. Zoe can only forgive herself by revealing her thoughts in letters and sending them to a complete stranger who cannot reply. It becomes a type of therapy for her and each letter confesses a few more secrets.

Zoe is not the only one with secrets, there are also secrets contained in her family, such as: why her sister is deaf, why her Grandad is no longer part of the family, why her parents keep arguing. Will Zoe manage to get to the root of these problems, while solving her own worries?  

As well as the romantic elements of the story, other subjects covered are: coping with guilt, deafness, sisterly rivalry, forgiveness, grief and compassion. This book would be for the more confident reader and would be for both girls and boys. Girls may prefer the more romantic aspects of the story and the tearjerker ending.

Apologies yet again for being absent. My New Year's Resolution is to review every book I read and post them on here. I'm trying to read my way through the Carnegie long list and I'm currently on Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. E-audio and audio books are helping me to get through the very long list of books and After the Snow on audio book was chilling and atmospheric (I actually shivered whilst listening to it!).

Before I post my latest book reviews I must talk about the library Unconference. I had the pleasure of attending on Saturday at the new Bollingbroke School in London. I do have to say that the murals downstairs were delightful and made what could have been an imposing space, into something charming and charismatic. I could have stared at those pictures for hours!

Despite the snow at least a third of the attendees made it, some even venturing from Wales (brave people). It was the ideal opportunity to discuss important issues surrounding libraries and these ranged from e-books, to attracting teenagers to libraries, and even archiving YP literature. The sessions were all interesting, although I may have spoken out a little too much, I do get a bit enthusiastic!! Networking was definitely my word of the day, not only with other library professionals, but also the publishers who bought some wonderful goodies with them.

It was a good mixture of public and school library staff and this made the workshops much more interesting. I came away with fresh ideas, new acquaintances, proof copies of new books and the reminder of how much libraries can help children and young adults.

I really hope another Unconference occurs in the future, but for now I feel inspired and reminded that I can really make a difference.