Good for young readers despite dark themes

Boy Underwater By Adam Baron, illustrated by Benji Davies, $17.99

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This is a darn good read for young, competent readers, despite its sometimes dark themes.

Baron is better known for adult novels, and this is his first foray into something for school-aged readers. It’s sad, a bit scary in places and frequently very funny.

Cymbeline Igloo, the uncomfortably named 9-year-old protagonist, has never been swimming, so he’s a bit nervous about his first school swimming lesson. circumstances, the scene is set.

Consequently when Emma’s three camp buddies disappear one night never to be seen again or perhaps not, the scene is set.

Emma makes some accusations and the camp is closed.

Fifteen years later, Emma now a budding artist, although still haunted by her camp friends’ disappearance, is asked to return to the reopening of the camp by Franny to be the art instructor.

Emma decides to return to the scene of the crime. We think she is laying old ghosts to rest but how innocent is Emma?

The game of two truths and a lie is a clever premise for this book.

There are twists and the reader is definitely kept guessing.

I initially thought this is an American chick lit thriller written by a man, but it is quite a bit more than that. —

But the school bully has decided he must be a very good swimmer and challenged him to a race. Then an accident at the pool reveals a family mystery, and his mum has a breakdown.

Cymbeline stays with an aunt and uncle who appear to have issues too, and he feels alone in the world. But with the help of a neighbour he gradually unravels a story about his father, who he thought was dead.

Some nice black and white illustrations will help along the slow reader, so this is a good one to encourage the early teen reader.

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