A cracking read of teen angst and spear fishing

Spearo — Mary-anne Scott (OneTree House, $24.00) reviewed by Louise Ward, Wardini Books

This is the new novel for readers of around nine to 12 years by Havelock North’s Mary-anne Scott, following up on her 2018 hunting adventure, Sticking With Pigs ,a finalist in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

Teenager Sean Phelps is a recent arrival to New Zealand, an immigrant from Zimbabwe, displaced by his grieving mother after his father’s death. Sean is feeling lost, lonely and deeply homesick but is determined to make some kind of connection. He finds this in Mason, a bright and friendly kid whose sister Nicole clashes with Sean from the get-go but whose father, Ritchie, welcomes Sean on the family’s diving expeditions.

Desperate to be a part of this new family Sean embraces spear fishing, fighting to overcome his fear of the water (Zimbabwe being a landlocked country), especially of the sharks that lurk in them. His first forays with Mason and Nicole show him how much he needs to learn, about the craft of diving and fishing, and also about human relationships. Sean and Nicole have much in common but misunderstanding and poor communication escalate the tension between them, setting the plot up for a dangerous and exciting finale.

There is much wellwritten teen angst in Spearo. Sean is a seething ball of resentment and this colours his interactions with his mother and Nicole, leaving him gravitating towards a new father figure. As he untangles his trauma his character begins to mature and he gradually becomes able to see the perspective of others and the effect of his words and deeds.

Spearo is packed with underwater action and adventure, and detailed descriptions are enough to have the reader holding their breath. Sean’s development from lonely, damaged immigrant to valued friend is convincing and the setting of Mahia and Hawke’s Bay familiar and finely drawn. A cracking read.