Song of the Current

Gr 9 Up—Caroline "Caro" Oresteia knows that like her wherryman father, she belongs to the river god. Yet at 17 she's still waiting for him to whisper to her. When her father is imprisoned for refusing to carry mysterious cargo, Caro elects to take over. She arranges to captain her first ship and get her father out of jail. After a pirate attack, Caro opens the cargo to find a boy escaping from his would-be murderers. As Caro and the boy slowly share secrets and admit their attraction to each other, they begin to realize that their fates may not be what they thought. Ultimately this story is one of self-discovery. Caro must balance what she thinks she wants with who she actually is. All the characters are fully developed and complex, including Caro's cousin Kenté, who joins the crew and demonstrates powers that would surprise her prominent family. The first in a series, this debut fantasy includes various mythical elements; a map is featured at the front of the book proclaiming, "Here be drakons," and a frogman is a member of the ship's small crew. While the narrative is often action-packed, the pacing does not feel rushed and gives readers time to learn about the characters and the world they inhabit.