Storm-Wake

Gr 7 Up—Moss, Pa, and fishlike Cal, together with their two dogs and horse, are the only inhabitants of a magical island, where Pa—through the use of "Storm Flowers" and stories—can cause tempests to arise, unusual creatures to appear, and memories to fade. They live a carefree existence until Pa's suddenly brusque treatment of Cal causes Moss to question both his father's powers and his true nature. When two young men are shipwrecked on the island, Moss and Cal learn that there is another world beyond what they've known, and, wanting to be a part of it, they decide to leave their mystical home. Only when they have sailed away do they realize the hold the island will always have on them. With chapters divided into five acts, Christopher's dark reworking of The Tempest includes the basic elements of Shakespeare's play: magical characters, sorcery, romance, and a theme of good vs. evil, inviting comparisons with the Bard's original. While the writing is fluid and enhanced by the rhythm of repetitive words, (e.g., quick-fast, look-see), the middle of the story is impeded by myriad details which seem to slow the pace and add a degree of self-consciousness to the text.