What happens when the summer ends? Sea, surf and impossible dreams… This book had me fixed as soon as I read the first few pages, the story is powerful beyond measure. It fixes with a time in your life when dreams are to be made but yet life gets in the way! A story for YA/crossover and for anyone who has, or had dreams!
Rhys lives in a small town on the Devon coast, where seasonal work dries up as winter storms hit, housing is hard to come by and livelihoods are threatened by distant bureaucrats. Life is much harder for Rhys and his two younger brothers than tourists can possibly know.
It is only when surfing that Rhys finds solace in the beauty around him: the crashing waves, towering cliffs and sandy beaches. But when that solace is taken, his tinder-dry rage is soon ignited. Determined to defend his family from a life blighted by social neglect and poverty, Rhys is drawn to Dodo, a radical political activist. Before long, Rhys’ actions spiral out of control, with dire consequences for himself and those he loves.
Nicola Garrard, author, grew up in South Devon and reflects her knowledge of the area into the book, bringing it alive. Her previous novel 29 Locks has been shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction and its sequel 21 Miles has had excellent reviews.
Old Barn Books is an independent publisher of amazing books including picture books and fiction for +9 years. They look for the best in both illustration and writing.
In a short time as I read this book, it just gripped me and held me in its grasp. I recommend it hugely and would say… ‘”Just buy it!”
Sue Martin Specialist in Children’s Literature
