02/07/2022
Abernathy debuts with a tender, richly imagined middle grade novel about a resort town’s tragic past and uncertain future. Eighth grader Condi Bloom lives with her grandmother, Grand Ella, in the gentrifying Pacific beach town of Dipitious Beach following her parents’ drowning death. Condi longs to surf like all the popular kids and frets about how the new, rich residents are calling for the expulsion of the women known as Beachlings who live in caves on the coast. When she thinks Trustin, a recently arrived cute boy, has gone under while surfing, she recklessly plunges after to save him, where he leads her to Koan, the Master of the Sea. Koan charges Condi with saving the town from selfishness and then wipes her memory of her experience. Back on land, Condi, unaware of her mission, copes with fraught peer relationships, helps Grand Ella defend the Beachlings, and grows closer to Trustin and his twin sister Marissa. When nasty weather threatens the town, all the residents are put to the test.
Abernathy proves adept at crafting characters, capturing the peculiar blend of self-doubt and conviction of her middle school protagonist. The issue of gentrification appears in age-appropriate ways, with the rich newcomers not being overly vilified. The message of treating outsiders with kindness feels genuine, while moments that humanize the Beachlings, like one’s inspired creation of seashell mosaics, offer arresting context and gravity to the battle over their belonging in town.
The supernatural elements don’t overwhelm the plot, though Condi’s brief stint under the sea feels a touch disorienting, with its full cast and complex mythology. As satisfying as the final revelations are, the combination of ghost story and magical undersea realm can feel like a bit too much. Still, thanks to Condi’s forgetting, the bulk of the story should appeal to readers who prefer realistic fiction. This polished, lightly supernatural tale, its tenacious heroine, and well-handled real-world concerns will connect with teens making the transition from middle grade to young adult.
Takeaway: This small-town maritime novel offers a gripping blend of paranormal happenings, mystery, and realistic efforts to belong.
Great for fans of: Karen Strong’s Just South of Home, Melanie Conklin’s Every Missing Piece.
Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A- Marketing copy: A
