British illustrator Sedgwick's futuristic first novel begins with an interesting premise--that global warming has caused the seas to rise, submerging whole sections of England--but, unfortunately, the story does not fully succeed. Young Zoe, left behind when a rescue boat takes her parents from Norwich to higher ground, escapes alone in a small rowboat. She lands on the Island of Eels, where tribes struggle for precious food and water. There Zoe meets some predictable characters, such as the mad seer, William Blake; the corrupt leader, Doobie, with an Achilles heel (he can't swim); and the tough boy with a soft interior, Munchkin. Her own character is inconsistent; she is alternately spunky and wary of everyone around her, brave then easily cowered or swayed by the Eels (e.g., referring to Doobie, "She had caught herself liking him"). When Zoe and Munchkin escape to the mainland, the author abandons the initial message about the earth's fragility in favor of an upbeat and unlikely ending, as Zoe and Munchkin find evidence that the floods have abated. The final reunion scene seems more cloying than believable. Despite some page-turning chapters, Zoe and her story lack the credibility to sustain readers through the contradictory themes and sometimes unimaginative prose ("The thought of home stabbed her like a knife" or "a creeping fear began to seep into her"). Ages 8-12. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
What if the sea began to rise . . . and rise . . . until the land began to disappear? A brilliant futuristic fantasy by an acclaimed new writer.
Global warming has caused the sea to rise until cities are turning into islands and civilization is crumbling. Ten-year-old Zoe discovers a small rowboat and keeps it a secret until she sets out alone on the great sea to find her parents. She lands on tiny Eels Island, where she must survive in a nightmarish world run by wild children, and stand up to its boy-leader, Dooby. Zoe and a boy called Munchkin escape from Eels Island and cross the sea to the mainland, where they find not only Zoe's parents but a new family and a new world.
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Global warming has caused the sea to rise until cities are turning into islands and civilization is crumbling. Ten-year-old Zoe discovers a small rowboat and keeps it a secret until she sets out alone on the great sea to find her parents. She lands on tiny Eels Island, where she must survive in a nightmarish world run by wild children, and stand up to its boy-leader, Dooby. Zoe and a boy called Munchkin escape from Eels Island and cross the sea to the mainland, where they find not only Zoe's parents but a new family and a new world.
Floodland
What if the sea began to rise . . . and rise . . . until the land began to disappear? A brilliant futuristic fantasy by an acclaimed new writer.
Global warming has caused the sea to rise until cities are turning into islands and civilization is crumbling. Ten-year-old Zoe discovers a small rowboat and keeps it a secret until she sets out alone on the great sea to find her parents. She lands on tiny Eels Island, where she must survive in a nightmarish world run by wild children, and stand up to its boy-leader, Dooby. Zoe and a boy called Munchkin escape from Eels Island and cross the sea to the mainland, where they find not only Zoe's parents but a new family and a new world.
Global warming has caused the sea to rise until cities are turning into islands and civilization is crumbling. Ten-year-old Zoe discovers a small rowboat and keeps it a secret until she sets out alone on the great sea to find her parents. She lands on tiny Eels Island, where she must survive in a nightmarish world run by wild children, and stand up to its boy-leader, Dooby. Zoe and a boy called Munchkin escape from Eels Island and cross the sea to the mainland, where they find not only Zoe's parents but a new family and a new world.
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Product Details
BN ID: | 2940169293081 |
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Publisher: | Penguin Random House |
Publication date: | 07/09/2002 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |
Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
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