Wave Riders

by Lauren St John

Overview

The sea almost killed them, and now it must lead them to the truth in this standalone middle-grade eco-mystery about twins lost on the high seas from the author of the bestselling novel The White Giraffe.

Twelve-year-old Jess and Jude live a dream life on a battered old yacht, sailing from one exotic destination to the next with their guardian. But when he vanishes one night after an argument with a stranger, the twins are left alone, facing an incoming storm and an unknown enemy.

Surviving at sea is just the start of an adventure that will take them an ocean away to the former home of their missing parents and pit them against one of the world’s most powerful men. How far do they dare go, and what will they risk, to find the truth about who they are really are?

Wave Riders from Lauren St John is an exciting and compelling middle-grade tale of sailing, family, and identity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374309671
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	05/24/2022
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,124,260
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.25(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lauren St John grew up on a farm and game reserve in Zimbabwe surrounded by horses, cats, dogs, warthogs and a pet giraffe. After a decade as a sports and music journalist, she wrote the White Giraffe, Laura Marlin Mystery and One Dollar Horse series. A passionate conservationist, Lauren is a patron for the Born Free Foundation and Mane Chance Animal Sanctuary and the founder of authors4oceans.org. When not writing or saving leopards and dolphins, she is a full-time valet to her Bengal cat, Max.

Editorial Reviews

Loved this absolute page turner. Classic adventure story with a strong environmental message and all the right animals.” —Hilary McKay, author of The Time of Green Magic

“The plot twists, tension, and intrigue of this well-plotted, well-written adventure story will keep readers on the edges of their seats . . . A thrilling, thumping good read.” —Kirkus Reviews

“From the first suggestion of foul play, St John creates a strong undercurrent of menace that heightens the drama throughout the novel as the children struggle through perilous situations and make new allies along the way. From the sympathetic depiction of the twins to their dangerous deeds on land and at sea, here’s a page-turner for adventure and mystery fans.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

2022-03-02
Twelve-year-old twins Jess and Jude find their world tipped upside down after their guardian disappears.

All Jess and Jude know about their parents is that their father died in an accident before they were born, and their mother died in childbirth. They were raised by their guardian, Gabe, a boatyard worker, and the waitstaff of the Castaway Diner, where their mother worked after arriving alone with fake identification in their small Florida town. When Gabe abruptly decides to take them on a yearlong trip in a 37-foot sailboat, Jude is thrilled, loving the sailing life, but bookish Jess is less so. In the Caribbean, a rogue wave tosses the anchored boat, and Jess wakes to find Jude and their dog, Sam, asleep in the cockpit—and Gabe missing. They search for him but turn up nothing. When the twins find a printout of a mysterious email in Gabe’s belongings, they begin to suspect foul play and decide to sail away. After their boat is wrecked on a reef, they are rescued, and the story gets in the news. When a wealthy English family offers to foster them, the twins are at first thrilled, but it doesn’t take long for them to realize something is not right. The plot twists, tension, and intrigue of this well-plotted, well-written adventure story will keep readers on the edges of their seats. Primary characters present White.

A thrilling, thumping good read. (author's note, letter to readers) (Mystery. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews