July 15, 2022
A tropical paradise is haunted by a dangerous secret. After elite athlete Addie's horrific free-diving accident--she's dead for eight and a half minutes--her mother brings Addie along on her honeymoon so Addie won't be alone as her injured lungs recover. Their destination's Eulalie Island, a private Caribbean island. Apart from the island's caretakers (and their two sons), they have the island to themselves. So why does it sound like the birds are calling Addie's name--and who's the giggling child she keeps hearing? As more strange things happen--the white flowers turn pink and then darken, vines behave strangely--Addie digs deeper into the history of the island, from its 1700s castaway namesake to a doomed Bostonian family from 1843. (The brutal colonialism of the region is mentioned, but Eulalie explicitly has no history of Indigenous peoples or European settlement.) Addie grows closer to the son of one of the caretakers and is introduced to a deep freshwater sinkhole where she feels no pain and can hold her breath long enough to free dive again. But being favored by the island and its supernatural inhabitants proves dangerous to more than just Addie. The tropical setting is refreshing for its Victorian ghost-story vibe, the characters are likable, and the story's mystery threads weave together into a delightfully eerie tapestry. Characters default to White. Readers will dive in so deep they might forget to come up for air. (Horror. 13-18)
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October 10, 2022
Utilizing the mystery, allure, and beauty of a tropical island paradise, Lesperance (The Wide Starlight) deftly cultivates a menacing tale with a hint of horror. Seventeen-year-old Addie is on track to be one of the country’s best women free divers until an
accident, which renders her dead for eight and a half minutes, derails her plans. Afraid to leave Addie home alone, her mother forces Addie to accompany her and her new stepfather on their honeymoon to Eulalia Island. Despite the awkwardness and relative isolation, she soon befriends 15-year-old Billy and his older brother, Sean, sons of the island’s caretakers. As Addie explores the environment, strange things begin occurring; birds literally call her name, and flora change color and inexplicably bloom in places where Addie’s blood drips from a cut on her leg. Addie immerses herself in the island’s history while growing closer to Sean, but as the bizarre events increase in frequency, she worries that she might not leave this tropical getaway alive. With florid literary flair and a keen attention to detail, Lesperance offers unique twists on well-loved supernatural tropes while compassionately exploring friendship founded on shared trauma and Addie’s search for herself beyond diving. Characters present as white. Ages 14–up.
Starred review from September 15, 2022
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Not everything that shines is gold. This is most assuredly the case for the remote, private Eulalie Island, where 17-year-old Addie has been brought along on her mother's honeymoon, due to the girl's recent free-diving accident. While other visitors might be immediately charmed by the island's natural beauty--gorgeous white flowers, lush forest, white-sand beaches--Addie's not convinced that all is as peaceful as it seems. One day, Addie meets a mysterious boy on the beach, triggering numerous inexplicable events: the flowers suddenly turn pink, Addie begins sleepwalking, and she also stumbles across a girl's ghost in the woods. It's clear to Addie that something sinister is taking over the island. Yet, she finds herself lured by its promises, including the chance to heal her lungs so she can free dive once more. She decides to explore the island's history and discovers that the area is filled with dark secrets, including some regarding the deaths of two young girls there years ago. Now Addie is caught between feeling supported by the island's eerie powers and realizing the dangers of engaging with them. Full of Victorian storytelling elements and tinged with drama and danger, this story will ensnare readers with its lush setting and mysterious air. Lesperance effortlessly builds a beautiful, menacing world into which readers will willingly dive headlong.
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