Book Type: YA Novel
Author: Helen Dunmore
Pages: 352
*Please note: although this takes in Dunmore's Ingo world, you do not need to read the series to follow the plot. For a review on Ingo, click here.*
Summary(goodreads.com): Morveren lives with her parents and twin sister Jenna on an island off the coast of Cornwall - an island that in the long distant past was devastated by a tidal wave, its halls and people lost. Only some of those taken by the sea may not have been lost at all! Now, as Morveren and Jenna's relationship shifts and changes, like driftwood on the tide, Morveren finds a beautiful teenage boy in a rock pool after a storm. Going to his rescue, she is shocked to see that he is not human but a Mer boy. With Jenna refusing to face the truth, Morveren finds herself alone at the worst possible time. Because when the worlds of Air and Mer meet, the consequences can be terrible!
My Review:
Ingo: an ancient and strange name that brings a world of discovery...if you know the right merfolk to accept you.
Just like Dunmore's Ingo series, Stormswept brings the same phenomenal language and imagery usage that captivates the reader's attention. Every line within this novel read like a poem, and the reader can picture the beautiful seaside village perfectly. The setting was consistently rich in detail, especially the description of Morveren's home and the ancient island full of dark secrets. Some scenes even reminded me of a fairytale, like the descriptions of the ice-cold ocean and soothing fire with stew on the stove. As Morveren learns how to swim through Ingo, I felt as if I was right beside her, experiencing the ocean's wonder.
Moving onto characters, I really enjoyed Morveren's progression; she is outspoken and defiant, a bit of a rebel compared to her sister and definitely has the ocean in her blood. Malin, the main merman, instantly reminded me of Faro from the Ingo series. He's very proud with a roguish personality but also has a caring side that he rarely shows. I also enjoyed that each twin represented an element: air and water.
Dunmore still has the same beautiful message summed up in this passage:
""They will not give me the protection they give to their own kind. You kill amongst yourselves. Why should you not kill me?"
"I wouldn't, Malin-- we wouldn't--" But I can't meet his eyes. Chimpanzees look nearly human. They share most of their DNA with us. But we do research on them. We experiment on them and because they're not human, that's all right"" (Dunmore).
With the amount of beauty in this book, there were very few negatives. First, the plot progression was a bit slow, and half way through the book I waited for something exciting to happen. I also wasn't sure how old the twins were; I suspected maybe 15-16? However, it isn't revealed until half way through the book that they're actually 13. I wish this detail was mentioned earlier so I could imagine them clearly.
Final Notes:
Even if you haven't read the Ingo series, that's okay. There's still time to dive into this adventure and learn more about Dunmore's phenomenally gorgeous world. I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie