Book Review – Dylan McFinn and the Sea Serpent’s Fury by Liam Jenkins
First published, 2019
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Culbert McFinn has lived on the Fijian island of Maloto all his life. He is the lighthouse keeper and often helps out his kindhearted neighbours, whose main priority is recycling and reusing the plastic fished from the sea by Marvin.
When Culbert has a little too much to drink one night and sees a mermaid, he thinks it’s just the drink playing tricks with him. The mermaid, Varuna, is playful and flirty and, as much as his reason might tell him that he imagined the whole thing, Culbert finds himself thinking about her quite a bit.
When Culbert invents a contraption to make the collection of plastic from the ocean easier and more effective, he has no idea that Varuna has been tracking Marvin’s boat, nor that she is about to lead Culbert deep into the ocean to see where she lives and to learn about her people.
Many years later, when their eldest son, a kind and practical lad called Dylan, is turning thirteen, Culbert takes him, and his grumpy, self-centred little brother, Axneus, back to his island to see something of his old life. But the intervening years have not been kind to Maloto, and Culbert has no idea the danger he and his sons are about to walk into.
An excellent story for young and old. My godson is turning ten later this year. I think I know what his present’s going to be. A wonderfully well-written, classic adventure story, with tonnes of action, pathos and some brilliantly imagined baddies, I’m sure Callum will love this book.
Petrina Binney - Author 