Thursday, 25 March 2010

Ingo by Helen Dunmore

Review
Everything is wet and shining with mist. The rocks hidden, the sea bidden. Everything slippery and dangerous... the sea pulling me like a magnet.
Swimming, surfing, exploring - Sapphire and her brother Conor enjoy life by the sea in Cornwall. But why does Conor start disappearing for hours on end? And who is the mysterious girl talking to him on the rocks?
Following Conor down to the cove one day, Sapphire discovers Ingo - an exciting and dangerous world beneath the waves, where all you breathe is adventure....

I found myself drawn to the cover of this book on many occasions and stopped to ask myself why that is. But I couldn't answer my own question - that is until I finally picked it up and read it. Ingo is the first book in a series telling the tale of Sapphire and her brother Conor. She notices Conor keeps disappearing until one day she follows him and discovers he is talking to a girl, Elvira. Sapphire starts to feel the call of the ocean and meets a boy called Faro. But Faro and Elvira aren't air people, they are mer people. This is a lovely charming tale and had me on the edge of my seat to find out the ending. The book has been written very well and keeps you guessing without giving too much away. It left me wanting more, and so I will be visiting my library in the future to get out her other novels. (please see below)
I rated this book 8/10 - Rather Moorish! 

Further books in the series are:
  • The Tide Knot - Book 2 (2006)
  • The Deep - Book 3 (2007)
  • Crossing of Ingo - Book 4 (2008)