With thanks to netgalley and the author for allowing me to review this book.

I really enjoyed this book which was fun, it was a little a younger read for me.

Cymbeline Igloo experiences the consequences of a tiny lie, when saying he is an elite swimmer leads to near-drowning, being rescued minus his swimming trunks and his mum disappearing. It is clear that the adults in his family are hiding something, but it seems to be up to Cymbeline, his genius classmate Veronique and former-enemy Billy to solve the mystery.

This story swings between dealing with grief, depression and marital breakdown to juvenile humour and naivete which makes Cymbeline a relatable and realistic narrator.

What I liked: The characters who are portrayed very sympathetically with a keen eye for observation of mannerisms etc, Cymbeline growing up in a home where money is tight (I feel that there isn't enough portrayal of this in kidlit, when this is a reality many children will be familiar with), Cymbeline and Veronique's musings on life and love, it reminded me of some other excellent books I have read dealing with bereavement.

Even better if: At times I felt as if the main storyline was sidetracked by bringing in extra things like Uncle Chris's job, etc, while other storylines were introduced, then abandoned e.g. Veronique's granny, Cymbeline's cousins.

If you enjoyed The Light Jar or Just Call Me Spagheti Hoop Boy, you will like this!

A story of love, loss, family and belonging.

Perfect for fans of Sam Wu! This was such a fun read & was packed with heart-stopping adventure, I read this with my water-loving 5 year old and we were both hooked until the last word.

Really hope this book is adored because i would love to read whatever Adam Baron writes next!

My class really enjoyed this story and connected with the main character. We had moments where we all laughed out loud with him, but then there were times when we felt his sadness. The plot was excellent with a great twist at the end. Well worth reading.

I'd heard so many great things about this book, and while it didn't initially grab my interest with the blurb, I wanted to give it a go anyway. I did struggle to get into it, with the first 35% taking me the longest time to read compared to the rest of the book, but I found the longer I stuck with it, the more invested I became.

Cymbeline Igloo has never been swimming, and when his teacher announces weekly swimming lessons will soon be taking place, instead of telling the truth, he brags about how great he is at swimming. He gets himself caught in a challenge with one of his class's best swimmers, who is also inconveniently something of a class bully. When things expectedly go wrong and Cym must be rescued and suffer the embarrassment of also losing his swimming trunks, he thinks his life is over. But the consequences of this incident have a stronger effect on his mum, who needs to be sent to a hospital to recover. But why? As Cym's forced to stay with his aunt's family, he has to uncover the secrets buried by his mum and learn to understand how actions affect people in many different ways.

Cym's family is full of secrets and mysteries, and this book carefully navigates so much emotional struggle and confusion, and many different family issues, all through Cym's naive worldview. He loses friends, makes new ones, feels alone and confused, struggles to understand himself, and explores his desperate need for his mum and the truth. This book tentatively deals with the effects of mental health and grief, and while I think some of these things could have been handled better, this book is still perfect for the age group it was written for in introducing some of these tougher themes and concepts. However, Baron also keeps this book lighthearted with lots of humour and silliness, and realistic kid-problems. I warmed to Cym and his friends, and it was also great to see such a contrast between the beginning and end halves, where Cym at the beginning is so absorbed in his own issues, but later realises everyone around him has so much going on in their lives. There's a lot to be said about empathy in this book, making mistakes, truth and lies, taking responsibility, and fighting fears.

What kept this book from a higher rating from me, despite how much I liked it by the end, was how I found the writing style especially difficult to get used to and quite jarring at times. I think it would lend itself well to an audiobook or being read aloud, but Cym's narrative voice wasn't always to my taste -- I generally dislike direct address to the reader, especially if the book pretends you're a specific type of person and you're not. But overall I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would while struggling with the beginning. I think this would make a great class novel for Year 4/5, with plenty of darker, emotional themes to discuss and dissect, and lots of childish humour.

This was so much better than it sounded from the blurb. I'd been hearing a lot of how great it was, so I thought it was worth a read and I'm so, so happy that I went for it because despite the stupid name and the ridiculous attempted to try and learn how to swim from the internet (I mean seriously, he just seemed to be way too dumb for his age). But they had a really super smart girl to contrast him, showing how kids can be smart and maybe it's just that there's a range of different intelligence.

The mystery part was amazing. With his mother disappearing, his dad out of the picture and this mysterious connection to swimming and water that no one will ever talk about. Add in Cym and his friends and it makes a nice crack team of child investigators ready to solve this mystery.

The conclusion was brilliant. I loved how it all came together and how dramatic it was. A fantastic mystery with great characters for any fan of children's books.

Baron's writing is very appealing - humorous and observant. He sees the world from the eyes of a young boy without coming across as condescending. However, I found his direct appeals to the reader at the beginning of the book unnecessary and feel that, as with me, this may merely interfere with the flow of the story for many young readers.
Any young reader (and many adults remembering their childhood years) can easily relate to many of the events and emotions the main character experiences, although the main problem he has to face and solve may not be so usual for most.
A well written and entertaining book that should appeal to most young readers, including boys.
(Thank you NetGalley for this copy).

Cymbeline has NEVER been swimming. His mother’s vague excuses are always swiftly followed by extreme subject changing, but when the day comes that his class is to go to the local swimming pool Cymbeline can’t bring himself to admit the truth - so instead finds himself accepting the school bully’s challenge to a swimming race! Predictably this ends in disaster, but even Cymbeline couldn’t have imagined just how terrible the consequences would be.
Before long his mother is ‘resting’ in a mysterious hospital and he is living with an awful aunt and her equally awful children. Can he solve the mystery surrounding his mother, his long dead father, and the reasons around the swimming ban?
This humorous but important book tackles difficult issues with a light touch, and I defy anyone with a heart to resist a little weep. Characters are allowed to evolve beyond their first impressions, and we are reminded that nobody is ever exactly as they seem.
This would be a perfect book to share for Empathy Day - published a little late for this year, but make a note for next.

This is a lovely story about family, friends and secrets. He has never been swimming and he does not know why. An unwise attempt to preempt a bully starts a catalogue of events which lead him to investigate why. He has to deal with his mum’s mental breakdown, question what makes a friend and learn who he can trust.

I did not expect the ending but ultimately found it satisfying.

This is a book which I will be recommending.

A genuinely funny and touching book. I would suggest that it is more suitable for ages 11+, depending on the child because the subject matter is quite heavy for younger readers.

Cymbeline switches between being a silly, naive nine year old, and being mature, insightful and empathetic which in my experience is true of children who have had to deal with difficulty from an early age. I loved his little jokes and observations, but in contrast I felt that sometimes his friends leant a little too far one way or the other. Veronique felt cartoonish in her genius at times, such as when at the uncle’s office, but it did add humour.

For a book about death and mental illness the story was often funny and light-hearted. The illustrations and use of bold text to emphasis points, humour and emotions were brilliant.

I thoroughly enjoyed Underwater Boy and would recommend it to anyone looking for a funny, boy centred book that examines the impact of mental health and death on a young child. It’s a tough subject matter and while I do feel that the ending was a little hand waving in it’s explanation, we do need to promote more books that tackle such subjects. Especially for boys.

I would have liked the book to go a little deeper in terms of what was wrong and how to deal with this so as to help better equip young readers who made be going through something similar. A list of appropriate places to get help and support would also be useful for both parents and children. My copy was an ebook proof from Netgalley though so perhaps the published book is a little different.

Cymbeline has never been swimming. But he's good at most things. He’s researched how to swim and he’s found his dad’s old pair of trunks. He can do this, especially when it means being better than his rival. But, as we know, it's not that simple. But what Cymbeline is not prepared for is his Mum's reaction.
I began to suspect all was not as it seemed and had my own theory, which seemed obvious to me. However I wasn't prepared for the true reason.
What did worry me was a story where the grown-ups were keeping vital facts from the children. Cymbeline is a young 9 year old, protected by his single Mother. But even so, all children deserve the truth. This is a quick read and a lot to discuss with children, whom I'm sure will sympathise with Cymbeline's Mum (although what grown up deserves sympathy having named her child the way she did?), but still does not tell him the whole story.

Sweet and quirky - really honest portrayal of family relationships and tension, and the challenges of growing up

This was a book I’d not it usually read and so was also a pleasant surprise for me. I enjoyed it thoroughly and would certainly read more from the author. I loved the character Cymbeline and his back story and his tales of school etc. It’s a book that has all you need really, laughs and jokes along with some tough lines and emotional issues too. In all a good read.

Boy Underwater is a great read. Cymbeline is a funny little character and deals with his family problems fantastically (except the sneaking out at night, big No No to any 8 year olds out there).
This book deals with a lot of big issues for young people to read about but deals with them sympathetically and in an easy to understand manner.
I loved this book and am sure my daughter will too.

Woah, this book has all the feels. We sometimes forget how the smallest of people have the biggest hearts. It is so refreshing to find a hidden little gem like this. This book is written with pure genius!! Written from the point of an innocent child. I love finding books like this. This will break your heart and warm it at the same time. This is an absolute must read!!!! Completely loved it.

Why has Cymbeline's mother never allowed him to learn to swim? And why does she end up in hospital when he does take part in the school's first swimming lesson? Cymbeline sets out to track down his mother and get some answers. On the way he learns much about friendship and families.
Despite the dreamy cover, this is a story firmly set in the here and now. It reminded me of 'The London Eye Mystery,' or a younger version of 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,' with events seen through the eye of a central character with a mystery to solve. . The story hints at some strong issues -mental health, domestic violence and family breakdown - but with the lightest of touches. However, although the central character is nine, he often comes across as a great deal older than this, and I feel that the story is more suited to the emotional understanding of older children - top juniors plus.