Great book by one of our finest contemporary writers. Only surpassed by her more recent masterpiece The Song Walker. Neither is to be missed. (Sorry it took so long to post this.)

Truly wonderful, magical, heartfelt MG that can - and did - break even the strongest adult into floods of tears. Without spoilers, the characters and their story is enthralling, and the ending is so completely exquisite I don't think I'll ever get it out of my brain. A perfect book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for this ARC

This is a fantastic book! Lives on my booksellers fav table!

What a book! The plot twist completely threw me! Absolutely loved all the characters and the authentic voice throughout. Have recommended widely already!

Such a beautiful and deeply moving book. Incredibly evocative and emotionally rewarding. It's been a real pleasure to see how popular the book has become .

Just a wonderful story that flows beautifully. Such a lovely narrative throughout this book. A wonderful middle grade read!

WOW. I wasn't sure what I was going into with this book, but it was utterly beautiful and I just loved it. I did have a feeling about the end twist but it was still revealed beautifully and I cannot wait to read more from this author asap!

This book is an absolutel triumph. Set in a beautifully described New Guinea, it is written from the point of view of a young girl struggling with grief. When she is tasked with looking after and helping an American father and daughter, she is not impressed. But the two girls find they have a lot more in common than they thought.

With twists and turns around every corner, I recommend this to anyone aged 10 plus (or 8 plus with an adult). And I will definitely be getting my hands on more books by this author!

The Shark Caller by Zillah Bethell

Illustrations by Saara Söderlund

published by Usborne February 2021


From one reader's point of view

I collect books about the sea - and so many friends had said I needed to add this one. They were not wrong.

It has a magical setting, cracking characters and an adventure with sharks set to fascinate anyone intrigued by the ocean. Yet The Shark Caller is more than all that put together. This book has a huge heart - full of love and compassion. If you're looking for a story to embody empathy, then this is a fine place to start.

There's humour and grief, friendship and enmity, philosophy and drama - all in 368 pages including lovely maps and illustrations by Saara Söderlund. Highly recommended for avid readers from 9+. Tissues may be necessary - but I promise they will be for healing tears.

From this editor's perspective - some highlights:

absorbing sensory evocation of Papua New Guinea
deft use of Papuan Pidgin English
contrast of cultures shown with thoughtfulness
shift in relationships portrayed with humour and honesty
profound themes of loss and time handled with great care
a subtle trail of clues to the denouement for the more experienced reader which does not spoil the resolution

I went into this book having heard a lot about it, and being a little nervous it wouldn’t live up to all the glowing reviews. I’m so pleased I wasn’t disappointed!

Blue Wing lives with the shark caller in her village after her parents were killed by an infamous shark called Xok. She desperately wants him to teach her shark calling so that she can take revenge, but when an American professor comes to the island to research coral, and brings his young daughter along with him, Blue Wing is instead tasked with looking after her. But the new girl also has a reason to be angry, and when they discover her father isn’t telling the truth about his research, they finally begin working together to unravel the mystery.

This is a heartfelt and unusual story about two angry girls, the desire for revenge, and the search for a lost treasure. It’s set in Papua New Guinea, where the author grew up, and I’m sure her experiences added to the authenticity and detail of the story and its setting, as it felt wonderfully rich. The lush natural world, the impact of the Second World War and colonial mining, the islands’ changing relationships with tradition and ‘modern living’. There was a lot woven into this story, and I love how it unravelled and kept adding twists. It’s a sensory and emotional treat, and a book that really shows how important and bold children’s literature is about representing difficult themes. This is such a moving story it deserves to be in every school and read by adults and children alike.

The characters are vibrant and realistic, each with their own motivations and feelings, and secrets. I especially loved the shark caller himself, who was wrestling with his own guilt, his responsibility to tradition, the pressure of the village chief to appeal to tourists, and doing what’s right by the people he cared about. He was so full of depth, it was wonderful. The writing was stellar all the way through, making me keen to read Bethell’s other books. I think this book will stay with me a long time, as one of the most well-handled books about grief and anger I’ve ever read. I loved every page, and while I did see the twist coming from quite early on in the story, I think the clues were laid very well and it would certainly be a surprise to young readers.

I’d strongly recommend it for Year 6 and 7.

An absolutely amazing story. Loved the settings and vivid descriptions. So many wonderful themes such a friendship, forgiveness and love were explored! A definitely recommended read for this year!!

Review contains spoilers!

The shark caller was such a heartbreaking mellow novel. Zillah Bethell had me thinking that we would get a sweet heartwarming ending where they all live happily ever after BUT NO! The 'turns out the main character was dead after all' trope has been done quite a lot before but it was VERY unexpected.

The plot follows Blue Wing and Maple who look past their differences to form a beautiful friendship. The story is about loss and grieving. It is about forgiveness and friendship. The main themes with the plot worked fantastically!

The writing style was gripping and the characters were well rounded.
There were some minor issues such as Maples' dad getting up in midst of talking and interrupting conversations to get some coca cola. It's a small thing but there were like three scenes and it felt a bit odd.

The shark caller was an overall brilliant book that I definitely recommend!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the E-arc!

The Shark Caller is a compelling character-driven story with a lot going on under the surface.

Zillah Bethell is a talented writer who has vividly described the setting and the culture of the people of New Ireland. The story is informed by her own experiences growing up in Papua New Guinea and this is clear in the richness, detail and clear affection of the descriptions in the book. Zillah creates a sense of real beauty and serenity in her description of the natural world and the relationships between the islanders and the island, while the way that modernisation/westernisation has spread through island life is a thought-provoking minor theme in the book.

The use of Papuan Pidgin English adds charm and a unique storytelling style and there are a number of phrases that 'stop you in your tracks' over the course of the story.

Each of the characters in the story has been imbued with their own mysteries, their own flaws and their own burdens that mean that they all inspire curiosity that grows into empathy and affection as the story progresses. The story centres on two girls - islander Blue Wing and an American outsider called Maple who has been brought to the island against her will. The plot is driven by the relationship between the girls as they each deal with their fierce anger (at eachother, their families and themselves) in the wake of terrible loss. The girls provide an interesting contrast and complement to each other as they come to understand each other (and themselves) better and find some semblance of peace and purpose, ultimately leaving the reader with emboldening messages about life.

I realise I'm walking a bit of a tightrope here, but suffice to say that the description above only really scratches the surface of what this story is about. All I will say is that the ending was smart, surprising and it gave me goosebumps. The story has stayed in my thoughts in the days since I finished it.

A book to be read, reread and cherished.

The Shark Caller by Zillah Bethell is an enchanting story (suggested 9+) set on Papua New Guinea's New Ireland. Told from the point of view of Blue Wing, a young resident on the island, this book explores the differences and similarities between east and west, and between two girls from very different worlds.

It's about family and friendship and being human, love, life, grief and guilt and forgiveness.
It is about war, colonialism, tourism and ignorance.
It is about respecting the world, it communities, cultures and creatures.

It is an adventure. An eye-opener. An ode to compassion and understanding.

Zillah's characters are so very real and dimensional, they are sure to stay with you. Blue Wing's voice is wise, funny and honest. This is masterful storytelling, and there's an exquisite, unexpected twist at the end.

Just a beautiful, poignant story. This is not a book you'll forget in a hurry.

I absolutely loved this book. It's a beautifully written story that mixes adventure and mystery, and it's a beautiful exploration of grief and guilt. There were lines here that felt that they'd been lifted straight from my heart, told in a compelling voice that leaps off the page.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. If I had not received the ARC I doubt I would have read it, but I’m so glad I did. From the blurb I thought it was a fantasy story (not my favourite genre) but in fact, it is a beautiful story of friendship and grief.

Blue Wing and Maple are both grieving for their parents. Blue Wing’s parents were killed in a shark attack a couple of years ago and she is angry. When Maple arrives on the island with her father and is given Blue Wing’s family hut to live in, Blue Wing directs her anger towards the new girl. Maple is also grieving for the mother she lost to cancer the previous year and she doesn’t understand what she is doing in this place, so far from home. As the girls find out more about each other they begin to understand and so a strong bond of friendship is formed.

The ending was unexpected and I can’t quite decide whether I liked it or not. It was certainly a cleverly written story.

This was a wonderful book, I absolutely loved it. Essentially a story about coming to terms with loss and moving on, this tale weaves together friendship, adventure, mystery, cultural differences and understanding, to create something both compelling and very beautiful. The characters of Blue Wing and Maple are vivid and complement each other perfectly. As the story unfolds the intricacies in the plot slowly become apparent and you realise there is so much more to the book that you first thought. Without giving anything away, the ending is amazing!

A spellbinding and captivating adventure that young readers are sure to adore! I was completely immersed on the descriptions and the charismatic storytelling. I can't wait to share with my class!

Set in Papua New Guinea, local girl Blue Wing lives under the care of her Waspapi Siringen who is the island’s Shark Caller. Shark Callers used to tempt sharks in order to kill them to provide food for the island. Local people no longer eat shark, but tourists visit to hunt and kill so Siringen’s skills are still used. Blue Wing would love to be trained in the shark calling ways, but Siringen refuses to teach her, claiming girls cannot become shark callers, a constant cause for complaint from Blue Wing, especially as she does help him effect an escape route for the sharks to avoid them dying once the tourists have the predators within their sights.
The island’s Bigman (Chief) has new duties for Siringen, asking him to look after a visiting Professor who expresses a desire to explore the coral in the seas around and who brings his daughter. Maple is Blue Wing’s age but American and seemingly the complete opposite to Blue Wing. Neither girl wants to be in one another’s company. Blue Wing is resentful for Maple staying in what used to be her parents’ house, Maple is resentful of being plucked from her comfortable home and having to take second place in her Father’s attentions.
But gradually, the girls find they have more in common than first thought, and come to understand more about the other, including Maple picking up the Papuan pidgin English often used by Blue Wing. Although a glossary provides a translation, most words are easily discernible from the context.
We quickly learn more about what is making Maple angry and further details about Blue Wing’s family, including her overriding determination to look out for a certain shark. We also learn about the local culture dying out among the younger members of the community, whilst the older inhabitants of the island are convinced the old ways are the best.
The book is about loss, grief, anger and acceptance, with young and old coming to realise some things need to change and change is not always for the worse. The ending provides, what was to me a huge shock, but is absolutely perfect.

I’d got so excited about the title and setting and cover and the fact that it was one Stevie from Usborne was shouting about and I always love the books she’s pushing that I never actually found out anything about it.

Luckily, it was still a great book even though it wasn’t quite what I was expecting it to be! And it’s one that I know will be both a source of comfort and a popular read for lots of young (and not so young!) readers.

Set in Papua New Guinea, the setting was one of my favourite things about the book. Vividly depicted and steeped in the village’s culture and customs, I felt like I was there seeing it all newly arrived like Maple. And I really loved the use of the Papuan pidgin English terms, and the accompanying chapter headings and glossary – it all really helped transport me there.

The book sees the stories of local girl Blue Wing and newcomer Maple gradually unfold. At first, they couldn’t seem more different, but could they have more in common than it seems?

It was lovely to see their friendship develop (and the strength they drew from each other once it had), thanks in no small part to Blue Wing’s begrudging efforts, which felt so believable and true. I really loved fierce and funny Blue Wing and her shrewd, Shark Calling waspapi Siringen; they were definitely my favourite characters.

Maple is visiting from America with her professor father, who claims to be exploring the coral there but who the girls are sure has alterior motives.

Together they set out to discover the truth and in doing so we see both families taken on a journey through loss, grief, anger, acceptance, change, sadness and strength.

Cleverly told, with gentle humour and understanding, this is ultimately a story of strength – the strength to fight for what you want, the strength to stand up for yourself and your friends, the strength to accept change and, most importantly, the strength to survive loss and grief and all the emotions they bring with them.