Sadly, this wasn't the book for me! I enjoyed the writing but was just not fully engaged in the story itself.

Oh my. Another book that has left me completely speechless. I’m genuinely in awe. This book is absolute proof of the power of words. It transported me across the world to a little island in Papua New Guinea and I felt every moment. Such lush description and wonderfully beautiful characters, and the ending? I audibly gasped! Just...wow. I actually chose it because sharks are my favourite animal, but I finished it with a newfound love for the culture and life in Papua New Guinea. The added touch of the authentic language was perfect.

On the surface, a tale covering universal themes - friendship, grief, loss and forgiveness.
Set against a tropical backdrop, which provided fascinating historical and geographical information that definitely piqued my interest

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Usborne in return for an honest review.

This is a beautiful story full of rich descriptions and gentle words of advice that I am still thinking about even after I have finished the book.

Blue Wing lives in Papua New Guinea with her waspapi, Siringen, who is the village's shark caller. She longs to become a shark caller herself one day and carry on this tradition. However, many things are changing in her village as influences from outside are eroding their traditional way of life. When Maple and her researcher father arrive on the island from America, Blue Wing is tasked with showing Maple around. Events in both girls' pasts have left them angry and unwilling to open up. Can they overcome this to find friendship and the answers to questions they both seek?

The setting of this story is depicted in gorgeously vivid detail. You can feel the heat of the sun, taste the salt of the sea and hear the birds in the trees. The author lived in Papua New Guinea as a child and has used her childhood memories beautifully to give us an insight into life on the island. The inclusion of Papuan Pigdin English terms added to the story's authenticity. At first, I had to keep referring back to the glossary, but after a while, it became very easy to understand their meaning. I enjoyed reading them and hearing their rhythms in the characters' speech.

I loved the beautiful, but dangerous, setting and the adventures that Blue Wing had. However, for me, this story was mainly about characters learning and growing from their experiences, and in turn helping others to learn and grow. Siringen was a wonderful character. His understanding and patience were wonderful to watch. It was great to see that he had issues to work through as well and needed advice sometimes.

The portrayal of grief in this book is excellent. As well as sadness, the overwhelming anger and guilt that is sometimes a part of grief were explored brilliantly. I loved how the main message of the book was not about 'fixing' someone who is going through these struggles, but rather about coming alongside someone and supporting them during this time. I absolutely loved the ending of the book and after I had finished, I just sat and thought for a while as this is such a thought-provking story.

This book would be excellent for readers aged 9+, especially fans of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Katherine Rundell.

The Shark Caller is a beautiful book set on the island of Papua New Guinea. The story is told by Blue Wing, two years after her parents were attacked and killed by a shark, Xok. We learn of Blue Wing’s determination to find and kill the shark that took her parent’s lives and left her with feelings of deep sadness, guilt and anger.

Blue Wing wishes to become a Shark Caller just like her guardian, Siringen. However, he is adamant that he will not allow this to happen. When new-comer Maple and her father arrive on the island from America, Blue Wing is told by Siringen to befriend Maple.

The two girls take an instant dislike to each other, struggling with their own emotions, divided also by culture, tradition and Blue Wing’s protective love of her home and the island. However, in time, brought together by a common understanding of absolutely heartbreaking loss and grief, we see their friendship form and a bond grow between Blue Wing and Maple.

The Shark Caller is a magical adventure and Zillah Bethell, using her own experience of having grown up in Papua New Guinea, provides wonderful descriptions of the island right down to the depths of the ocean. Blue Wing’s use of Papuan Pidgin English adds to the authenticity of the story and provides another reason why The Shark Caller is a unique and special Middle Grade fiction.

Zillah Bethell has crafted a rich tale of tradition, grief, friendship, acceptance and moving on. The Shark Caller will leave you in astonishment, it is a powerful must-read and truly deserves high praise.


Thank you to NetGalley and Usborne books for an Advanced Copy of The Shark Caller by Zillah Bethell.

A beautiful tale of love, loss, family and forgiveness set in Papua New Guinea. Blue Wing is obsessed with revenge on the shark that killed her parents but is denied lessons that will enable her to become a shark caller giving her the ability to summon sharks to call to the one that she desires to slay.

Thrown together with Maple, a newcomer to the island at first they are combative but as they spend time together they form a tentative friendship and start unpicking the sadness and grief that they each possess and begin a slow journey towards understanding, acceptance and healing.

Thank you for the advance copy. Goodness, what a wonderful book. Although I read a lots and lots of books for the library, this book was so captivating and poetic, it has carved a special place in my reading heart. I will be c recommending this book to the readers and c the book club but also I shall be buying several copies for friends and family. I look forward to seeing what this author does next. Simply wonderful.

Wow, this book! I wish I could give it 10 stars! I'd been hearing a lot of wonderful things about this book before I requested the ARC on Netgalley and it truly lived up to the hype. It is beautifully written but always accessible, with a vivid sense of place and engaging characters. It explores themes of grief, responsibility, cultural identity, heritage, family, mental health and redemption but these never get in the way of the sublime storytelling. It's like nothing I have ever read before, I absolutely loved it and I can't wait to share it with our students in school.

The Shark Caller is a stunning and powerful story which wove its magic straight into my heart; an unforgettable tale set on the beautiful island of New Ireland in Papua New Guinea; a tale of two young girls from different worlds who find a bond of sisterhood that saves them both. This is an incredibly moving story that left me in floods of tears, but it also left me filled with hope and reassurance. An absolute masterpiece that I’m already confident will be one of my top reads of 2021!
Blue Wing lives with her waspapi, Siringen, after the loss of her parents who were killed by a shark. He is the village shark caller, a role that Blue Wing is desperate to step into. Siringen refuses to train her in this magical calling as it is a traditional role passed on through the male lineage, and as he is worried that she is seeking the role for the wrong reason: in a desperate need to assuage her anger and avenge the death of her parents by killing the shark who took them from her. Siringen is wise, honest and clever and perhaps knows what is best for Blue Wing more than she does herself, even if she is not willing to accept this.
Both Blue Wing and Siringen have a wonderful affinity with the world they live in, respecting the natural environment and reluctant to let the modern world encroach on their idyll. They want to keep the traditions of their people alive, despite the changing times. However, change is forced upon them by the village chief who is intent on modernising the island and opening it up to the outside world. He has demanded that Siringen look after visitors to the island: an American professor who has come to study the coral and his daughter, Maple.
It is no surprise that Blue Wing’s first meeting with Maple is difficult and that friendship does not come easily to the girls who do not seem, at first, to have anything in common. This story doesn’t shy away from the complexity of emotions that are experienced by both girls as they suffer the pain of grief at the loss of loved ones. Theirs is not an easy path, but they learn to travel it together as their friendship and trust in each other grows, and as they learn valuable lessons relating to forgiveness and acceptance.
As the girls’ friendship develops, they find themselves caught up in a compelling mystery to uncover the truth of why Maple’s father has come to the island, revealing family secrets and a longing to change the past …
As an avid reader of children’s books, I can honestly say that this is one of the best books I’ve ever read: I really cannot recommend it highly enough!

You know it's 5 star when you re-read it as soon as the tears are dry. This beautiful, mesmerising tale of acceptance, culture & forgiveness swept me deep into the waves of PNG & will stay with me for the long now. Highly recommend The Shark Caller, off to buy a hard copy!

This is such a beautiful story; it follows Blue Wing, a young girl living on an island in Papua New Guinea with her waspapi Siringen, someone who is caring for her after the death of her parents. Siringen is the village shark caller, and for two years Blue Wing has been begging him to teach her the magic of it, even though it is traditionally passed on to a son or nephew. Siringen has always refused, because Blue Wing has a dark motivation for learning – it was a shark that killed her parents, a huge beast named Xok by the locals, and she wants her revenge.

One day an American professor arrives, intent on doing research on the reefs in the area, and Blue Wing is tasked with keeping his daughter Maple company. But Maple has anger of her own, and while the two butt heads at first, they soon learn that they have a lot in common, and want to help one another find closure in their loss.

It’s a fairly slow-paced book, but this makes it no less enjoyable, as it pulls you in like the tide, showing you the wonders it holds. I loved the way it included so much of the Papuan Pidgin English within it, and how it portrayed the constant battle in spaces like these islands between the traditional culture and modern western influences. The buildup to the final moments is tense, and the ending, without giving too much away, is bittersweet but gloriously executed.

This is marketed as a children’s middle-grade book, but (as with many children and teen books) I believe that anyone would enjoy it, and I highly recommend it to everyone.

I received this book through Netgalley, and am so grateful for it…. because it was Amazing. This is the book I wanted The Line Tender to be, but so much better.

The story follows Blue Wing on New Ireland, and island of Papua New Guinea. After Blue Wing’s parents died two years ago she moved in with the Shark Caller of the village. She is desperate to become a shark caller herself, but her waspapi doesn’t want to teach her because she is a girl. And because he is scared she will use it to take revenge. When an American scientist and his daughter Maple arrive on the island, Blue Wing is asked to show Maple around and keep her company. What follows is a clash of cultures and a lot of anger… which develops in a beautiful friendship.

The story is beautifully written. The islanders aren’t fluent English speakers and have their own words, all of which is very well handled. The author herself grew up in Papua New Guinea, and it shows. What might have seemed strange and ‘savage’ in our eyes, now feels natural. It really is beautiful setting that Zillah has made come to live before our eyes.

And the story itself is beautiful as well.

I do not cry any more. It has gone beyond me to cry. Crying is a hoping. And when things have moved beyond hope, there is no need to cry. Everything is already scratched into the rock. It cannot be unscratched.
This is when Blue Wing tells Maple and her father about her parents died… and she may not have been crying at the time, but I surely was. And it wasn’t the only time tears rolled down my face either. This is a story about friendship, grief, forgiveness, moving on… and all of it is very raw yet beautifully handled.

And then there was the ending, which completely took me by surprise. Looking back at it the hints were there, throughout the whole story. Yet I never suspected a thing. It has been a long time a book has pulled of such a brilliant twist for me, one I never expected and hit me right in the feels. Just, Wow.

I had one minor issue with this book (I wasn’t the biggest fan of the real reason Maple’s father came to the island), but everything else more than made up for that. This is a book that I foresee sticking with me for a long time still, and I would be very surprised if it doesn’t make my favourites of the year. Please do yourself a massive favour, and pick this up!

I love stories from other settings and cultures and this is one of the best I have read in quite some time. Lots of new books receive plenty of ‘book chat’ on social media but none more so than this one. It has been raved about on all social media platforms and I was excited to read it to see if it lived up to all of the hype.

Oprhaned child Blue Wing is desperate to be a shark caller like Siringen, her waspapi, but he will not let her. The skill of shark calling is rooted in tradition and should only be passed down from uncle to nephew. Siringen also knows the reason for Blue Wing’s desperation to call sharks - to gain revenge on the shark that caused the death of her parents two years ago.

Blue Wing’s simple life is turned upside down with the arrival of two American tourists, Atlas Hamelin and his daughter Maple. Siringen is entrusted with accompanying Atlas who wants to search for coral on the island and Blue Wing is left with Maple. Maple is rude, obnoxious and is unimpressed with what the island has to offer and Blue Wing is full of resentment that the tourists have been given the home she used to live in with her parents to stay in. But as the two girls learn more about each other they come to realise that they share much in common and together they might just be able to get what they both want from the island.

Inspired by Zillah Bethell’s own upbringing, the island of Papua New Guinea is brought alive through evocative descriptions and an emotional narrative set against the most glorious of ocean backdrops. It is a wonderful assault on the senses as Bethell vividly captures the sights, sounds and smells and truly immerses the reader in island life.

The story, that is told through the eyes of Blue Wing and often uses Papuan Pidgin English, is largely about two young girls who are battling with their emotions. Both Blue Wing and Maple are experiencing grief - mourning the loss of a loved one - and are living under a heavy could of guilt. Their clash of cultures and frosty relationship eventually gives way to a sisterly bond as the two learn about each other’s suffering and seek to forgive themselves for the death of loved ones that they feel responsible for. Both girls need to find a way to move on and to put life above death. Alongside the girls struggles, Atlas is facing his own battles. What exactly he is doing on the island becomes more of a mystery as his actions become more suspicious. He is looking for something but it may not be the coral. He is mourning the loss of his wife and he too is looking for a way to move on.

The read is also a celebration of sharks, an often much feared creature. I found myself falling in love with this powerful ocean dweller and can see how they are misunderstood. The second time that Blue Wing confronts ‘Xok’, the shark responsible for the death of her parents, in the ocean was both heart-breaking and uplifting.

Bethell explores big themes in this book - she tackles issues of life, death, grief, acceptance and moving on. All important subjects but ones that some young readers may find distressing, particularly if they are going through the loss of a loved one.

I adored the island setting and the descriptive prose reminded me of the likes of Kiran Millwood Hargrave (The Island at the End of Everything) and Michael Morpurgo (Kensuke’s Kingdom). I loved the juxtaposition of island traditions and western influences. The two characters who remain rooted in the traditions of the island are wonderful too - Chimera and Siringen - the witch doctor and the shark caller. The last two of their people as everyone around them has moved on but they remain true to their beliefs and their way of life.

Bethell has the reader in the palm of her hand for the entirety of the read, she builds up to a finale that will take the breath away and then leave you in tears. A profound and deeply moving read and one that will remain in the memory for a long time, or in the words of Blue Wing, “the long now.”

Recommended for 9+.

With huge thanks to Usborne Publishing and Zillah Bethell for the advanced reader copy that was received through Netgalley.

Wow what an amazing tale. Living in PNG this called to my heart strings and i cam see the world around me in the pages. A powerful tale of tradition culture and struggles with new ways. At the heart of the story love and friendship. Gripping and powerful.
Read it!

Occasionally a book comes along that draws me in entirely with its compelling story and characters. This is one of those stories. It evoked images of some of my favourite writers, Sophie Anderson, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Eva Ibbotson in it's style and themes. The way Zillah Bethell created a sense of place in this was stunning and skilful writing.

The story is essentially about two girls and their relationship. Blue Wing is the native islander who lost her parents 2 years previously in a shark attack. Maple is the American interloper who has recently arrived and lost her mum to cancer a year ago. The two girls initially don't like each other, due to being wrapped up in their own anger and grief, but gradually they come to discover that they have many things in common and their friendship grows.

There is so much depth to this story, which is one of the reasons I make comparisons to some of my favourite writers. The story is about relationships and family and about grief and coming to terms with it in order to move on. The relationship between Maple and her father is compelling and heart breaking in places as they are both dealing with the grief of losing Maple's mother in their own ways. Whilst the relationship between Blue Wing and her 'Waspapi' Siringen is equally compelling; he is not her grandfather but there is a grandfatherly relationship between Siringen, who is so wise and the passionate and angry Blue Wing.

Alongside the main themes of the story there is also a subtle nod to how the modern world has encroached on the old world of simple traditions. I found this part of the story really interesting although it was always in the background. I found Siringen and Chimera who represent the old world and the old ways (being a shark caller and a witch doctor respectively) two of the most likeable and sympathetic characters. They stayed steadfastly rooted in the traditions of their island whilst most of the other characters moved into the modern world with it's cars and phones and loss of values.

The main story develops beautifully and draws you in to the relationship between the two girls. It also presents a mystery, in the question 'what Maple's father is really looking for?' There is also another mystery in the story which suddenly clicked for me part way through the book; it was subtly introduced and led to a magical and breath taking ending to the story. I won't say any more about what happens in the story as I wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone.

This book to me feels like it should be a classic. The story is complex and surprising and the characters encourage genuine empathy. It would be perfect for 8 years plus but it's also one of those brilliant children's books that should appeal equally to adults, such is the skill of the story telling and characterisation.

What an absolutely stunning book. I fell in love with the cover - the vibrant rich deep of the ocean and the story just blew me away. Blue Wing wants to be a Shark Caller but her waspapi says she cannot be one. We follow Blue Wing's story as she meets and befriends Maple Hamelin.
I loved the development of their friendship under the quiet but wise guidance of Siringen, Blue Wing's Waspapi. How they slowly reveal their hopes, dreams and fears.
Just as I thought the book was about to take a turn in focus - it twists back with a stunning finale.
Rich in sweeping descriptions of the ocean and New Ireland landscape and beautiful character development - I simply adored this book from start to (teary eyed) finish.

I read this book with the intention of deciding whether it would be a book to recommend to our book club at school. I certainly will! It was like taking a smooth ride in a sail boat in the warm tropical sunshine.

I am still ever-so-slightly reeling from this book, and I am conscious of making sure that this review does the story justice.
The story is inspired by the author, Zillah Bethell’s, own upbringing on the islands of Papua New Guinea and its descriptions are rich with the authentic sights and sounds that make you feel as if you are really there. Zillah expertly addresses themes of life and death, as well as friendship and family whilst taking the reader on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey.
The story follows Blue Wing, a young orphaned girl living on the islands in the care of Sirengen. Sirengen is the village’s last remaining shark caller; a role which Blue Wing is desperate to learn the ways of so that she can avenge the shark that killed her parents. Battling against age-old traditions, the impending Westernisation of the islands and her own demons, Blue Wing is lumbered with the task of chaperoning Maple who is staying on the island whilst her father, an American professor, researches the local coral. The girls immediately lock horns as their cultural differences quickly become glaringly apparent, before they realise that they actually have more in common than they had ever thought possible. As the girls find out more about the professor’s true intentions for his time on the island, they find that they aren’t the only ones with a deep longing for something and soon see how they might help each other to find the treasure they so desperately yearn for.
Zillah’s fondness for her native island and its landscape is evident throughout and this really gives the setting for the story a sense of authenticity. It is a joy to witness the depths of Blue Wing’s character unfold as you read, and you feel every ounce of her frustration and longing as she works through her own issues and learns to both embrace and let go of different aspects of her life.
The Shark Caller is one of those books that leaves a lasting impression on your heart and one which is extremely difficult to forget. The beautiful setting, the well-crafted language and the incredible storytelling prowess of Zillah Bethell are what makes The Shark Caller one of the best children’s books I have read in a long time. It is every bit as heart-warming as it is heart-wrenching and it is this that makes this story so very, very special.

Thank you to NetGalley and Usborne books for this eARC.
This truly is a remarkable story of friendship, family, grief, loss and acceptance.
We are swept away to Papua New Guinea where we meet Blue Wing, a young girl who desperately wants to become a shark caller like her guardian, Siringen. The day to day rhythm of village life changes when Atlas Hamelin and his daughter Maple arrive and Siringen is tasked with looking after them. Can two girls with such different backgrounds and cultures ever become friends? What secret feelings lie buried deep within them both?
The beautiful lyrical writing carries the reader far away to the island setting. The use of dialect draws you in to the island culture. This is a story that had me wanting to keep reading from the very start and left me with so many wise and beautiful messages. This is set to be one of my top reads for 2021 and I think it will make a terrible book club read at school.

The Shark Caller

Blue Wing is desperate to become a Shark Caller like her guardian, Siringen who is skilled in the traditional and spiritual ways of calling sharks to him. But Blue Wing has a darker motive, she wants to exact her revenge on one particular shark.

When Maple and her father arrive on the island of Papua New Guinea, Blue Wing is upset that they have taken the hut where she lived with her parents who died in a tragic incident. But slowly Maple and Blue Wing discover that they have more in common than they think, that their sadness has similar roots and they form a strong friendship.

Zillah’s writing is full of hope and wisdom, it’s tender and moving and perfectly balanced with humour and adventure. Drawing on her childhood experiences of growing up in Papua New Guinea, Zillah creates an authentic setting with beauty and depth.

Blue Wing and her Waspapi speak a form of Papuan Pidgin English which gives the story telling a greater sense of place.

This is such a great middle grade story of friendship and love, dealing with loss and forgiveness. I loved it so much! All of the stars! 🌟 it is so so special and magical!

Thank you to netgalley and Usbourne for my eARC.