I finished The Shark Caller on New Year's Day and only hours into 2021, I think I may have found one of my favourite books of the year!

Atmospheric, captivating and deeply moving, The Shark Caller is difficult to put down once started and difficult to forget once finished - it's once of those stories that will stay with me for a long time.

Between the pages I've played on the beaches of Papau New Guinea, swum in the clear blue waters and dived to the deepest depths of my heart. The vivid descriptions of island life and the use of Papaun pidgin English awaken the senses and transport the reader across the globe and invite them to glimpse a simpler way of being.

Blue Wing lives with her Waspapi, Siringen - a person who looks after you when you have no parents or other family members to care for you. Siringen is the village's last Shark Caller and Blue Wing longs for him to pass this responsibility onto her. However. since a rogue shark, 'Xok' took her parents in a devastating attack, Siringen knows she will stop at nothing to avenge their deaths. But perhaps this isn't the only reason why he cannot entrust this ancient craft to her...

Blue Wing is used to her own company, the other children in the village don't pay any attention to her and since her parents deaths, Siringen is the only person she spends any time with. But when an American Professor and his spoilt, obnoxious daughter arrive on the island, all that is set to change. The village chief 'The Bigman' Lungadak orders Siringen to be their guide and help the professor with his research into the coral reefs that surround the island's waters. He houses the visitors in Blue Wing's old hut, where she lived with her mother and father which she finds incredibly painful and instantly harbours resentment for the girl - Maple.

By the Bigman's orders, Blue Wing is forced to spend time with the Maple, with whom she has nothing with common with and becomes increasingly frustrated by the girl's precocious and selfish ways. But after Siringen's wise words, Blue Wing learns to listen with her heart and she discovers the heavy burden of sadness Maple is carrying. United by grief, the girls forge a wonderful friendship as they each struggle to let go of the guilt they feel in relation to the deaths of their loved-ones. Helped by Chimera, a local woman and spirit guide, exiled from the village for her powers, they search to find peace and acceptance - but how will this journey end for the girls? Will they finally forgive themselves?

So cleverly written with a huge turning point I did not see coming at all, the moment when all the pieces of the jigsaw fitted and the plot came together was just breath-taking! And the ending... an ending so moving, it gives me goosebumps and the biggest lump in my throat just thinking about it. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time - for 'the long now' as they say in Papaun.

With thanks to Netgalley and Usborne Books for allowing me to read an early e-copy of the book in advance of publication.

By the shores of Papua New Guinea, Blue Wing argues desperately with Siringen, her waspapi, that she should be a shark caller. It is a tradition that the shark caller position is passed down from uncle to nephew, but Siringen is the last of his family. Instead, Blue Wing is roped into looking after Maple, a visitor to her island. However, Blue Wing and Maple soon learn the importance of friendship, forgiveness and learning to live with grief in this beautiful and moving story.

I didn’t know quite what to expect when I picked up this novel. It had been recommended so many times, all over twitter and so I was keen to read a copy. Oh wow was I impressed. Zillah Bethell transports the reader to the beautiful world of Papua New Guinea with a breathtaking and heartbreaking tale, that left me speechless at times. In fact, I could only tweet emojis when I’d finished – I was that stunned!

The character of Blue Wing was powerful and likeable – the use of her dialect/speech pattern easily helped me to learn more about her character and become a part of this story. Bethell explored the relationship between Maple and Blue Wing slowly and simply and their friendship developed through little actions and shared memories. The plot felt simple, but deep with so many key messages of acceptance of grief and forgiveness of yourself layered throughout. I think central to the story is the idea of guilt and this was handled so beautifully that often I was in tears.

A poignant and exceptional tale of acceptance and I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Usborne Publishing for providing an e-book review copy.

Blue Wing is desperate to learn the ways of The Shark Caller, her Papi Siringen who took her in when her parents were tragically killed by a “rogue shark” known as Xok. Hell bent on avenging her parents, she will stop at nothing to lure and kill Xok, but despite her pleas, Siringen refuses to teach her on account of her being a girl. Instead, Blue Wing is asked take care of the insufferable daughter of an American, who has come to study the local coral. Exasperated by her selfish and short-sighted views of the world, and her lack of appreciation for her island, Blue Wing struggles to connect with Maple. That is, until she discovers that they may have more in common than she first thought, beginning a voyage of self-discovery for both girls as they uncover secrets hidden by the tide for decades.

The star of this novel is undoubtedly Zillah’s vivid and vibrant description of Papua New Guinea; I could feel the heat of the sun and the sand in my toes as she painted such a stunning background to this story of friendship, grief and acceptance. Her own childhood and small village experiences make her exploration of a village steeped in tradition and ritual, but on the cusp of modernisation, all the more authentic. Coupled with Zillah’s choice to write in Blue Wing’s voice, in Papuan Pidgin English, we are wholly immersed in this beautiful world. Blue Wing is so wise for such a young heroine, and often makes profound comments on the world, from the motivations of different people, to tasting Coca Cola. She has an other-worldly perception of events and her surroundings, intricately explored by Zillah. Her difficult friendship with Maple plays out as they uncover secrets about each of the adults around them. I loved how Zillah has examined how guilt plays a part in all of our lives, and how many of the characters are misunderstood, particularly one who has been branded a villain but has suffered untold hurt and abuse, leading to devastating consequences. The message of truth and acceptance and of moving on is so sensitively and thoughtfully written through the story and the ending in particular stopped me in my tracks because I just did not see it coming, and yet it made perfect sense.

The Shark Caller is exceptional. You will want to re-read it from the beginning the moment you finish it. Rarely does a book have such a profound and moving effect on its readers as this one had on me. I’m still reeling from the ending, and have already re-read the book with entirely new eyes.

Illustrations from Saara Katariina Söderlund are stunning, as always, and the front cover is loaded with hidden meaning I didn’t notice until I’d fully read and understood the story. So very clever, and so very talented.
Perfect for a middle grade or YA audience, or indeed an adult book club, with themes of grief, loss and moving on from trauma. Would recommend for fans of Katherine Rundell, or Sophie Anderson. Would be great to explore other cultures within the classroom for UKS2 or KS3.

The Shark Caller is a powerful story of loss, friendship and acceptance. I was immediately transported to the shores of Papua New Guinea which are vividly brought to life. It is here that young Blue Wing lives a traditional, simple life with Siringen, the village shark caller, after the death of her parents. Blue Wing is desperate to follow in his footsteps and longs to become a shark caller too, but perhaps not for the right reasons.
When new girl Maple arrives on the island with her father all the way from America, Blue Wing is less than thrilled, especially as the newcomers have moved into her family's old home. There is a clash of cultures and personalities between the two girls from the very start but as they spend more time together, they begin to realise they have more in common than they first thought. Together they help each other to deal with their grief and learn how to forgive others, as well as themselves.

The use of Papuan pidgin English brings both Blue Wing's world and her character to life, and the author's own experiences of growing up in Papua New Guinea add authenticity. There is so much skillfully woven into this beautifully told tale and it is just brimming with culture and feeling.

Blue Wing aches to be a shark caller, but there are two problems: she is a girl, and she is, according to her waspapi, too angry. She is angry with the western men who come to the island intent on trophy hunting; she is angry that it is only the men who can be shark callers; she is angry that her parents are no longer alive. Shark callers need to have an abundance of patience and respect.
Then along comes newcomer Maple. Blue Wing and Maple do not make an easy partnership: both are too angry to share the secrets and dreams of friendship. But the promise of treasure and adventure becomes too strong and they set out together on a journey to the bottom of the ocean where they confront their fears and discover their courage and, ultimately, their loyalty to one another.
This is a beautiful book, written by one of the most lyrical of voices. The rhythms of every sentence pulse through each page: it is as if the sea is in touching distance and hot sand is trickling gently through fingertips. There is a real affection for the island and its people the sea that surrounds it. I can’t recommend it highly enough: it is a sublime read and it will appeal to many children, and their teachers.

This book tells the story of Blue Wing and Maple, a native and new comer to the small island where Blue Wing has lived all her life. Both have suffered the loss of a parent. Although at first they are not able to get along, they soon learn to trust and love each other as best friends/sisters. Slowly they share their experiences of loss, and work together to help Maple’s father on his personal quest to find out an ancient secret. There are explanations about the skills of shark calling ( a genuine tradition) and lots of descriptions of sharks and local wildlife.
There are many fascinating characters, (Waspapi, and the witch doctor’s daughter, herself an old woman: Chimera) excellent uses of pidgin in this book, which adds an authentic flavour to the dialogue and rich culture of PNG
I loved this book (I am 54) and it made my ten year old son cry. He was overwhelmed by the emotional and beautiful ending of this amazing story. I believe that many middle grade children would enjoy this and I award it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

This is an awesome book by Zillah Bethell. Set on a wonderful island, which no doubt, Bethell got much from her own upbringing in Papua New Guinea. Blue Wing, whose parents were killed by a shark is the main character in the story. Xok – the name Blue Wing has given to the shark - is her number one enemy. She is determined to get revenge for the death of her parents.

Blue Wing is cared for by Siringen, her Waspapi. He is the Shark Caller of the village. An old tradition, which he is the last of his kind. Blue Wing, however, wants Siringen to teach her the ways so that she can continue the long line of Shark Callers. Unfortunately, the job is only for males; to be passed down from father to son, uncle to nephew. Where they used to catch the sharks for food, nowadays there are only tourists that want to kill the sharks. Siringen calls the sharks in close so the tourists can claim their trophy. This does not happen though. Blue Wing releases the trapped shark each time (on Siringen’s command) and the tourist is left empty handed - much to Bigman’s annoyance. Bigman is the village leader – big man, big house!

One day, as more tourists arrive, Blue Wing sees that they are to stay in her old family home. The one in which she lived with her parents. Atlas Hamelin and his daughter, Maple, have come to stay while he studies the coral around the island. The two girls do not get on when they first meet. It takes time to realise that they have something similar in common.

Chimera’s appearance in the story, begins to change the way Blue Wing thinks about Maple. The daughter of a witch-doctor, Chimera has been cast out of the village by Bigman, to live in a cave. Blue Wing likes to visit her and talk. On one occasion, she takes along Maple, who wants to ask Chimera a very important and sensitive question.

As I said at the beginning of this review, The Shark Caller is an awesome story. I was so shocked by the last part of the book – which I didn’t see coming at all. A beautiful book which everyone should read. It has it all…hate, friendship, grief and acceptance.

As the year draws to its end, I’ve been fortunate enough to read a few books recently which will be published early next year. The latest of these is this middle grade story which I requested from Net Galley a few days ago after it kept popping up in my Twitter feed. I have been trying to be a good girl, and get through some of my physical TBR pile ahead of hopefully receiving more books for Christmas, and was successfully ignoring this book with its beautiful cover illustration until it popped up once too often and – being only human – I caved in.

Boy oh boy am I glad I did so. This is an absolute delight – packed with wonderful, vivid description of the location, credible characters that jumped out of the book at me and an ending that knocked me for six because I just didn’t see it coming.

Blue Wing lives with her guardian, Siringen, the Shark Caller. Keen to learn how to take on this important role in her village, she asks Siringen for the hundred thousand taim why she is not permitted – a question to which she already knows the answer: because she is a girl. She is, however, allowed to assist him in his duties and so accompanies him and a tourist out to sea where Siringen carries out his people’s traditional ritual to call a shark.

While the tourist is eager to kill the summoned shark as a trophy, Siringen has more respect for the beast and while he traps it in order to subdue it, Blue Wing slips over the side of the boat unseen and frees the shark so that it is able to swim safely away. Telling the tourist that the magic has gone, Siringen returns the party to shore only to be greeted by the Bigman (the village’s leader) who mocks his seemingly dwindling abilities to call the sharks.

This belittling of the Shark Caller does not however prevent the Bigman telling Siringen that he is to be given the responsibility of looking after a new visitor – an American professor of coral, who will be staying on the island together with his daughter. Blue Wing is not happy that they are to be housed in the hut that used to belong to her family and decides that she hates them before she has even met them. As they arrive, she spies on them and talks to Chimera – the daughter of a witch doctor, who lives outside of the village – telling her of her resentment.

The following morning, Siringen is punished by the Bigman for not attending the welcome ceremony by being told to take breakfast to the visitors and takes Blue Wing along with him. After sharing polite greetings, the professor suggests that while he and Siringen are at sea the following day, Blue Wing shows his daughter Maple around. This does not go well, as Maple has no interest in looking around and Blue Wing doesn’t want to have to spend time with her. When the Shark Caller returns and finds out that Blue Wing has visited the top of the mountain without her charge, he admonishes her – telling her to try harder to be friendly.

As they spend more time together, the two girls start to warm to one another, enabling Blue Wing to feel able to share the story of her parents being killed by a shark called Xok. Desperate to avenge their deaths, she wants to do so by becoming a Shark Caller herself and luring him to his death. As the two girls start to learn more about each other’s family and what they have in common, they start to question what it is that the professor is really looking for on the island when they see him handing over what appears to be money to someone who he claims has given him a map to help research the coral.

Can the two girls discover what secrets Maple’s father is hiding from her, and what will happen when Blue Wing decides to try to summon the sharks without Siringen’s knowledge? Will she be able to break the traditions of her people and take over from him to become the latest in a long line of Shark Callers, or is she destined for something else?

Unlike in some of the books I’ve read this year, all of the characters painted within the book are utterly credible and Blue Wing in particular is one who many young readers will be able to empathise with. Taken in by Siringen after the deaths of her parents, she is emotionally lost, and while he provides her with the necessities of life as he sees them – shelter, food etc – he does not appear to be particularly paternal in the way that he treats her. Yes, he is wise and supports her in trying to develop a relationship with Maple but for much of the book he appears intent on ensuring that she behaves as she should, rather than seeing that she needs to be given a certain amount of freedom to become her own person.

As a result of this, when Maple and her father arrive from America, Blue Wing experiences a whole range of emotions which she struggles to understand and control. Both girls are in desperate need of a friend but initially they are intensely wary of one another. Blue Wing is resentful that the outsider is living in her hut, and Maple resents living somewhere that she considers to be beneath her, in a land totally alien to her with no support network. Once they realise that they they are in fact two peas in the metaphorical pod, the girls become deeply attached to each other and encourage one another to act in all sorts of ways that they would never originally have dared to do.

Like most people, I haven’t been able to go very far from home this year and by reading books such as this one and The Hungry Ghost by H. S. Norup, which is set in Singapore, I have been able to escape through their pages into other places, allowing me to explore somewhere other than the small area close to home. Helping the reader to do this here, ahead of the story we are provided with both a map of the location of the story, which is set in Papua New Guinea, and a glossary of pidgin English terms which crop up throughout the story.

Many readers will delight in both of these but for anyone who is concerned that a fiction book in need of a glossary will be difficult to follow, there really is no need. Many of the terms are easily recognised (taim instead of time for example) and those that are less obvious are generally easy to understand from the context. I found their use by the author – who grew up in Papua New Guinea – added a layer of authenticity to the story which I really enjoyed, as I did the short section at the end of the book where she talks about her childhood experiences there and her transition to the UK.

This is a gorgeous read – one suitable for Year 5 upwards and one that reminded me very much of When Life Gives you Mangoes in its depiction of friendships and the changes that affect girls in their transition from childhood towards being an adult. While – as I said when I reviewed that title – I know that many of my boys will sadly see that as a girls’ book because of its predominantly pink cover, I am hoping that the blue tones of the cover art and the prospect of sharks will entice all of my class, including the boys, to read this. They will be in for an enormous treat when they do.

As I said earlier, there is an incredible ending to this which I didn’t see coming and which left me reeling when I reached it. This is definitely one of those books that you need to read twice – once to enjoy the story and a second time so that you can forensically go through it with a fine-tooth comb to look for clues while you admonish yourself for missing them the first time round. I cannot wait to get my hands on a proper copy in order to do so.

Huge thanks – as always – must go to Net Galley and Usborne for allowing me to read this ahead of publication on February 4th next year. A very well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars.

A breathtakingly beautiful and immersive read, dealing with grief, loss, friendship and the personal search for truth.

With its vivid description and use of Papuan pidgin English, the Shark Caller will transport you to the island of Papua New Guinea. An island where tradition clashes with modernisation and life clashes with death.

The Shark Caller is a tale of unlikely friendship - Blue Wing, an island girl meets Maple, a city slicker. Together they battle to learn about grief, forgiveness and loss.

This is truly a spellbinding book: it was unpredictable, intricately created and beautifully written. It’s the sort of book which forces you to stop and take a look at your own life and ideals. It’s a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is an astonishing and beautiful book. It is such a rich read - the characters, themes, the setting, the story itself. Absolutely gorgeous. It fits the MG age range perfectly but there is much to discuss here and I'm sure adults will enjoy reading this narrative just as much as middle graders.

This book is spell binding; an absolute treasure of a book that will stay with you for a long time. Set in Papua New Guinea, it is a tale of love and loss, grieving, acceptance, and moving. The beautiful story of Blue Wing and her traditional village lifestyle, which is on the brink of modernisation, and how that changes when Maple, from a North American city, comes to stay on the island with her father. Their friendship gets off to a rocky start but they have more in common than they think. So many themes are covered in this beautiful story and the fact that the author is telling the story of her own childhood village life makes it so authentic. It is also the story of the fragilily of our environment and our misunderstanding of so much of it, in particular, sharks and how we have many misconceptions of them.
There are some brilliant discussion questions at the end of the book which are suitable for adults too. Also at the end are some brilliant Quicklinks to further our education and learning.

I thoroughly recommend this book to all!

The Shark Caller by Zillah Bethell is a living, breathing story of colourful imagery and magnificent language set on the beautiful island of Papua New Guinea. It is a story of respect and responsibility, the conflict of traditions versus what is perceived to be progress, and a personal search for truth, forgiveness and finding oneself.

More than anything else, Blue Wing wants to be a Shark Caller – to sing to the great monsters of the sea and lure them into her kasaman. No matter how many times she asks her guardian, Siringen, to teach her the ways of the water, his answer is always, “No”. Is it because she is desperate to kill the rogue shark, Xok, who savagely attacked her parents; is it because she is not yet ready for the responsibility of looking after these mighty animals or is it simply because she is a girl? Blue Wing will not give up her quest to avenge the death of her parents and soften the pain she feels inside.

Siringen, the local Shark Caller, is the protector of the traditions of their village. Despite the village chief seeking change and progress, Siringen holds onto the power of the past and fights to save what is special about their island home. Without his protection, the traditions are at risk of dying out. What is seen as impractical or no longer needed in today’s world will be thrown away and forgotten. This story is a lesson in respecting and valuing the ways of the past before they are gone forever.

One day, newcomers arrive on the island. Maple Hamelin and her father, Atlas, have come to study the sea and recover from a loss of their own. At first, the two girls clash and struggle to find some common ground, but eventually, they realise they are more alike than they realised and join together in a common battle to find out who they truly are. In their search for treasure and truth, they discover a one-of-a-kind friendship and a magic all their own.

I was absolutely shocked when I got to the end of The Shark Caller. The power and meaning of the final chapters stopped me in my tracks. Now, I need to go back to the beginning and read it all again to piece together each aspect of this stunning plot!

“Time is like a piece of string that goes all the way back in one direction and all the way forward in the other. You can’t just cut it to fit your own view of things. You can’t just take a section and say that’s how it was. You have to think of how it all slots together.”

Caution for adults:

This story contains a number of very intense themes: life, death, loss, guilt and forgiveness. Children who have already experienced the loss of a loved one first-hand may find this book difficult to take in. It could be incredibly helpful for a child who is dealing with some of these issues but they may require guidance and an understanding adult who is ready to listen and reiterate the messages shared by Blue Wing and Maple.

My goodness, what a truly beautiful book. I really didn't expect to finish it crying, but here we are, it was so moving. The book is about friendship, grief and being outside of your comfort zone, but it's also about the beautiful country of Papua New Guinea, it's people and it's stunning scenery. I just loved the setting, and the little lesson in the pigeon English that the residents might use. I felt as though I had been spirited away to the island, and immersed fully in life there.

Of course the stars of the show are Blue Wing and Maple. The girls were both fierce but having had completely different upbringing's struggled to find some equal footing initially. Once they had realised they had more in common than it first appeared, I loved how quickly they both accepted each other and their different views of the world. It was the perfect lesson in looking past the things you don't understand, and accepting people for who they truly are.

As a bit of a shark fanatic, I love that one of the messages offered here is that they aren't the big scary creatures that they are always made out to be. Whenever you mention wanting to dive with sharks to people they tend to give you a look like you are insane, but here we see that they can be peaceful creatures unless they feel threatened.

This is a really special book. The ending broke my heart into two, but it was so worth the read. Recommended to all!

This is simply the most wonderful book I have read all year. It is the story of Blue Wing, who lost her parents a couple of years ago and her reluctant friendship with Maple, an incomer to her island. It is a powerful story of love, friendship, loss, forgiveness and moving on.

Very rarely does a book move me the way this one did. Simply superb.

I don't know where to start with this review. This book is a beautiful story based in Papua New Guinea and tells the tale of young girl, Blue Wing, navigating the world after the loss of her parents. Her waspapi is the local shark caller, and the descriptions of the location and the ocean completely transported me into that world.
This is a stunning story about love, friendship, grief and forgiveness.

After losing her parents, Blue Wing was taken in by the island shark caller, someone who can draw on the island's ancient magic to call to the sharks. Despite Blue Wing's desperate desire to learn from him, her guardian refuses to teach her the ancient art. When an American professor arrives on the island to study the seas, her guardian must assist him and Blue Wing must spend time with his rude daughter, Maple. At first, the differences between the girls make it impossible for them to get along. But the girls grow to realise that they have much more in common than they thought. By working together, the girls may be able to achieve what they each want: for Maple, getting her father back; and for Blue Wing, becoming the next shark caller.

The Shark Caller is a beautiful story about loss, grief and friendship. Inspired by the author's upbringing in Papua New Guinea, the culture and language weaved into the story create a rich and immersive setting. Readers will be captivated by Blue Wing and Maple's developing friendship and will fall in love with both girls. The poignant story touches on many themes and is perfect for middle grade or young adult readers who love a profound and touching book.