This book is just so wonderful. The disability rep is so nice to see. The characters are well developed and are great. I also loved the illustrations in this book. A great read

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

The idea of this book is great, and it doesn't disappoint. I loved the mix of people living in this wonderful location and how it felt so strongly like a safe home for them all. This book is such an important book - representation does matter. These characters with their mix of disabilities were not just background characters. These children are not who there are because of their disability - they are fully developed characters that are not trying to overcome their disability, just accepting each other and living their lives.

A beautiful novel about self acceptance and found family. Definitely recommend to children who are struggling with coming to terms about any aspect of themselves.

As someone who lives with a disability, I cannot even begin to explain how incredible it was to read a book with an all-disabled cast.
It's a wonderfully unique story and I loved the inclusion of illustrations as they were beautifully drawn. I often find that middle grades all tend to encompass very general and simple messages but this had discussions about ableism and disability that made my heart swell with happiness.

Highly recommend this and I think it offers a breath of fresh air for the middle-grade genre. Positive disability representation in a fantasy setting will always get a thumbs-up from me!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Wonderfully immersive, beautifully written and full of heart - an absolute joy. You are immediately drawn into a fully realised world filled with extraordinary, complex characters and actual, edge of your seat peril. Loved it, just stunning. A future classic.

I really enjoyed this and it is probably the most inclusive book I have ever read. The author describes herself as a disabled person rather than a person with disabilities and all the characters in the book are disabled in some way . They call themselves Wrecklings and they live in a community hidden away from the rest of the world but they co-exist with mermaids. Something happens which threatens their way of life and things will never be the same again.

This is a slightly tricky one to review as while I really thought I'd enjoy this book, I found it hard going and just couldn't really engage with it. However, I can see it's appeal as a story and have promoted the book to children in my libraries who I think will enjoy it and get a lot from it.
I did really like the concepts behind this book, in particular the use of language and the characters with disabilities up front and developed in a positive way to the story. This is a real strength and I look forward to reading more from this author. I am also sure that the characters will appeal to children and have added the title to several of my promotions.

I loved this book, I've already bought a couple of copies for the school library and have had several enthusiastic readers of it already as it has been passed around. Lots of things about this story were fresh, from the treatment of the fantasy elements, the nature of the peril (within) but most of all the representation of the characters and the wider issues that this brings up. I'm really looking forward to finding out where the story (and the characters) go next.

I was Haven Point's first Wreckling, but I certainly wasn't the last. There are forty-two of us now, not including the mermaids. When you're a Wreckling, you mainly spend your days squabbling, eating and planning adventures. Oh, and Wrecklings also carry out wreckings, which is how we got our name . . .
Washed up as a baby beside a remote lighthouse and raised by a mermaid, Alpha Lux was the first foundling at Haven Point. Now the lighthouse is a ramshackle home for any disabled person who needs somewhere to belong. Looting from passing ships to make a living, they call themselves the Wrecklings, and for the children of Haven Point life is spent adventuring on the wild shore.
Do not be fooled into thinking that, with the mention of mermaids and captains with kittens in their beards, this is a ‘mere’ fantasy book for children. This is an astonishing read that will captivate children of all ages. Through the pages, Alpha endears herself to her readers, drawing them in to her real-life experiences, emotional struggles and heart stopping adventures.
Haven Point is a safe and secure community for all of those who feel shunned by society: somehow, they have found this safe haven and are welcomed and included. There is nothing that can’t be adapted to ensure that everyone is fully able to contribute to the community: whether it be easily accessible beds, toilets, BSL signage, beach tracks for wheelchairs and a multitude of other adaptations. Here, there is no difficulty that cannot be overcome. Everyone is involved…even in the wreckings! Importantly, all of the characters are all shown in the most positive of lights to demonstrate their abilities.
It is of huge credit to Auton’s craft as a writer that she has created a cast of characters who are so real that readers immediately delight in the people that they are rather than viewing them from the perspective of their disability. We get to view the characters as well-rounded and real – with strengths and character flaws like anyone else.
This is an astonishing story; thrilling, creative, exciting, heart rending and beautifully crafted. Every single word has been chosen and placed with the utmost care and attention.

This book, on looking at it at first glance, gave me different vibes to what it actually was. What I found inside it was relatable characters who were providing a lot of representation that has so far been missing in MG books. This book had it all - disability rep, important discussions on inclusion and BIG topics and a simply wonderful story. This is a must for all classrooms and certainly an important book to have on children's book shelves. Thank you so much for the ARC.

When you read a book written in the first person, do you hear the voice and accent in your head? As a trained actor-director, this is a big thing for me and I love books with a strong sense of character and location that are conjured through the narrative voice.

The Secret of Haven Point is one such book and I adored it. This story of mermaids, pirates and the children that the mainland forgot is told from the perspective of orphan, Alpha. She delivers a strong sense of location in both her descriptions and through the Captain’s gristly sea-faring accent that the impressionable Wrecklings have come to inherit.

The endearing youthfulness of the narrative voice is a wonderful hook, effectively beckoning us to view the island through her eyes. I love the use of playful phrases such as ‘higgledy-piggledy’, ‘bird-luck poop’ and ‘knock the silly out of me’ that Alpha has clearly picked up from the other Wrecklings and their experiences of the ‘Outside’.

Lisette Auton’s passion for the locality, influenced by her hometown, beams, as does her humbling determination to create a haven for children with disabilities. This is a brilliantly inclusive adventure for young and middle grade readers, who are sure to be swept up in the excitement of the well told tale.

Thank you to @netgalley and @ for sending an e-arc copy to review. 💛 🏝 🧜‍♀️ 🌊

What an emotional, powerful read.
When you feel alone and unaccepted by the world there is a place that you can go and become a wreckling,
But they might be in danger of being found out and time is running out.
A wonderful read, the words flow so lovely to the imagination.

I loved this book so much. I read some of this via the app but loved the illustrations and everything about it so much that I bought a hard copy so I could finish it 'in real life' rather than finishing it digitally. This also solved the only slight issue I was having with the book, that I kept losing track of who the different characters were. The illustrations solved this for me. The book is about Wrecklings and is told by Alpha, the first Wreckling to arrive at Haven Point. Haven Point is home to an old lighthouse, which is a safe refuge for any person with a disability. Alpha is raised by a mermaid but if, like me, the idea of a mermaid story puts you off, don't let it. The mermaids in this story are not the simpering, glittery characters seen in so many books. I have already shared this book with a Year 5 child, who absolutely loved it and devoured it in one sitting!.

You have to read this book. Utterly charming, full characters in a beautiful, magical community of disabled people, set unashamedly on the fabulous Northeast coast with a plot that will sweep you along and leave you changed. Stunning. Thankyou @lisette_auton #WritingCommunity

The Secret of Haven Point is a courageous and unique story, which is fabulously inclusive as a result of the diversity of characterisation. It offers real insight into the importance of language we use in relation to disability. I loved the premise of this book and think it would excellent in helping children to develop empathy and understanding.

I found the story itself a little difficult to get into, perhaps as a result of the sheer volume of characters and shifting by storyline - it was somewhat difficult to keep track of. At times I found it hard to follow and found the actions of the protagonist quite disjointed.

There are elements which are superb but the plot didn’t quite connect for me. That being said, I did have a real emotional response to the story. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is such a beautiful debut brimming with magic, mysticism and meddlesome children! Lisette Autom makes it clear from the beginning that this is an Own Voices book and her note makes it even more special. It sets the tone for the book and is echoed throughout as Alpha, the main character, often refers to the importance of language too.

Whilst Haven Point provides a safe sanctuary for a variety of characters who are all, in some way or another, disabled, Auton does not make life there 'easy' as within themselves they form groups, bicker, fight and feel isolated - which gives them authenticity and the reader empathy towards them.

I loved how Ephyra and the other mermaids were described - they were fierce and everything you'd want a female clan to be! I loved Cap'n and the quirkyness of having a kitten in his beard. I loved the growth of Alpha throughout the book, both as a person and as a friend. I did second-guess the traitor in the midst but only by a chapter or so, and it did not take away from the twists and turns that continued!

Overall I absolutely loved this and am eagerly awaiting the sequel already!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

Alpha Lux and her friends lead us on a twisty turny tale and open our eyes and heats. The use of language is very important in this book, as is the awareness of disability, and the author excells at this. The traitor was a surprise to me and I was left wondering what had happened to the characters who left, of theor own accord or because they were made to. A great read by a new author and I hope there is more to come.

A salty and spellbinding adventure set on the shores of a magical sanctuary for any disabled person who needs somewhere to belong ... The Secret of Haven Point sings like the sea!

Echoing the likes of Abi Elphinstone, Cerrie Burnell and Thomas Taylor, Lisette Auton's debut dazzles with originality and glitters with imagination. And at the heart of Haven Point is a story of acceptance, belonging and self-discovery, sending an inspiring message of positivity and inclusivity to those who feel they are 'different' and don't fit in.

A truly lovely story - engaging and twisty with the best cast of characters and a splash of magic. The setting comes alive on the pages and you can taste that salt water in the air. Just amazing. And that author's note - WOW. It's just everything. It really is. Representation matters. Words matter. I couldn't agree more. We need more stories like this, more authors like this. And Lisette Auton is one I hope to see so much more of!