This is such a beautiful book, full of heart and a brilliantly fast-paced adventure. I absolutely loved it and can't wait to share it with the children at school.

A fabulous environmental adventure which is the book baby of Greenwild and Jumanji pitched perfectly for children age 7-10.

Flora Stormer is a talented artist who is preparing to go on the expedition of a lifetime with her father in search of the legendary Golden Lotus on the remote island, Isla Panacea. Their trip is funded by ‘philanthropist’, Lord Granville, who has chartered the boat they will sail on to commence their quest.

When Flora’s father falls critically ill, she must overcome her fears and travel without him in the desperate hope that she can find the magical plant, which folklore tells us will only bloom once every 100 years and can cure any illness, and use it to save her beloved dad. He gifts her a map and a beautiful necklace to equip her for the journey but otherwise, she is on her own with Lord Granville, his servant Pavan and a journalist who has been sent to cover the story of the expedition.

“Nature can be both beautiful and frightening”. Can she face her fears and race against time to find the flower and save her father? Will she be double crossed and thwarted in her tracks?

We absolutely adored this fast-paced adventure for our tweens – those in between early chapter books and full middle grade novels. Flora has Tourette’s syndrome and we see her struggle to manage and control her tics and deal with the embarrassment that she feels that she causes when her anxiety builds and the exhaustion of masking her true self gets too much. We also glimpse her vulnerability when people are unkind or falsely supportive. Isabella Harcourt also lives with Tourette’s and uses her own experiences when writing Flora’s story. When a wise elder from Isla Panacea tells Flora that she is not ill but has a uniqueness which some people do not understand, we did a cheer out loud. Flora learns that Tourette’s doesn’t define her, it is simply a part of who she is, alongside her bravery, her kindness and her artistic talent. Zaramama advises her not to let her worries, about how she is perceived by others, overwhelm her true self.


Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for sending this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.