The Shark Caller

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.