Review: The Castle in the Sea

Title: The Castle in the Sea
Author: Mardi McConnochie
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Pajama Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 14, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The adventures of the Sunfish continue as twins, Annalie and Will, inch closer to finding their missing father in this highly original nautical adventure story with a speculative fiction twist. This time, the twins face even more challenges, including terrifying pirates and a devastating storm that will test the strength of their small wooden boat and their friendship.

Once more, Annalie, Will, Essie and Pod set out on the Sunfish to look for Spinner – their only clue a coded list Spinner left behind, naming four scientists who were once his colleagues on a top-secret project.

When a terrible storm separates the crew and almost wrecks the boat, Will and Essie must use all their courage and ingenuity to try and make their way back to the others. Meanwhile, Pod and Annalie, travelling in the crippled Sunfish, are captured by pirates, who agree to fix the Sunfish – at a price.

Not all of Spinner’s former colleagues can be trusted. Worse still, their old nemesis Beckett is still on their trail. Can they follow the clues, track down the scientists, and find Spinner before Beckett does?

The second breathtaking adventure in the Quest of the Sunfish series. 

Review:

This was a great middle grade adventure story!

I didn’t read the first book in the series, but I understood this one. It began right in the middle of a storm, which ended up separating the kids. I was thrown right into the action. The story made sense, even without reading the previous story.

There was a lot of science in this book, but it was different from the typical science themed stories for kids. They didn’t do experiments or use technology. The kids had to solve their problems using the things they found in nature. Since they were on a boat, there were many nautical problems, such as sailing without any wind and navigating through a storm. This is a great way to teach kids how to solve their problems anywhere.

I really enjoyed this story!

Thank you Pajama Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read The Castle in the Sea? What did you think of it?