Below the Surface

by Allison Finley

Key Selling Points


A young teen discovers a pocket watch that is linked to a local urban legend.
The story explores themes of bullying and doing the right thing.
The main character’s obsession with finding buried treasure leads to the solving of a decades-old mystery.
This story was inspired by a group of very popular YouTube channels of young divers and metal detectorists searching for interesting finds.
Enhanced features (dyslexia-friendly font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers.

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Young Adult

111 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2023

About the author

Allison Finley is an author and editor of children's fiction and speculative fiction. She has lived in California, London, and Vancouver—all places whose official language is English, but that can't agree on spelling. In addition to fiction, she's consulted on magic shows and comedy sketches. Her stories tend to share the themes of searching for belonging, exploration and adventure, and lost mysteries.

A life-long nerd, she plays tabletop RPGs, is an aviation aficionado, and collects enamel pins both new and vintage. As a neurodiverse writer, she strives for her work to contribute to a better understanding of and more empathy for underrepresented experiences.

Reviews

[Amanda Hallam-Taillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part ghost story, part mystery, part coming of age. This short and sweet early middle grade novel moves through its paces quickly and is suitable for reluctant readers. The plot is engaging and easily understood, the characters relatable. As an adult and quick reader, this took me under an hour to read, I suspect that for a less experienced reader it would only take a night or two at bedtime (mind that it is a ghost story though it is not scary).

[Julie Smallwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun and entertaining read!
I enjoyed the character growth that Theo went through. His journey felt very relatable.
I spent a lot of this book wondering if it was based on a true story, it completely pulled me in. Allison does a great job of dancing on the line between eerie and adventurous.
Such a satisfying ending! I wish this book was around when I was in middle grade.

[Barbara McVeigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these little mystery novellas from Orca. This story resolved rather quickly but I liked the buildup. Good for ESL students.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute.