Hannah & the Salish Sea

Hannah #2

by Carol Anne Shaw

Fiction. In the second volume of her Hannah trilogy, summer has arrived, and fourteen-year-old Hannah Anderson is excited about spending it with Max (who has been giving her stomach butterflies lately). But things are happening in Cowichan Bay that Hannah can't explain. When a mysterious accident leads her to a nest of starving eaglets, she meets Izzy Tate, a young Metis girl staying in the village for the summer. Why is Izzy so angry all the time, and is it just a coincidence that she is the spitting image of Yisella, the Cowichan girl Hannah met the summer she was twelve? But Hannah has more questions. Why is Jack, her supernatural raven friend, bringing her unusual "gifts" in the middle of the night? Is it all connected to a ring of poachers and marijuana smugglers who have apparently moved into the valley. The eaglets are in danger and so are the Roosevelt elk. And what's with the Orca 1, the "supposedly" abandoned tuna boat anchored out in the bay? After Hannah and Max make a grisly discovery in the woods, they know they must take action. When Izzy agrees to join them on a midnight kayak trip, the three discover the poachers on the Orca 1, and they are soon in a fight for their own lives and the lives of the animals being hunted for their parts.

Genres: Mystery, Adventure, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

200 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

I'm Carol Anne Shaw, and I write books for young people (mostly). I love the outdoors, musty bookstores, good coffee, hearty soups, and, of course, Marmite.

I live in Cobble Hill, a rural community in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, with my partner Richard and our beagle, Gordie.

My debut novel, Hannah & the Spindle Whorl, is set in Cowichan Bay, BC, and won a silver Moonbeam Award for Best Historical Fiction. The second book in the series, Hannah & the Salish Sea, was published in 2013, followed by Hannah & the Wild Woods in 2015 which earned the Chocolate Lily Award for BC's Best Novel. The series is publshed by Ronsdale Press.

I have also independently published four YA novels: The Peculiar Language of Llamas, The Picasso Project, The Scarlet Armadillo, and Tangofish.

When I’m not writing, I narrate audiobooks from my home studio. It’s a privilege to bring other authors' stories to life.

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to reach out anytime at carolanneshawbooks@gmail.com or visit my website: www.carolanneshaw.com

Happy reading!

Reviews

[Norah Weitkamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without having access to the first book this was still a realy good read and I did not feel too left out

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for review through Goodreads "First Reads".

This middle grade/young adult book tells the story of Hannah Anderson and her friends as they negotiate early teen turbulence and investigate a mystery in the small town of Cowichan Bay, B.C. Along with the mystery, there's simple family life and the drama that goes along with that, a dash of the supernatural(a pretty small dash in comparison to the first book, I believe), and a small dose of romance, as well. It is the second in a trilogy(or series), the first being "Hannah and the Spindle Whorl", which I have not had a chance to read. However, this second installation stands well enough on its own that missing the first book didn't have a big impact.

Hannah and The Salish Sea picks up two years after the first book, which is a bit of a gutsy move on the authour's part, I feel, considering that there can be a pretty big difference between twelve-year-olds(Hannah's age in the first book) and fourteen-year-olds(Hannah's age here). This is the only bit where not having read the first book could be a problem in terms of review, as I can't speak to whether the writing style changes to suit slightly older readers in comparison to the first, or if it makes no difference.

The story is good; the poaching plotline shows the terrible waste of poaching without going over the top into animal rights issues, which is nice. It never feels preachy. The kids all feel pretty real, though Hannah borders on too good. There is a little bit of harshness directed at one girl in terms of her "wearing too much make-up" and clothes that "show too much". I don't think it quite crosses over into slut-shaming territory though, as those observations are made by an obviously jealous Hannah. Also, the same girl is described by Izzy(the other character who gets POV chapters)as the only person in the tiny town with half-decent fashion sense. The actual poaching mystery plotline does take a while to get going, about 2/3 of the book, in fact. However, the everyday trials of early teenagers in a small town that make up the rest of the book are not uninteresting.

The writing was good, it feels pretty natural and flows well; when I first picked up the book, I was 50 pages in before I looked up once, and was surprised to find myself that far in.

I only had three real issues with the book overall. The first is that it concerns me a bit that the only drinking, smoking teen whose race is described at all, is Izzy, who is half-First Nations. Because of the stereotypes surrounding First Nations peoples and teens in particular, it bothered me a bit that the only First Nations teen we spend time with in the book smokes and drinks. Of course it's a teenage thing, and her friends all do the same plus smoking pot, which Izzy does not, but none of them are described at all, so we as readers have no idea of their race. However, Izzy does neither to excess, and stops doing both while in Cowichan Bay. She does consider continuing to smoke, but deems other things more important to spend money on. So, I think it is handled relatively well. I just wanted to point out the potential issue.

The second problem I had was related to the first: Hannah, the girl who is experiencing spiritual things related to the Cowichan tribe, is a white girl with no intimate connection to the tribe in question(or if she does, it is not mentioned in this book). There is absolutely nothing wrong with a non-Native person seeking, respectfully and genuinely, to learn about a First Nations culture, especially when living in an area full of said culture and its people, but it would have been good to have a Cowichan, or part Cowichan(like Izzy)person be the one we experience these things through. Especially since Izzy has unresolved issues with her First Nations heritage. The addition of Izzy in this book certainly helps, and I hope she appears in the next book as well.

Finally, I would have liked a little more time devoted to Izzy and her problems with her family and her heritage. She seems to come to appreciate the legends of her mother's people a little more by the end of this book, but I would have liked a little more exploration of that. Granted, maybe that's a bit much to ask for a middle-grade/bordering on young adult book. If Izzy is included in later installations of the series, maybe this will be delved into a bit more. One can hope!

Overall, I was pretty pleased with this book. I'm always excited to find good Canadian authours, especially when the books are set in Canada. Hannah and the Salish Sea was a quick, enjoyable read that didn't put too much emphasis on romance, which was great. The poaching plot was good without being preachy, and the kids felt like real people for the most part, as did the background adults. I definitely think that Hannah and the Salish Sea is a good piece of Canadian middle-grade/young adult fiction!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at http://canlitforlittlecanadians.blogs...

On a map showing the town of Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island, you couldn't imagine a more serene, contemplative setting, tucked into a bay across from Saltspring Island and surrounded by parkland. But this Cowichan Bay, of Carol Anne Shaw's Hannah and the Salish Sea, has some dark goings-on. All is not well in Cowichan Bay.

The sequel to Carol Anne Shaw's Hannah and the Spindle Whorl (Ronsdale, 2010), Hannah and the Salish Sea revisits Hannah Rae Anderson, fourteen now, who still has trouble convincing her best friend and maybe boyfriend Max Miller that she'd somehow connected with a young girl, Yisella, 150 years earlier, after finding an old spindle whorl. But two years later, she and Max have no trouble finding other concerns in present-day Cowichan Bay. While on a hike, they find dumped garbage bags of horticultural materials, including burned out extension cords. At night, Hannah who lives on a houseboat spots some mysterious activity around the old rusty tuna boat, Orca I. And Jack, the raven that has adopted Hannah, is bringing her odd gifts of a cigar butt, an eagle talon, a sliver of abalone, and such. Then, when a bald eagle dies after hitting the power lines and its body disappears, Hannah and Max are sure they've seen more evidence of the rumoured poachers.

Meanwhile, rebellious teen Izzy Tate who is part Cowichan is shipped off from Saltspring Island to stay with her mom's friend, Ramona in Cowichan Bay, and work at her Salish Sea Studio where she knits sweaters and such in the Cowichan tradition. Though resentful of this move, Izzy loves drawing, bird-watching and kayaking and quickly adopts an eagle's nest with two eaglets (who she names Oscar and Tango) and their father, Two-Step, ensuring their safety and keeping them fed with fish.

The two girls' stories are told in parallel veins, even for a time after they meet. And when Izzy and Hannah do meet, they see something shocking in each other: Izzy sees the legendary red-haired white girl with a raven on her shoulder who came from the future, and Hannah sees the likeness of Yisella. But their lives continue to follow independent paths, with Hannah trying to solve the mysteries of Jack's gifts, the Orca I, and the red 4x4 that seems to be associated with illicit activities, while Izzy tries to resolve issues with her mother, her heritage, and just do the right thing.

I'm so pleased to see that I can add Carol Anne Shaw's name to the list of youngCanLit authors who have successfully targeted the middle-grade book readers. With Hannah and the Salish Sea, Carol Anne Shaw provides young teen protagonists with contexts for their own parent and family issues, first attractions, peer pressures, jealousies, trust, and reactivity while learning to be themselves, not what others want them to be. Just as in life, some things work, some don't; sometimes they're wrong, sometimes they convince others of their rightness. But, these are journeys they must endure, time-travel not excluded, to solve the mysteries within and without. Within the framework of a gloriously natural setting, a First Nations history, and contemporary environmental issues, Hannah and the Salish Sea is sure to draw new readership from those who don't want to relive too much angst in their books.

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hannah and the Salish Sea" is the second installment in the trilogy by Carol Anne Shaw. I had some reservations about the novel before I picked it up. I know that often if you love the first in a series sometimes the sequel doesn't measure up. And I certainly loved "Hannah and the Spindol Whorl", so much so that I read it to the grade six class I taught during my final teaching practicum.
The sequel is different, but not in a disappointing way. I had been taken aback at first when I read that the second novel didn't have any time traveling (an aspect of the first novel that I loved) but after reading it I am glad the author made the choices she did. So many times, when the decision to make a sequel is born out of the success of the first book (or movie) there is an attempt to regurgitate a story too much like the first in order to stick with what had made it popular to begin with. Carol Anne Shaw avoids this trope by fashioning a completely original story while still paying homage to Hannah's adventures in the first book.
I loved the introduction of the new character "Izzy". I think because I am a teacher that often works with middle year students, I recognized the truth in the way this character is struggling to find herself. An extremely talented, yet unhappy, lost young person--the story is about Izzy's journey just as much as it is about our title character "Hannah".
The First Nations elements in the story are well crafted, focusing on the artwork and community feel of the Cowichan people. I loved the knitting culture Shaw captures. One of the aspects I enjoyed so much in the first novel is that it is about the building and fostering of friendships between "Hannah" (Caucasian) and "Yisella" (first nations). The relationship between the two girls bridges many differences and as a teacher I was able to grasp on to that theme and run with it. Grounding my lessons in that friendship and relationship of two people from different backgrounds allowed me to begin in a place that I understood and I was able to reach many of my students that way. The second book continues with the importance of heritage and tradition but also acceptance and inclusion through friendship.
Finally, I want to mention how much I enjoyed the setting of the story. Having lived in Cowichan bay my whole life, I have been consistently surprised at how Shaw is able to make me fall in love with my home a little bit more. Though I recognized the places she refers to in a sentimental way, Shaw was able to add mystery and magic to a little seaside village I thought I already knew so well. This book made me want to go out and explore and see everything anew. Maybe the Eagle I saw this morning on my way to the book store was really "Two Step", and "Jack" was that pesky raven that seemed to laugh after he pood on my car.
This was a story well written, and I enjoyed every moment of it. Looking forward to the finale in the Hannah series!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hannah & the Salish Sea" which I won from Goodreads Giveaways is a wonderful adventure with a dash of the supernatural, romance and mystery that will captivate middle grade readers and adults alike. Set in western Canada in a village in the quiet and peaceful valley near Cowichan Bay the story begins when Hannah Anderson and her best friend Max Miller find themselves embroiled in a mystery after the sudden disappearance of an eagle's body during a power outage. The puzzle grows as Jack, Hannah's raven,begins bringing her strange gifts, and rumours about poachers in the area heat up.

Told in parallel until they teens meet is the story of Izzy Tate, a young rebellious pink haired artist in trouble with authorities who is sent to stay with her mother's friend Ramona in Cow Bay. Her resentment boils over and she's rude to anyone who crosses her path, until she begins to help mother two eaglets and is drawn into the mystery with Hannah and Max. As if the story isn't complex enough add the uncle of Sabrina Webber, a flirtatious student who's attracted to Max. He has salvage rights to Orca I, but when the derelict isn't towed away right away and lights begin appearing on deck at all hours of the night, questions arise and the three young sleuths begin to wonder if all the mysteries are linked. This is a story where cruelty and death are far outweighed by memories of the past, love and the friendship of three very different teenagers with compassionate hearts.

The plot is rich with the depth and imagination that the legends of the First Nations people adds. The story's fast-paced and exciting as the characters with their amateur sleuthing skills unravel dangerous clues. The characters are realistic and natural in this setting, like Hannah Anderson the fearless, inquisitive and compassionate fourteen year old who hides a secret from the past, and Max Miller, her brave and stalwart boyfriend. Confused by their feelings after years of friendship this adventure will cement their maturing relationship. Izzy Tate, the problematic fifteen year old who tries to ignore her native heritage until she begins protecting the eagles in the tree near Ramona's Salish Sea Studio and meets an ancestor from the past. The antagonists - Kelso and Buzz -with their heartless disregard for animal life and Sabrina's drug dealing Uncle Ray are as memorable as they are frightening. But, the characters I loved the most are the animals,like Jack the highly intelligent raven and Two-Step a male eagle struggling to look after his eaglets.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will not hesitate to read further books in this series.

[Kristin Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using Hannah and the Spindle Whorl as a jumping-off place, Carol Anne Shaw picks up Hannah's story two years later. 14-year-old Hannah's journey back in time may be behind her, but the memory lingers, and so does Jack, the raven who travelled through time with her to the First Nations' village 150 years ago. Also still on the scene is Hannah's friend, Max, for whom Hannah is developing romantic feelings. But there is someone new as well -- 16-year-old Izzy, a rebellious pink-haired artist -- half First Nations and half Scottish, who has been sent from Salt Spring Island to Cowichan Bay by her mother in an effort to distance her from a troublesome group of friends.

The novel is told in first person by both Hannah and Izzy, alternating as narrators with each chapter. Both girls are crusaders for animal rights and join forces in their efforts to bring down a poaching operation. In the process, they discover another, more far-reaching link between them.

The story has many diverse plot threads, and though the novel connects back to the first book, it stands up well as a read alone. In fact, I think I liked the second novel even better than the first.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hannah and her friend Max, who had a mystical adventure the previous summer, live in Cowichan Bay and are looking forward to another summer. Izzy, meanwhile, is furious at being in Cowichan Bay, where she's been sent by her mother to keep her away from her drug-using friends. The three come together to explore a mystery involving local poachers, which also brings in some of the mystical elements of the previous summer's adventure.

I read this a while back and I liked it for the most part, but was disappointed not to be able to recommend it to middle schoolers because of the drug use and violence. I was also puzzled by the intrusions of mysticism into what at first seemed to be just a straight-up mystery--there wasn't really enough of the mysticism to seem integral, so that didn't really work for me.

[Amanda Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved this book in a give away from goodreads and was very impressed.
The story line was very good kept you wondering what was going to happen next and really made you feel like you were a part of the story it was written in 2 diffrent point of views but merged them very well. a well written book by a new author althought this was the second book in the series it was very easy to read as a stand alone novel. I will keep my eye out to read her next bood and have to buy the first in the series.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty awesome :). I love watching writing style of new authors improve as a series goes on, and watching characters grow up as the story unfolds. The addition of Izzy in this one was a nice touch, tying it in with the first book while still keeping the two stories distinct. Looking forward to seeing them all again next time!

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book :-)

Incredible book deal with the problem of poking today and how everything changes if one person one person speaks out to change tomorrow change the future change what could be the fate of an entire species

[James Funfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Even better than the first one.

[Stacey Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read with vivid beautiful descriptions of Western Canadian coastal life. I couldn't put it down!