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The Piranha Jumps at Brunch
11-year-old Calypso Blue is no orphan, but she might as well be. When she finds herself on a lush tropical island with two pesky adults who insist they're her parents, she knows they're lying.
For one thing, they (and their five children) have brown hair; Calypso has blond. For another, her real parents would never make her comb her hair. Or demand she dig a latrine. Sure, they all wear the same glasses as Calypso--glasses so thick and geeky they might as well be safety goggles--but that does NOT mean they're related. It means nothing at all.
Obviously, Calypso’s best option is to run away and join a family of parakeets. Or orangutans. Heck, even a den of spitting adders might be nice. But then, Calypso finds a filmstrip where a shadowy man in a hat claims she chose to come to the Island. She answered a want ad--an ad she can’t remember, but that promised constant danger, feelings of utter abandonment, and perhaps … treasure.
For one thing, they (and their five children) have brown hair; Calypso has blond. For another, her real parents would never make her comb her hair. Or demand she dig a latrine. Sure, they all wear the same glasses as Calypso--glasses so thick and geeky they might as well be safety goggles--but that does NOT mean they're related. It means nothing at all.
Obviously, Calypso’s best option is to run away and join a family of parakeets. Or orangutans. Heck, even a den of spitting adders might be nice. But then, Calypso finds a filmstrip where a shadowy man in a hat claims she chose to come to the Island. She answered a want ad--an ad she can’t remember, but that promised constant danger, feelings of utter abandonment, and perhaps … treasure.
333 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2016
17 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
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July 16, 2022
On an island filled with danger, Calypso searches for treasure. She finds strength, confidence, and a family.
When I got my first Kindle, I read SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON the classic tale of a family shipwrecked on an island on their way to Australia. It was first published in 1812 and I was charmed by the story of brave, cheerful parents teaching their enthusiastic, respectful children how to survive and thrive, even under difficult, dangerous circumstances.
This is sort of an up-dated version of SFR, but the parents aren't brave and the kids aren't cooperative and NOBODY is cheerful. This is a very modern book and has more in common with the "Harry Potter" series than with traditional children's stories.
Like Harry, Calypso has been thrown into an awful family where she doesn't belong. But while Harry was raised by his terrible aunt and uncle, Calypso just woke up one morning on an island with a father and mother who clearly hate her and a bunch of bratty siblings she doesn't even look like. She has no memory of her real family or of how she got to the island, but she knows SOMETHING is not right.
Then a man appears in a film reel and tells them that they all volunteered to come to the island to search for treasure. And their memories were partially erased to start them on their quest with a clean slate. Why would Calypso's real parents allow her to volunteer and how on earth are eight people (two adults, three big kids, and three toddlers) supposed to go about finding a treasure?
But then a trap door opens and the adventure begins. The action takes place in one day, but it must have been a very LONG day, because it's not a short book and it's jam-packed with events. The island isn't deserted at all, but filled with people. Some of the people are nice and helpful, but the ones in charge are vicious, unfair, and dictatorial. The Blue family (with Calypso a very unwilling member) is at the bottom of the pecking order and they must struggle to stay alive, never mind find the treasure. Wait until you meet Ned! I'll be having nightmares about him for a long time.
Like Harry Potter, the Blue kids discover that they are more powerful than they think. And they need all the magic powers they have, because the situation is dire and neither of the parents is any help at all. Frank is too busy blaming the kids to accomplish anything and Mae is lethargic and helpless. I was never able to work up any admiration or sympathy for either of them, but the kids are magnificent.
I had a tough time deciding what I think about this book. I got talked into reading it. (Who could resist a book by someone named "Sunshine Claw"?) I HATED the first chapter because it was dark and upsetting. I stopped reading it, but after a few days I went back and started it again. (Don't ask why. I certainly wasn't under any obligation.) Once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down. It's so well written. It seems strange to me, but I'm old and kid's books were milder when I was coming along. It isn't any darker or scarier than the "Harry Potter" series or than many other kid's books now.
A young relative once said, "I love books where the grown-ups are all dead or gone away or evil and the kids have to take care of themselves." He would have adored this one. It's very much in the new tradition of stories that introduce children to danger and challenge them to overcome obstacles. If you're up for some very scary situations and some really awful people, you'll love this book.
It's the first in a series, apparently. There's some closure at the end. Calypso learns some things about herself and where she came from. One of the bad guys is exposed. But the treasure is still out there and you know that Calypso and Reggie and Toothpick (who'll wear a dozen pairs of underwear if no one stops him) will keep looking for it. The good news is that they're a wiser, more united gang by the end of the story. They're tougher and more confident because that's what happens when you face obstacles and overcome them. There can be no real growth without struggle and hardship. That's the theme of this book and I think the author makes her point well and tells a wildly entertaining story while she's doing it.
This is a good book and I suspect the next one will be even better now that the author has cleared the underbrush and we know the major players. I'm ready to read more about Calypso and the others. And, naturally, I want to find the treasure. Don't we all?
When I got my first Kindle, I read SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON the classic tale of a family shipwrecked on an island on their way to Australia. It was first published in 1812 and I was charmed by the story of brave, cheerful parents teaching their enthusiastic, respectful children how to survive and thrive, even under difficult, dangerous circumstances.
This is sort of an up-dated version of SFR, but the parents aren't brave and the kids aren't cooperative and NOBODY is cheerful. This is a very modern book and has more in common with the "Harry Potter" series than with traditional children's stories.
Like Harry, Calypso has been thrown into an awful family where she doesn't belong. But while Harry was raised by his terrible aunt and uncle, Calypso just woke up one morning on an island with a father and mother who clearly hate her and a bunch of bratty siblings she doesn't even look like. She has no memory of her real family or of how she got to the island, but she knows SOMETHING is not right.
Then a man appears in a film reel and tells them that they all volunteered to come to the island to search for treasure. And their memories were partially erased to start them on their quest with a clean slate. Why would Calypso's real parents allow her to volunteer and how on earth are eight people (two adults, three big kids, and three toddlers) supposed to go about finding a treasure?
But then a trap door opens and the adventure begins. The action takes place in one day, but it must have been a very LONG day, because it's not a short book and it's jam-packed with events. The island isn't deserted at all, but filled with people. Some of the people are nice and helpful, but the ones in charge are vicious, unfair, and dictatorial. The Blue family (with Calypso a very unwilling member) is at the bottom of the pecking order and they must struggle to stay alive, never mind find the treasure. Wait until you meet Ned! I'll be having nightmares about him for a long time.
Like Harry Potter, the Blue kids discover that they are more powerful than they think. And they need all the magic powers they have, because the situation is dire and neither of the parents is any help at all. Frank is too busy blaming the kids to accomplish anything and Mae is lethargic and helpless. I was never able to work up any admiration or sympathy for either of them, but the kids are magnificent.
I had a tough time deciding what I think about this book. I got talked into reading it. (Who could resist a book by someone named "Sunshine Claw"?) I HATED the first chapter because it was dark and upsetting. I stopped reading it, but after a few days I went back and started it again. (Don't ask why. I certainly wasn't under any obligation.) Once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down. It's so well written. It seems strange to me, but I'm old and kid's books were milder when I was coming along. It isn't any darker or scarier than the "Harry Potter" series or than many other kid's books now.
A young relative once said, "I love books where the grown-ups are all dead or gone away or evil and the kids have to take care of themselves." He would have adored this one. It's very much in the new tradition of stories that introduce children to danger and challenge them to overcome obstacles. If you're up for some very scary situations and some really awful people, you'll love this book.
It's the first in a series, apparently. There's some closure at the end. Calypso learns some things about herself and where she came from. One of the bad guys is exposed. But the treasure is still out there and you know that Calypso and Reggie and Toothpick (who'll wear a dozen pairs of underwear if no one stops him) will keep looking for it. The good news is that they're a wiser, more united gang by the end of the story. They're tougher and more confident because that's what happens when you face obstacles and overcome them. There can be no real growth without struggle and hardship. That's the theme of this book and I think the author makes her point well and tells a wildly entertaining story while she's doing it.
This is a good book and I suspect the next one will be even better now that the author has cleared the underbrush and we know the major players. I'm ready to read more about Calypso and the others. And, naturally, I want to find the treasure. Don't we all?
Displaying 1 of 1 review