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Ingo #4
The Crossing of Ingo
The breathtaking conclusion to the critically-acclaimed Ingo series, by prize-winning novelist Helen Dunmore.
Sapphire, Conor and their Mer friends Faro and Elvira are ready to make the Crossing of Ingo – a long and dangerous journey that only the strongest young Mer are called upon to make. No human being has ever attempted this thrilling voyage to the bottom of the world. Ervys, his followers and new recruits, the sharks, are determined that Sapphire and Conor must be stopped – dead or alive…
367 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2008
59 people are currently reading
3065 people want to read
About the author
Helen Dunmore
118 books961 followersI was born in December 1952, in Yorkshire, the second of four children. My father was the eldest of twelve, and this extended family has no doubt had a strong influence on my life, as have my own children. In a large family you hear a great many stories. You also come to understand very early that stories hold quite different meanings for different listeners, and can be recast from many viewpoints.
Poetry was very important to me from childhood. I began by listening to and learning by heart all kinds of rhymes and hymns and ballads, and then went on to make up my own poems, using the forms I’d heard. Writing these down came a little later.
I studied English at the University of York, and after graduation taught English as a foreign language in Finland.
At around this time I began to write the poems which formed my first poetry collection, The Apple Fall, and to publish these in magazines. I also completed two novels; fortunately neither survives, and it was more than ten years before I wrote another novel.
During this time I published several collections of poems, and wrote some of the short stories which were later collected in Love of Fat Men. I began to travel a great deal within the UK and around the world, for poetry tours and writing residences. This experience of working in many different countries and cultures has been very important to my work. I reviewed poetry for Stand and Poetry Review and later for The Observer, and subsequently reviewed fiction for The Observer, The Times and The Guardian. My critical work includes introductions to the poems of Emily Brontë, the short stories of D H Lawrence and F Scott Fitzgerald, a study of Virginia Woolf’s relationships with women and Introductions to the Folio Society's edition of Anna Karenina and to the new Penguin Classics edition of Tolstoy's My Confession.
During the 1980s and early 1990s I taught poetry and creative writing, tutored residential writing courses for the Arvon Foundation and took part in the Poetry Society's Writer in Schools scheme, as well as giving readings and workshops in schools, hospitals, prisons and every other kind of place where a poem could conceivably be welcome. I also taught at the University of Glamorgan, the University of Bristol's Continuing Education Department and for the Open College of the Arts.
In the late 1980s I began to publish short stories, and these were the beginning of a breakthrough into fiction. What I had learned of prose technique through the short story gave me the impetus to start writing novels. My first novel for children was Going to Egypt, published in 1992, and my first novel for adults was Zennor in Darkness, published in 1993, which won the McKitterick Prize. This was also my first researched novel, set in the First World War and dealing with the period when D H Lawrence and his wife Frieda lived in Zennor in Cornwall, and came under suspicion as German spies.
My third novel, A Spell of Winter, won the inaugural Orange Prize for Fiction in 1996, and since then I have published a number of novels, short story collections and books for children. Full details of all these books are available on this website. The last of The Ingo Quartet, The Crossing of Ingo, was published in paperback in Spring 2009.
My seventh novel, The Siege (2001) was shortlisted both for the Whitbread Novel Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction. This was another researched novel, which grew from a lifelong love of Russian history, culture and literature. It is is set in Leningrad during the first year of the siege of the city by German forces, which lasted for 880 days from the fall of Mga on 30th August 1941. The Siege has been translated into Russian by Tatyana Averchina, and extracts have been broadcast on radio in St Petersburg. House of Orphans was published in 2006, and in 2008 Counting the Stars. Its central characters are the Roman poet Catullus, who lived during the last years of the Republic,
Poetry was very important to me from childhood. I began by listening to and learning by heart all kinds of rhymes and hymns and ballads, and then went on to make up my own poems, using the forms I’d heard. Writing these down came a little later.
I studied English at the University of York, and after graduation taught English as a foreign language in Finland.
At around this time I began to write the poems which formed my first poetry collection, The Apple Fall, and to publish these in magazines. I also completed two novels; fortunately neither survives, and it was more than ten years before I wrote another novel.
During this time I published several collections of poems, and wrote some of the short stories which were later collected in Love of Fat Men. I began to travel a great deal within the UK and around the world, for poetry tours and writing residences. This experience of working in many different countries and cultures has been very important to my work. I reviewed poetry for Stand and Poetry Review and later for The Observer, and subsequently reviewed fiction for The Observer, The Times and The Guardian. My critical work includes introductions to the poems of Emily Brontë, the short stories of D H Lawrence and F Scott Fitzgerald, a study of Virginia Woolf’s relationships with women and Introductions to the Folio Society's edition of Anna Karenina and to the new Penguin Classics edition of Tolstoy's My Confession.
During the 1980s and early 1990s I taught poetry and creative writing, tutored residential writing courses for the Arvon Foundation and took part in the Poetry Society's Writer in Schools scheme, as well as giving readings and workshops in schools, hospitals, prisons and every other kind of place where a poem could conceivably be welcome. I also taught at the University of Glamorgan, the University of Bristol's Continuing Education Department and for the Open College of the Arts.
In the late 1980s I began to publish short stories, and these were the beginning of a breakthrough into fiction. What I had learned of prose technique through the short story gave me the impetus to start writing novels. My first novel for children was Going to Egypt, published in 1992, and my first novel for adults was Zennor in Darkness, published in 1993, which won the McKitterick Prize. This was also my first researched novel, set in the First World War and dealing with the period when D H Lawrence and his wife Frieda lived in Zennor in Cornwall, and came under suspicion as German spies.
My third novel, A Spell of Winter, won the inaugural Orange Prize for Fiction in 1996, and since then I have published a number of novels, short story collections and books for children. Full details of all these books are available on this website. The last of The Ingo Quartet, The Crossing of Ingo, was published in paperback in Spring 2009.
My seventh novel, The Siege (2001) was shortlisted both for the Whitbread Novel Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction. This was another researched novel, which grew from a lifelong love of Russian history, culture and literature. It is is set in Leningrad during the first year of the siege of the city by German forces, which lasted for 880 days from the fall of Mga on 30th August 1941. The Siege has been translated into Russian by Tatyana Averchina, and extracts have been broadcast on radio in St Petersburg. House of Orphans was published in 2006, and in 2008 Counting the Stars. Its central characters are the Roman poet Catullus, who lived during the last years of the Republic,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
January 4, 2012
Helen Dunmore, a British author, well known for her books for children, has come out with yet another fantasy series called the Ingo series. Initially a trilogy, it soon went onto become a series with a total of 4 books. Ingo is the 1st book of the series. A fan of Harry Potter, I picked this book just by glancing at its cover…it featured a mermaid. :)
The story is about the adventures of Connor and Sapphire, who loose their father to the world of Ingo. He is believed to have drowned but Connor and Sapphire refuse to believe that their father is dead. As they and their mother struggle to get through the life without their father, Connor discovers the world of Ingo through Elvira, a mermaid who befriends Connor, and Sapphire soon follows Connor into Ingo with the help of her merfriend Faro. Sapphire becomes obsessed with the sea and Ingo owing to her strong mixed human-merpeople heritage. Unlike Connor who has more of the Air or Earth spirit in him, Sapphire’s Water/Ingo spirit dominates her thought process. As they delve deeper into this new world, they discover the whereabouts of their father, who turns into a merman and has a whole new mer-family. The story then moves to describe the different aspects of the ocean that Sapphire and Connor discover including their mer powers, and concludes with the family moving from Cornwall to a new location.
This fantasy series is quite enjoyable to read if you are an avid fan of merpeople and legends as such. One will appreciate the adaptable and more matured Connor when compared to the stubborn and hard headed Sapphire, who is quite intent on escaping the human world and her problems. On the whole, this is a good to read book.
The story is about the adventures of Connor and Sapphire, who loose their father to the world of Ingo. He is believed to have drowned but Connor and Sapphire refuse to believe that their father is dead. As they and their mother struggle to get through the life without their father, Connor discovers the world of Ingo through Elvira, a mermaid who befriends Connor, and Sapphire soon follows Connor into Ingo with the help of her merfriend Faro. Sapphire becomes obsessed with the sea and Ingo owing to her strong mixed human-merpeople heritage. Unlike Connor who has more of the Air or Earth spirit in him, Sapphire’s Water/Ingo spirit dominates her thought process. As they delve deeper into this new world, they discover the whereabouts of their father, who turns into a merman and has a whole new mer-family. The story then moves to describe the different aspects of the ocean that Sapphire and Connor discover including their mer powers, and concludes with the family moving from Cornwall to a new location.
This fantasy series is quite enjoyable to read if you are an avid fan of merpeople and legends as such. One will appreciate the adaptable and more matured Connor when compared to the stubborn and hard headed Sapphire, who is quite intent on escaping the human world and her problems. On the whole, this is a good to read book.
December 30, 2010
Haaah... "mimpi" itu akhirnya berakhir juga...!
Kenapa kubilang "mimpi"?
Karena ketika membaca Ingo (buku 1), aku serasa bermimpi...
Bukan mimpi ketemu kaum mer (manusia duyung), btw. Itu mah enggak penting, ^^'.
Tapi, mimpi bisa nyebur ke laut, lalu menarik napas dalam-dalam dan... enggak tenggelam.
Beneran, waktu itu pengen banget berangkat ke pantai sambil nyanyi-nyanyi lagu "Peggy Gordon" versinya The Corrs. Ugh!
Tapi ya, seperti kataku itu, "mimpi"-nya habis. Selesai. Tamat.
Penyeberangan dari Inggris, melintasi Artik, Selat Bering, Samudra Pasifik, sampai tiba di Gold Coast (iya bukan sih?) sudah dilalui dua manusia dan dua mer. Peringatan bahaya perubahan iklim dan perburuan paus, serta hewan terancam punah lain sudah diterima. Pesan simbolik 'kembali berdamai dengan laut' sudah tersampaikan. Yang jahat bisa diatasi. Sahabat jadi cinta...? Ya, bisa jadi.
Ingo lebih luas dari daratan. Ingo misterius dan masih menyimpan banyak potensi (berguna maupun bahaya). Namun, Ingo juga rapuh dan tak sanggup menyelamatkan dirinya sendiri. Ingo hanya bisa memberikan perlawanan. Dan yang dapat menentukan kemenangannya hanyalah manusia.
Seandainya aku ada di Ingo
Jauh di tengah laut asin
Mengarungi samudra terdalam...
*lirik jam*
Aah... waktunya memandikan Sadie...
:)
Kenapa kubilang "mimpi"?
Karena ketika membaca Ingo (buku 1), aku serasa bermimpi...
Bukan mimpi ketemu kaum mer (manusia duyung), btw. Itu mah enggak penting, ^^'.
Tapi, mimpi bisa nyebur ke laut, lalu menarik napas dalam-dalam dan... enggak tenggelam.
Beneran, waktu itu pengen banget berangkat ke pantai sambil nyanyi-nyanyi lagu "Peggy Gordon" versinya The Corrs. Ugh!
Tapi ya, seperti kataku itu, "mimpi"-nya habis. Selesai. Tamat.
Penyeberangan dari Inggris, melintasi Artik, Selat Bering, Samudra Pasifik, sampai tiba di Gold Coast (iya bukan sih?) sudah dilalui dua manusia dan dua mer. Peringatan bahaya perubahan iklim dan perburuan paus, serta hewan terancam punah lain sudah diterima. Pesan simbolik 'kembali berdamai dengan laut' sudah tersampaikan. Yang jahat bisa diatasi. Sahabat jadi cinta...? Ya, bisa jadi.
Ingo lebih luas dari daratan. Ingo misterius dan masih menyimpan banyak potensi (berguna maupun bahaya). Namun, Ingo juga rapuh dan tak sanggup menyelamatkan dirinya sendiri. Ingo hanya bisa memberikan perlawanan. Dan yang dapat menentukan kemenangannya hanyalah manusia.
Seandainya aku ada di Ingo
Jauh di tengah laut asin
Mengarungi samudra terdalam...
*lirik jam*
Aah... waktunya memandikan Sadie...
:)
February 13, 2012
:D loved the ending on this book. Although i always wanted some romance between Faro and Sapphire, yet it never happened. Elvira annoyed me throughout this book and sometimes i wished she wasnt part of it.
November 3, 2011
This was a thrilling book and I loved how the four teens had to bond together to face the challenges that lay ahead of them going south instead of north for the perilous crossing of Ingo. How will Sapphire and Conor react to their dad not standing up for them when they approached the seeing stone? In the end, they must forgive their father and realize he still cares enough to die for them when it comes to that. They all part their separate ways and leave Faro in Mer for the time being while Conor and Elvira drift apart and Rainbow edges into the picture.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2008
The fourth and final book in the ingo series. The end to this book shocked me greatly, and also made me cry, the detail in the book made me feel as if me and sapphire were one. It is an extremely good book to end the series with, i only wish that it was not over so soon. The end was very satisfying, from the beginning the excitement was intense and kept me occupied. Helen Dunmore has a way with words.
February 22, 2019
I enjoyed this one the most out of all the novels in the series. There was excitement and adventure like no other. So much happened in this one.
The kids are definitely growing up here. The Call has magically cleared the path for Sapphire and Conor to make The Crossing of Ingo which is pivotal to begin the process of healing the rift between Air and Ingo. Their mixed blood and the theme of not belonging by belonging to two seemingly separate worlds is a beautiful one as it transcends this literal difference laid out and echoes the many differences in our own world and the struggle of anyone who is mixed and finds himself/herself not wholly fitting into one rigid mould set by our society.
Elvira finally gets development and her relationship with the other more prominent characters, Sapphire, Conor and Faro are developed. She is finally fleshed out and I feel like I finally get a sense of who she is. The dynamics of this group of four also grows and changes. I thought that this was quite interesting.
Magic. I always love more magic. That dream/real/it's all happening inside of your head but it doesn't mean it isn't real sequence was great! Mom's character is developed. How wonderful! We finally get some stuff on her. That strange Atka or ghost or whatever has me intrigued and I hope I see her again.
Finally, the grand showdown was not a disappointment like the fearsome Kraken of The Deep. Way to go Dad! And OMG Conor! It was exciting! Also, the feelings of Conor showed that the victory was not celebrated as it usually is in many battles. What he did, despite the justification, is hard and that should never be forgotten. I thought that this was handled quite well.
So, why not 5 stars!? It's because I'm difficult to please. I really liked this book. There is no doubt. But it did not blow my mind entirely. I didn't totally fan girl, obsess over it and utterly lose myself in it.
The kids are definitely growing up here. The Call has magically cleared the path for Sapphire and Conor to make The Crossing of Ingo which is pivotal to begin the process of healing the rift between Air and Ingo. Their mixed blood and the theme of not belonging by belonging to two seemingly separate worlds is a beautiful one as it transcends this literal difference laid out and echoes the many differences in our own world and the struggle of anyone who is mixed and finds himself/herself not wholly fitting into one rigid mould set by our society.
Elvira finally gets development and her relationship with the other more prominent characters, Sapphire, Conor and Faro are developed. She is finally fleshed out and I feel like I finally get a sense of who she is. The dynamics of this group of four also grows and changes. I thought that this was quite interesting.
Magic. I always love more magic. That dream/real/it's all happening inside of your head but it doesn't mean it isn't real sequence was great! Mom's character is developed. How wonderful! We finally get some stuff on her. That strange Atka or ghost or whatever has me intrigued and I hope I see her again.
Finally, the grand showdown was not a disappointment like the fearsome Kraken of The Deep. Way to go Dad! And OMG Conor! It was exciting! Also, the feelings of Conor showed that the victory was not celebrated as it usually is in many battles. What he did, despite the justification, is hard and that should never be forgotten. I thought that this was handled quite well.
So, why not 5 stars!? It's because I'm difficult to please. I really liked this book. There is no doubt. But it did not blow my mind entirely. I didn't totally fan girl, obsess over it and utterly lose myself in it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2020
Why did her dad have to die though?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2022
jos tykkäätte sellasesta vähän lapsenmielisestä fantasiasta niin LUKEKAA TÄMÄ SARJA <3
May 4, 2023
Det händer mycket i den avslutande delen om Ingo. Ändå lämnar författaren en liten öppning för att kanske, kanske skriva en bok till.
En bok om att bli vuxen.
Jag gillar valen bäst...
En bok om att bli vuxen.
Jag gillar valen bäst...
March 28, 2023
It's better than The Deep and the ending was ok.
August 24, 2012
Sapphire, Conor, Faro, and Elvira make the crossing of Ingo. Conor and Elvira break up, Sapphire is christened "friend of Ingo", Faro comes to terms with his human blood, Saldowr is Dumbledore, Ervys dies, Helen Dunmore adds in "save the whales" subtext wherever she can. Ta daaa. So ends the Ingo series.
It was a decent book and a decent series. I think the issue is that I may be too old for it now. I read the first one three and a half years before this one. I need to stop doing that with series. I think I was also kind of waiting for the moment for somebody to shout, DAD. WHY DID YOU LEAVE US. WHY DID YOU BECOME MER. HOW DID YOU BECOME MER? WHERE DID OUR MER BLOOD COME FROM. WE ARE ANGRY AT YOU. But none of that really... happened. Nobody ever said anything. Everyone's anger was all very suppressed and I was quite enraged and feel like I never received a proper apology from the father!
And I still don't really understand what was so great about Ingo. There was something so foreboding about it underneath all the glittery fish and pretty colours and warm water. Maybe because I'm really not a big fan of the water myself. I'd much rather be up in the air with trees and fire and land and rainbows and cats and dry hair. But that's just me.
It was a decent book and a decent series. I think the issue is that I may be too old for it now. I read the first one three and a half years before this one. I need to stop doing that with series. I think I was also kind of waiting for the moment for somebody to shout, DAD. WHY DID YOU LEAVE US. WHY DID YOU BECOME MER. HOW DID YOU BECOME MER? WHERE DID OUR MER BLOOD COME FROM. WE ARE ANGRY AT YOU. But none of that really... happened. Nobody ever said anything. Everyone's anger was all very suppressed and I was quite enraged and feel like I never received a proper apology from the father!
And I still don't really understand what was so great about Ingo. There was something so foreboding about it underneath all the glittery fish and pretty colours and warm water. Maybe because I'm really not a big fan of the water myself. I'd much rather be up in the air with trees and fire and land and rainbows and cats and dry hair. But that's just me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2019
A nice conclusion to the series. I really love the premise of the Crossing of Ingo. I enjoyed all of the voyage arc. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, some actions in particular felt very out of character In general, I got a bit frustrated with the inconsistencies that littered the series. As in the previous books, it always seems like things happen very easily and conveniently. But overall Dunmore does a good job of bringing things to a conclusion and giving meaning to the events in the previous books. I just wish there would have been (even just a tiny bit) more romance between the main characters.
June 17, 2013
The last book in the series. When the call is sounded, all the young of Ingo that hear it go on the 'Crossing' - an epic swim around the oceans of the world. Sapphy and Conner, although half human and living in Air, are called too. But Ervys and his followers don't want any half-bloods polluting the tradition. They want Ingo to be pure and to fight back against the encroachments of humans, while Saldowr believes that it is the half-bloods that will bring healing to both Ingo and Air. Connor, Sapphy, Elvira and Faro set off together, deciding to head North to avoid the sharks that Ervys has sent to stop them. They face killer whales, hungry polar bears and Northern spirits, but have to work together to succeed.
This is a much darker story than the rest. The starving animals of the North was a point belaboured so much that it spoilt the enjoyment of the story for me. I did like the idea of the crossing though and, although the ending is very sad, it was a good one. All in all, I have enjoyed reading this series, a complete change from the authors adult books.
This is a much darker story than the rest. The starving animals of the North was a point belaboured so much that it spoilt the enjoyment of the story for me. I did like the idea of the crossing though and, although the ending is very sad, it was a good one. All in all, I have enjoyed reading this series, a complete change from the authors adult books.
May 8, 2019
Perjalanan yang membuat pembacanya seakan-akan ikut memasuki dunia laut. Sayangnya untuk akhir cerita tidak cukup bagus karena masih ada beberapa yang belum dijelaskan, seperti ketika Sapphire bertemu dengan Ibunya di Pantai pada saat penyebrangan Ingo, yang mana sebelumnya si Ibu diceritakan sedang berada di Puncak. Sungguh membingungkan.
December 25, 2021
hmmm... rasanya kurang menarik dibanding seri ketiganya, The Deep. Penyelesaian akhir kurang klimaks dan terkesan mudah, padahal tadinya harapanku kisah terakhir ini akan menjadi pamungkas dari tetralogi Ingo..
Want to read
May 8, 2009I are REALLY mad because this book is only sold in the UK!!!!!
February 18, 2015
Ending yang manis setelah petualangan mendebarkan.
Battlenya sederhana. Tapi buat aku mabuk kepayang rindu ingo sejak awal baca series ini.
Battlenya sederhana. Tapi buat aku mabuk kepayang rindu ingo sejak awal baca series ini.
August 17, 2011
Good series =] enjoyed reading it!
July 24, 2019
Plot Synopsis: Conner and Sapphire are again called by Ingo, this time to make the journey that all young Mer must make: the Crossing of Ingo. Alone, they must travel to the bottom of the world and back to prove they are true Mer. This time though, Ervys has gathered followers who are against anyone with ANY human blood in Ingo, and will do anything to stop them. On the journey, the siblings and their friends will discover their own identities and where their future lies.
Review: This was a good end to the Ingo series. Like all the other Ingo books, it really sucked me into the world. In the previous books, I always felt like I'd been suck into Ingo too, and would lose track of time between the two worlds. When I stopped reading, I'd feel like I'd been away a long time, like Ingo and my world really were on different time schedules.
This one is like that, but a little less so, since the majority of the book takes place in Ingo. It begins actually without Sappy or Conner, but with the Call being made to summon the young Mer. They hear it, realize the must follow it, and make their plans to be away for a while (surprisingly easy for two unsupervised children.) Also, the threat of Ervys is barely there, to be honest. He tries a few things at first, but our group of heroes quickly realizes that he'll be threatening them every step of the way, so they decide to get to the bottom of the world by going over the North Pole, thereby avoiding all problems.
The Pole part is pretty cool, and the overall journey was interesting although pretty calm since they'd avoided the bad guys. They did show up at the end of course, but the climax was pretty quick. At the end, though, I really feel that the characters have grown and matured since they'd first entered Ingo and really started to become little adults. It was a good ending.
Consequently, I don't think the author could go any farther with these characters; they've really done it all. (Personally, I'm also a little tired of Faro and his ocean-sized ego that never changes, and Elvira, who's just kinda there and doesn't get along with anyone.) I'd like to see a bit of a reversal, if anything, with the Mer characters being able to come on land, but I don't see how that could happen.
All in all, a good finish to the series, although probably not the strongest or most exciting book in it. Good reads.
Review: This was a good end to the Ingo series. Like all the other Ingo books, it really sucked me into the world. In the previous books, I always felt like I'd been suck into Ingo too, and would lose track of time between the two worlds. When I stopped reading, I'd feel like I'd been away a long time, like Ingo and my world really were on different time schedules.
This one is like that, but a little less so, since the majority of the book takes place in Ingo. It begins actually without Sappy or Conner, but with the Call being made to summon the young Mer. They hear it, realize the must follow it, and make their plans to be away for a while (surprisingly easy for two unsupervised children.) Also, the threat of Ervys is barely there, to be honest. He tries a few things at first, but our group of heroes quickly realizes that he'll be threatening them every step of the way, so they decide to get to the bottom of the world by going over the North Pole, thereby avoiding all problems.
The Pole part is pretty cool, and the overall journey was interesting although pretty calm since they'd avoided the bad guys. They did show up at the end of course, but the climax was pretty quick. At the end, though, I really feel that the characters have grown and matured since they'd first entered Ingo and really started to become little adults. It was a good ending.
Consequently, I don't think the author could go any farther with these characters; they've really done it all. (Personally, I'm also a little tired of Faro and his ocean-sized ego that never changes, and Elvira, who's just kinda there and doesn't get along with anyone.) I'd like to see a bit of a reversal, if anything, with the Mer characters being able to come on land, but I don't see how that could happen.
All in all, a good finish to the series, although probably not the strongest or most exciting book in it. Good reads.
May 24, 2017
Kisah petualangan kakak beradik, Sapphire dan Conor di Ingo kembali berlanjut. Sehabis banjir besar di St. Pirans, keluarga Trewhella kembali ke Senara dimana sudah jelas sangat dekat dengan teluk. Keinginan Sapphire untuk kembali ke Ingo sulit dikekang. Namun kali ini mereka kembali karena undangan yang datang kepada mereka. Ingo mengundang mereka untuk melakukan penyebrangan meskipun hanya kaum Mer (putri/putra duyung) yang biasa melakukannya. Penyebrangan ini penting mengingat kedamaian Ingo akan bermula dari sana. Pun dengan kedamaian antara Ingo dan Udara di hati Sapphire dan sedikit di hati Connor.
“Kadang, ada hal-hal yang jika tidak kaulakukan akan terus menghantuimu seumur hidup, berbisik di telingamu,” kata Granny Carne (hal.51)
Namun ada Ervys, kaum Mer murni yang menghasut banyak kaum Mer lainnya untuk memusuhi dan menyerang serta tentunya menghalangi penyebrangan yang akan kakak beradik tersebut lakukan. Di buku keempat inilah petualangan sebenarnya di lautan mereka alami. Termasuk perang besar dan kehilangan yang harus sekali lagi Saphhire dan Connor rasakan untuk ayahnya. Lalu ada juga proses pemilihan para penyebrang, kisah dengan lumba-lumba, paus bahkan dengan beruang kutub. Penasaran? Silakan baca langsung, ya. Tetralogi ini merupakan salah satu tempat pelarian terbaik dari penat di dunia nyata (versiku, ya, hehe).
Overall, ini masih buku yang menarik bagiku meski ada beberapa hal yang kurang greget atau kurang sesuai dengan harapan. Mungkin terkadang kita hanya perlu menikmati tanpa memasang harapan apapun sebelumnya. Kisah ini aman jika dibaca anak-anak di bawah umur. Adegan perangnya pun tidak terlalu menegangkan, menurutku, sih, hehe. Dan meski ini tentang manusia duyung, tidak ada yang menyerempet ke cinta-cintaan dan seterusnya. Malahan keindahan lautan lah yang lebih ditonjolkan, atau diperkenalkan melalui kisah ini.
Baca review lengkapnya di:
http://bukulova.blogspot.co.id/2017/0...
“Kadang, ada hal-hal yang jika tidak kaulakukan akan terus menghantuimu seumur hidup, berbisik di telingamu,” kata Granny Carne (hal.51)
Namun ada Ervys, kaum Mer murni yang menghasut banyak kaum Mer lainnya untuk memusuhi dan menyerang serta tentunya menghalangi penyebrangan yang akan kakak beradik tersebut lakukan. Di buku keempat inilah petualangan sebenarnya di lautan mereka alami. Termasuk perang besar dan kehilangan yang harus sekali lagi Saphhire dan Connor rasakan untuk ayahnya. Lalu ada juga proses pemilihan para penyebrang, kisah dengan lumba-lumba, paus bahkan dengan beruang kutub. Penasaran? Silakan baca langsung, ya. Tetralogi ini merupakan salah satu tempat pelarian terbaik dari penat di dunia nyata (versiku, ya, hehe).
Overall, ini masih buku yang menarik bagiku meski ada beberapa hal yang kurang greget atau kurang sesuai dengan harapan. Mungkin terkadang kita hanya perlu menikmati tanpa memasang harapan apapun sebelumnya. Kisah ini aman jika dibaca anak-anak di bawah umur. Adegan perangnya pun tidak terlalu menegangkan, menurutku, sih, hehe. Dan meski ini tentang manusia duyung, tidak ada yang menyerempet ke cinta-cintaan dan seterusnya. Malahan keindahan lautan lah yang lebih ditonjolkan, atau diperkenalkan melalui kisah ini.
Baca review lengkapnya di:
http://bukulova.blogspot.co.id/2017/0...
December 9, 2021
Guess I'll be in the minority on this one. The first three books were enjoyable - I liked the mystery and building tension of what was happening with Sapphire and Conor's dad and Ingo.
This one however, just felt like it kind of tapered off in a weird way. Like, I didn't really care that the Dad died at the end. As a character, I felt like I barely knew him. He was there briefly at the beginning of the first book, a handful of times later, and only a couple of times in the final book before he ends up getting killed. I kind of wish he had gone with them on the Crossing of Ingo. Even if it wasn't traditional, it would have at least given Sapphire and Conor a chance to actually know their dad in his new life and environment - to get answers about why he stayed in Ingo, what had drawn him in the first place, what his new life was like, and so on. Instead, he's killed at the end of the book and we still don't really know him. In the end, their anger at their father doesn't really matter because he's dead.
I also felt like it was a bit of a letdown that neither Sapphire or Conor became fully Mer, even if it was only temporary. I thought that by the end, at least Sapphire would have the ability to switch between human form and Mer form, but in the end, she just becomes fully Mer while still retaining her human experience.
The Crossing itself was also kind of a letdown. It's simply traveling around the oceans, and they take an unusual path to avoid trouble, and then end up doing the large majority of it by riding dolphins. It just felt too convenient.
I'm glad I read the series, because overall, I did enjoy it, and the mythology it presented. But the ending left a lot to be desired for me.
This one however, just felt like it kind of tapered off in a weird way. Like, I didn't really care that the Dad died at the end. As a character, I felt like I barely knew him. He was there briefly at the beginning of the first book, a handful of times later, and only a couple of times in the final book before he ends up getting killed. I kind of wish he had gone with them on the Crossing of Ingo. Even if it wasn't traditional, it would have at least given Sapphire and Conor a chance to actually know their dad in his new life and environment - to get answers about why he stayed in Ingo, what had drawn him in the first place, what his new life was like, and so on. Instead, he's killed at the end of the book and we still don't really know him. In the end, their anger at their father doesn't really matter because he's dead.
I also felt like it was a bit of a letdown that neither Sapphire or Conor became fully Mer, even if it was only temporary. I thought that by the end, at least Sapphire would have the ability to switch between human form and Mer form, but in the end, she just becomes fully Mer while still retaining her human experience.
The Crossing itself was also kind of a letdown. It's simply traveling around the oceans, and they take an unusual path to avoid trouble, and then end up doing the large majority of it by riding dolphins. It just felt too convenient.
I'm glad I read the series, because overall, I did enjoy it, and the mythology it presented. But the ending left a lot to be desired for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2024
2.5 *
Honestly, this book was a slight letdown after the first three books in the series.
Firstly, the whole book is just tragic. This is not just tied to the ending. The reconciliation for Saphine and Connor that their Dad would never return to 'air' with them and that he had a family in Ingo now; Elvria (just being incredibly annoying throughout the whole book; finding the whales daughter and the whole of that situation; the ending with the death of Saphires Dad and the dolphin; them leaving Ingo.
Ideally, the book might have been better if Dunmore had added a one month/ one year later, and maybe it was Saphire going back to Ingo or seeing Faro again. Equally, the book felt incomplete without her reuniting with Sadie, her Mum and Rodger. In fact, the whole ending kind of feels that you are led to believe that Sapphire will just one day leave for Ingo and not return, leaving her Mum and those behind her just as much as her father did or as Elvria did when she left for the north.
Also, Saldwor, I have so many questions. Where was he, and what was he doing the entire time the crossing was taking place?
That is not even to mention that the whole plot of the crossing itself seemed rather pointless, and there were many points in which I questioned why they were even doing it. Personally, I feel the book was mainly written to try and tie up loose ends, but it was not thoroughly thought through.
Honestly, this book was a slight letdown after the first three books in the series.
Firstly, the whole book is just tragic. This is not just tied to the ending. The reconciliation for Saphine and Connor that their Dad would never return to 'air' with them and that he had a family in Ingo now; Elvria (just being incredibly annoying throughout the whole book; finding the whales daughter and the whole of that situation; the ending with the death of Saphires Dad and the dolphin; them leaving Ingo.
Ideally, the book might have been better if Dunmore had added a one month/ one year later, and maybe it was Saphire going back to Ingo or seeing Faro again. Equally, the book felt incomplete without her reuniting with Sadie, her Mum and Rodger. In fact, the whole ending kind of feels that you are led to believe that Sapphire will just one day leave for Ingo and not return, leaving her Mum and those behind her just as much as her father did or as Elvria did when she left for the north.
Also, Saldwor, I have so many questions. Where was he, and what was he doing the entire time the crossing was taking place?
That is not even to mention that the whole plot of the crossing itself seemed rather pointless, and there were many points in which I questioned why they were even doing it. Personally, I feel the book was mainly written to try and tie up loose ends, but it was not thoroughly thought through.
July 17, 2025
“it’ll still be me, sapphire trewhella, and ill still be mum’s daughter. i’m not going to suddenly grow a tail and stop speaking english. i’m mer and human, but the thing that has changed since we made the crossing is that my mer blood isn’t fighting with my human blood anymore. there was a barrier in me too and ive crossed it. i’ll never have to throw away my human self, as dad had to, to survive ingo. and i’ll never reject my mer self.”
i remember reading the last couple of chapters over and over and over as a kid, and i did the same thing now, re-reading it as an adult. for multiple reasons, one being to make sure i really understood the ending of sapphire’s story, every single detail, and UghHhh it was such a good ending!!! i loved how she made the crossing of ingo to create peace between the two worlds of ingo and air, and how in the process of doing that, she created peace between those two things within herself as well!
and another reason being that i just didn’t want sapphires story to be over!!!! i wish we had another book about her life a year later or something like that. i want so many more books narrated by her and so many more pages of adventures from her pov! i will forever think about her and wonder what she’s up to. i guess i’ll reunite with her again in maybe another five years when i decide to read through this series for a third time xx <3
i remember reading the last couple of chapters over and over and over as a kid, and i did the same thing now, re-reading it as an adult. for multiple reasons, one being to make sure i really understood the ending of sapphire’s story, every single detail, and UghHhh it was such a good ending!!! i loved how she made the crossing of ingo to create peace between the two worlds of ingo and air, and how in the process of doing that, she created peace between those two things within herself as well!
and another reason being that i just didn’t want sapphires story to be over!!!! i wish we had another book about her life a year later or something like that. i want so many more books narrated by her and so many more pages of adventures from her pov! i will forever think about her and wonder what she’s up to. i guess i’ll reunite with her again in maybe another five years when i decide to read through this series for a third time xx <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2021
This is my first time reading this book. I’d read the first three when I was a kid, but never knew about this last book in the series. I had a really fun time reading this book. There are some small, nitpicky things here and there that didn’t work for me. I think the middle section wandering a little bit. The actual Crossing of Ingo felt a little aimless, and some plot developments felt a little convenient and contrived. It was way too easy for Sapphire and Conor too be able to make the Crossing, and the reasons given for it in the book were a little obvious and it kinda took out some of the stakes for me. But the world building here is still really thrilling. Getting to see more of Ingo and interact with new creatures and people was exciting and refreshing. The violence in this book also really surprised me. For a children’s book, the consequences here were very concrete and Dunmore handled those moments well. This is ultimately a very satisfying ending to a series that I held near and dear to me growing up. It explores ideas of belonging and being othered in a way I haven’t seen many children’s books handle it. I’m glad to have finally finished this series all the way through, and I hope to share it with my kids one day if I ever them.
June 23, 2025
Copying the review in my old account for I'm lazy to write a new one ‧⁺✧(˶´⚰︎`˵)⁺‧
The Crossing of Ingo is the book of changes and choices. The changes of Ingo, the choices of the Mer, the maturity of our lovely protagonists... and the changes of the heart. As always, Helen Dunmore has created a mystery yet beautiful Ingo, where I can easily follow the fantastic journey to the bottom of the world with Conor, Sapphire, Faro and Elvira… The fourth book has so many developments in the plot that I find myself both eager and anxious to read the final book of the Ingo series.
What makes this book stand out from its three previous ones is that Dunmore has expressed sorrow and fury – more exquisitely, I perceive – of the destructions human has done to the marine ecosystems, which are cleverly added to inherent details of fantasies and adventures of the series.
Thank you Helen Dunmore for bringing the wonderful world of Ingo to me.
The Crossing of Ingo is the book of changes and choices. The changes of Ingo, the choices of the Mer, the maturity of our lovely protagonists... and the changes of the heart. As always, Helen Dunmore has created a mystery yet beautiful Ingo, where I can easily follow the fantastic journey to the bottom of the world with Conor, Sapphire, Faro and Elvira… The fourth book has so many developments in the plot that I find myself both eager and anxious to read the final book of the Ingo series.
What makes this book stand out from its three previous ones is that Dunmore has expressed sorrow and fury – more exquisitely, I perceive – of the destructions human has done to the marine ecosystems, which are cleverly added to inherent details of fantasies and adventures of the series.
Thank you Helen Dunmore for bringing the wonderful world of Ingo to me.
August 6, 2020
4.25 stars.
A good ending to the series, playing to the series’ strengths by exploring more of Ingo. While the ‘villain’/conflict wasn’t really an effective ‘bad guy’, it was a small enough part of the story that it didn’t matter. The ending and character’s conclusions I felt were really well done. I like that Elvira and Connor didn’t get together, acknowledging they are teenagers, and you don’t meet your soulmate at 14. I also liked that Sapphire and Faro’s stories ended with just “I’m 14 and I don’t have to choose my future now,” which I think is a good ending for teenagers. Although I still wish there was a scene where Faro would visit the land, the ending felt good and hopeful, and was a satisfying conclusion for the series.
A good ending to the series, playing to the series’ strengths by exploring more of Ingo. While the ‘villain’/conflict wasn’t really an effective ‘bad guy’, it was a small enough part of the story that it didn’t matter. The ending and character’s conclusions I felt were really well done. I like that Elvira and Connor didn’t get together, acknowledging they are teenagers, and you don’t meet your soulmate at 14. I also liked that Sapphire and Faro’s stories ended with just “I’m 14 and I don’t have to choose my future now,” which I think is a good ending for teenagers. Although I still wish there was a scene where Faro would visit the land, the ending felt good and hopeful, and was a satisfying conclusion for the series.
January 28, 2024
A nice end to the series, but I was not satisfied with how things ended up between Connor & Elvira. I understand the decision as there were many hints of a relationship building between Connor & Rainbow; but it would have been insightful to have had further detail on the breakdown of Connor and Elivra’s coupling after such a big build up. I was sad their bond ended so quickly after their relationship seemed to have a lot of depth to it! I also feel like we needed a proper ending, maybe 5 or 10 years later to see what happened to Connor and Sapphire. I would have felt a lot more satisfied if that was the case.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2017
TGIF
Thank God I'm Finish.
Karena baca buku ini adlh siksaan. Ak kasih kreditlah untuk petualangan Saphy & Conor disini. Jd mengingatkanku betapa ak sll menginginkan kakak laki2, yg gk pernah ak punya.
Spoiler : ak senang Dad mati di ending, walau menghancurkan hati Saphy & Conor krn mereka kini tau dgn pasti Dad meninggal, setdknya kalo Dad mati, maka jika Mum, Conor & Saphy gk bisa memiliki Dad lagi maka Mellina & bayinya (siapapun namanya) juga gk akan memiliki Dad selamanya hahaha (evil laugh) --> pembaca kejam.
Thank God I'm Finish.
Karena baca buku ini adlh siksaan. Ak kasih kreditlah untuk petualangan Saphy & Conor disini. Jd mengingatkanku betapa ak sll menginginkan kakak laki2, yg gk pernah ak punya.
Spoiler : ak senang Dad mati di ending, walau menghancurkan hati Saphy & Conor krn mereka kini tau dgn pasti Dad meninggal, setdknya kalo Dad mati, maka jika Mum, Conor & Saphy gk bisa memiliki Dad lagi maka Mellina & bayinya (siapapun namanya) juga gk akan memiliki Dad selamanya hahaha (evil laugh) --> pembaca kejam.
June 2, 2020
This is the fourth and final book in the Ingo series. With each book, Dunmore plunges the reader further into the world of Ingo beneath the sea and the politics of the Mer people. I became spellbound over the four books,reading them in quick succession, giving the last two books five star ratings for sheer sustainability of thought-provoking adventure that is so very relevant for it's older children/teen readers.
I am now suffering from a massive book hangover.
I am now suffering from a massive book hangover.
May 8, 2023
I am so sad that this series has ended. I enjoyed watching Sapphire's growth throughout the four books, but I felt like this final book just kind of ended and I was expecting a family reunion with Sapphire and Conor's mom and Rodger and Sadie and I was a little disappointed that we didn't get one.
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