The Flooded Earth

Quest of the Sunfish #1

by Mardi McConnochie

Forty years after a devastating flood changed the face of the earth, new consequences and challenges are still surfacing.

Twins Will and Annalie thought the hardest part about this year was going to be their separation when bookish Annalie began life at a prestigious Admiralty-run boarding school and avid sailor Will stayed behind in the flood-damaged slums. But that was before the Admiralty raided their father’s workshop. Before they sent a questioner to threaten Annalie at school. Before their father disappeared, leaving a single coded clue to his destination. Desperate for answers and to find their father, who is the only other family they know, the twins set out in the family’s small sailboat. But though they are both experienced sailors, they have no idea what dangers the sea has in store.

Genres: Middle Grade, Adventure, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy, Mystery, Family

352 pages, Hardcover

First published August 24, 2016

Reviews

[Laura Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forty years after a devastating flood changes the earth forever, twins Will and Annalie set off on an adventure to find their father and solve the mystery of his disappearance. At the start of the book, Will lives at home in the slums with his tinkerer father and their cyborg parrot, Graham. Annalie has won a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school where all her classmates come from much more privileged backgrounds. Spinner, their father, must suddenly flee their home and Will and Annalie discover that he has been lying to them about his past. Annalie comes home from school to help search and brings along her wealthy, sheltered friend Essie. Soon the children are on the run in a sailboat trying to hide from the authorities (the Admirality) and simultaneously look for Spinner at the same time. They face all sorts of danger -- pirates, cannibals, as well as forces of nature.

This is the first book in a planned trilogy. It was first published in Australia. I have never seen the phrase "cli-fi" (climate change-based science fiction) used before, but it definitely seems to be an emerging genre. I found this book to be well-paced, full of adventure and an exciting read. Current issues explored in this book besides climate change include immigrant issues, poverty, human trafficking and more.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brave, resilient 12-year-olds, challenging the might of a dystopian society's naval powerhouse with cunning and luck.

More to come in the series.

[CC · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. It was very intense with everything that could happen, or what I think they should do if I were them. I am very excited to read the next book!

[Stacy Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the future where the earth has been flooded as a result of global warming. Short, action filled chapters will appeal to kids. Strong female and male characters. Even a parrot who communicates more as a result of scientific experiments. When Spinner, the dad in the story disappears when the Admirality are about to take him into custody his two kids Will and Linnie(?) set out to find him on their sailboat, the Sunfish. Along the way they bring Linnie’s friend Essie and rescue a boy named Pod. To find Spinner they must evade the Admirality, beat back pirates and continually keep their wits at a level 10. 4th-7th Grade.

[Ainslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Flooded Earth was a book that I greatly enjoyed! The character were really well written, and the author had very subtle yet important emotions written in stunningly! The plot was good, and it is was a interesting setting. The only thing I found, was that in the book there were almost too many “close calls”. By 3 quarters of the way through the book, if Beckett (one of the Admiralty) came along, I knew that they would be able to get away with next to no struggles. It just became a slight bit repetitive!
Looking forward to reading more of the trilogy!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent adventure! Looking forward to the next book.

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has an interesting setting, the Earth having been flooded as the result of a climate change-induced accident, but that's about it. The characters are fairly flat and the plot is pretty predictable.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a surprise! One of those books you pick up on a whim and find a fantastic story and now you can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy!! Premise is a flooded earth and twins sail off to try to find their dad. Just excellent!

[Sierra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very slow paced. I never finished it because it was soooooo boring. Characters not entirely developed, good hook, but the story was kind of dry, barely any dialogue in the beginning and reading was kind of just touching a cactus for me.

[Brandi Smrekar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started strong but then fizzled for me pretty quickly. It was very long winded and predictable. I won’t be continuing the trilogy.

[Heather Neufeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trying for Enid Blyton, not quite getting there. Characters not developed enough, maybe?

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a future post-cataclysmic rising of ocean waters, Will and his father are interrupted by someone warning Spinner that "they" are coming. Spinner hands Will some cash, tells him to grab essentials and sends him to a friend. Then Spinner disappears. Will returns to their house a few days later to find it trashed. Someone was obviously looking for something. At her boarding school Annalie gets a strange visit from a man asking about who her father is friends with. She then hears from Will about what is going on at home, and after another brutal bout of bullying from other girls she is out of that school and on her way home. Her friend Essie tags along because her life is also falling apart and she's fed up with the bullying too. Upon reuniting, Will and Annalie determine they need to find Spinner and decide he must have gone to visit their "Uncle" Art on the Moon Islands. They snatch the family boat from the impound and set off on a wild sailing adventure to see if they can find their father or why people are after him.

This book has a great premise and I think as a child I would have found it enthralling. So I'm trying to figure out just why I didn't find it gripping as an adult. I'm tempted to give it a 2 but I'll give it a 2.5 and round it up to 3 since I think it will get kids reading. I think my meh feeling about it boils down to the fact that the characters are pretty flat. Essie, oddly enough, is the one with the most back story and shows the most emotion even though she's only a side character, and she was the one I ended up caring about the most. I can't really tell you much about Will or Annalie except that they are both stubborn and one is more mechanically savvy while the other is more head smarts savvy. I think if I cared more about them I'd have been much more invested in the story. I have the next book in the series but I'm in no rush to read it. Hand this to kids who like seafaring adventures and light dystopias.

Notes on content: Will has a little mouth on him and swears 10 mild swears (which I'm guessing don't even register in Australia, but would get him in trouble in America). No sexual content. The kids rescue a boy who has been a slave and who relates some child trafficking stories and child physical abuse. One of the children is shot in a skirmish with adults.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this one a 3.5, a rating I may raise when I read the other two titles. I had no idea that cli-fi (climate fiction) was a thing, but apparently it is as global warming continues to swirl in the public consciousness. Set forty years after a great flood that covered much of the planet, this book follows twins, Annalie and Will, as they search for their father, Spinner, who has fled their home when government agents pursue him. Annalie has been studying at an exclusive school where she's endured bullying and snarky remarks from her wealthy classmates due to her clothing, but as soon as she learns about what's happened at home, she leaves. Along with her friend, Essie, whose own family seems to be in a shambles due to a building scandal, she joins Will as they steal back their father's boat, the Sunfish, that has been confiscated, and hit the high seas. Along the way, they will meet pirates, spend a short time on a cruise ship, encounter cannibals, and rescue, Pod, left at sea by a cruel master. Since this is the first of a trilogy, there are plenty of questions left unanswered, but it's very clear that Spinner has been living off the grid for a reason, and that climate experimentation has been part of his previous life's work. The descriptions of the land and buildings, now covered by water, are excellent and may help some readers realize just how devastating the results of melting sea ice or increased water will be on the shores of various nations. I came to like all four of the main characters and Graham, Spinner's parrot, as I became enmeshed in the story and how close they came to disaster several times. The conclusion of this particular book may have some readers wondering about just whom you can trust in times like these.

[James Garman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forty years after climate change has led to a massive floor, Will and Annalee, the two children of a father whose past they know little about, has to disappear. His daughter is in a special school learning to be a guard for the state. She doesn't fit because and isn't exactly happy. Will is the brother and never wanted or seemed to be a person that an education would fit with, so he is at home. The father suddenly leaves.

The rest of the book is about the two children getting together with a girl in school with Annalie and along the way finding another homeless kid and trying to find the two's faother. It includes contact with pirates, various small socieities, a society of cannabals who are very welcoming. It also includings dealing what seems to be a world wide policing force that may or may not be corrupt.

They don't actually find their father, but the search goes on in book two and I think three. i recommend this novel because it is really quite fun, but lots of action and easy and fast to read.

[Michelle Mallette · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my full review here.
This new-to-North-America release is the first in a cli-fi (climate change fiction) trilogy, an Australian children's novel set in a future after the Flooding that further divided the poor and the rich. When their father suddenly goes on the run, twins Will and Annalie decide to find him, stealing the confiscated family boat as the first step. A sentient talking parrot, terrific chase scenes, and tantalizing glimpses of a climate-changed future all make this a great adventure that kids will enjoy. Just in this first novel, there are determined and dangerous authorities, pirates, cannibals and storms all threatening the children's success. Who can they trust but themselves? Looking forward to books 2 and 3.

[Quinn R · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly good book, with a good explanation of the characters. The book explains in a lot of detail the characters and their feelings, but lacks slightly in describing the surrounding environment of the book. The character's boat, which is what they are on for the majority of the book, is not described in a lot of detail except for that it is a box-shaped sail boat. The interior of the boat is better described. The book does not explain details about the multiple weeks of no excitement, which is always a good choice on the author's part. The book is stretched out, and could be easily condensed into a book about half of its length. In the end, it is a well rounded book with a seeable end of the book series, and doesn't lack in adventure.

[Ani Birch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had one of the easiest plots to follow, and I flew through it. Easy doesn’t mean dull—it was bright, engaging, and fun from start to finish. There was just one slower moment with pages of backstory that felt a bit long, but even then, it was still a joy to read.

I’d recommend it to any 8–12-year-old. The characters are sweet and believable, the dialogue is lively, and the action keeps things moving without anything too dark or scary.

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a most excellent adventure. Will and Annalie's dad, Spinner disappears one day and they set out to find him in their post apocalyptic flooded world. The characters are really interesting and the situations are believable and compelling. I really liked this science fiction mystery.

[Julia Tulloh Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This was fun. Set in the future after the ‘Flood’ (some sort of global cataclysmic climate change event), this follows some kids and their rag tag friends who need to sail off to find their missing father who’s on the run from the Admiralty (global military/governmental superpower). Some great insights about class which I think would help start discussion with young readers. Pacing/tension a bit funny sometimes but I’ll definitely read the sequels.

[Connie McCain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mystery - many unanswered questions. The story moves at a good pace with new characters being introduced along the way. There was enough information given and enough held back to leave me satisfied but also eager to read the next book: The Castle in the Sea.

[Edith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't particularly like this book. It had a good plot, but I just wasn't very interested by it. It was too dystopian and I couldn't relate to it at all. I think a person who likes books about long quests by ocean and a lot of people who you cannot trust would like this book.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An action packed adventure story. Some interesting environmental themes to unpack with students. I love a book that has a timeless theme and setting. It could be set anywhere. A great read!

[Karen Upper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this take on a dystopian world!

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

a solid plucky kids on a seafaring adventure, escaping the government bad guys, in future dystopian flooded earth. More a 3.5 book, but I'd be happy to read the sequel.

[Flowergirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book. So much Adventure, so much fun for me to read. I can't wait to get hold of the next book. It is such a fascinating book. Quite a bit of drama to. I love it.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this with my 10-year-old daughter. It’s a fun adventure story. Looking forward to the second book.

[Thomas Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best trilogy I have ever read.

[Eden Vesce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book! The plot seemed to drag on for a while and I have to force myself through a few sections but overall a good book. If you don't mind a slow plot, it's definitely worth the read

[Appolonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book and about the wild adventures the characters went through ♥️

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Flood hit, the world changed. The Admiralty took over, people moved inland, coastal cities were abandoned and became run-down slums. One of these abandoned cities was home to Will and Annalie. That is, until the Admiralty came looking for their father and they found themselves on a high-seas adventure to find him.

Will and Annalie set out to find Spinner, their father, with no idea where he could be. All they have is his old boat, some ancient tech, and his talking parrot Graham. When Annalie's school fried, Essie, ends up tagging along by accident, she ends up learning a lot of lessons: about the sea, herself, and what it means to be a family. Along the way, the trio becomes a quartet, picking up a stranded former slave named Pod. The four of them survive almost ever type of disaster you can imagine: storms, pirates, run-ins with the Admiralty. Eventually, making it to their destination, the only place they thought Spinner might have gone, the kids discover that you don't always know who you can trust.

This intriguing story of friendship, family, and adventure is perfect for middle grade students, both boys and girls. Some may relate to Will, a boy who doubts himself but feels responsible for the outcome of everything around him. Annalie is an intelligent girl, who is compassionate and would rather let Will think he's running the show than step in and take over even when she knows he's wrong. Essie is in the midst of family turmoil, but would do anything for her best friend. Finally, Pod has never known family, happiness, or security, and when he finds these three things in his new friends he shows true loyalty and love.

The only downside to the book was that I was unsatisfied with the ending. No spoilers here, but I was left wanting more. Thankfully, the next book in the series (The Castle in the Sea) comes out in June, and it is already on my to-read list!