fig swims the world

by Lou Abercrombie

Fig Fitzsherbert is good at a lot of things: making lists, playing the piano, advanced mathematics. But it's never quite enough for her high-flying mother, who every New Year's Day sets Fig an impossible resolution. So one year, Fig decides to set her own challenge instead: she's going to swim her way round the world. There's just one tiny problem ... Fig can't swim. Taking it one length at a time, Fig embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. But with her mother closing in, will she be able to keep her head above water and complete her challenge? A quirky coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of Katy Birchall, GEEK GIRL and SUPER AWKWARD.

Genres: Fiction, Sports

384 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2020

About the author

Lou Abercrombie left Durham University with a First Class Maths degree before getting a job in television, where she worked first as an Audio Engineer and then as a Post Production Manager.

Reviews

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sick of my mother controlling me. She’s hacked into my life for too long, insisting on her ‘It’s my way or the highway’ rules; on me having to follow her timetable, dressing the way she suggests; achieving the New Year’s resolutions she makes for me.

Mubla decides what her daughter’s New Year’s resolution is going to be each year. Fig isn’t allowed to quit or fail, even if she hates the goal her mother has chosen. This year Mubla has signed Fig up for acting lessons. Fig doesn’t want to act and the idea of being on a stage terrifies her.

Fig has had enough of her mother controlling her. She decides to make her own resolution: Fig is going to swim the world! There’s just one catch; she can’t swim. Oh, and she’s scared of swimming. And of plenty of animals that live in the water. And of being alone. And the list goes on.

Speaking of lists, Fig loves making them. She also loves maths. Both will come in handy as she plans her adventure.

“It’s as much about the mental challenge as the physical. All you need is self-belief …”

I was looking forward to following Fig’s adventure around the world and when I learned of her struggles with anxiety I was even more invested in her success. I was keen to watch her learn to manage her anxiety, striving to achieve a goal that scared her. However, the more I got to know Fig the less I liked her. She was selfish and spoilt, and she annoyed me so much. The majority of the time Fig was more concerned with getting caught than with the impact her disappearance would be having on the people who love her.

I’ve disliked the main character in other books and still enjoyed the story though, so my frustration with Fig wouldn’t have been an issue for me if it wasn’t for my inability to suspend my disbelief. I read a lot of children’s and YA books and usually don’t have a problem with this. In this instance though, I think it would have helped if I could have read Fig’s story when I was a child. Unfortunately, adult me kept getting distracted, having trouble believing Fig’s year would have transpired the way it did.

[Spoilers Ahead! Please don’t open this section if you haven’t read the book.]

Although her parents are supposedly searching for Fig and there’s a social media campaign to find her, she manages to elude everyone for months when this should not have been the case. Why?

1. Fig used her mother’s credit card to finance the travel portion of her adventure. Her mother and/or the Police could have easily tracked her every step of the way. Why didn’t her mother advise her credit card company that the charges were fraudulent and cancelled them? Fig couldn’t have continued travelling all over the place if her travel reservations were cancelled. If, as her mother claimed, she knew where Fig was then why didn’t she go and bring her home immediately?

2. Fig uploaded photos of herself to social media along the way. Yes, her account was set to private some of the time but surely someone could have done a reverse image search, figured out her alias and found her by checking the metadata on her photographs.

This family seem to have the kind of money I could only dream of. The swimming equipment that Fig purchased with a “leftover birthday gift voucher” would be equivalent to my income for about two months. Fig doesn’t understand why her mother won’t trust her when she’s previously given her no reason not to, and I understand wanting to rebel against a controlling parent. However, the amount of money Fig must have stolen from her parents and her disregard for the morality of this decision got under my skin.

I had a particular soft spot for Jago, Fig’s younger brother. I wanted to get to know him better. I don’t know how Fig could leave Jago without really considering how her absence would affect him. I also didn’t think she was a good friend to Stella, who was supposed to be her best friend. I wish I could have spent more time with Sage and Myrtle; they were interesting enough to warrant an entire book dedicated to their lives.

Some scenes were too convenient for me and others quite predictable. It seemed awfully convenient for Fig to be seated next to an open water swimmer on a plane when she needed information and encouragement specific to this. The identity of one of the people who follows Fig on social media seemed obvious to me, yet she didn’t figure out who it was until near the end of her adventure. I expected the reveal about one of the minor characters, which happened late in the book, once the first clue was planted.

I admired Fig’s determination in facing her fears and achieving her goal, despite the anxiety she experienced, but I wanted to give her a good talking to whenever she felt the need to complain while she was doing exactly what she wanted.

I hate sailing! I’m sick of this trip!

I’ve loved all of the other books published by Little Tiger Group as much, or even more, than I expected to, so I’m really disappointed that this one didn’t work for me. If I’d managed to get out of my head early on when I was questioning the practicalities I probably would have been able to just keep swimming. Please read some other reviews before deciding if this is the book for you or not. I hope it’s a five star read for you.

Bubble, bubble, breathe.

Content warnings include anxiety and bullying. If you have emetophobia you may find it difficult to read some scenes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Stripes Publishing, an imprint of Little Tiger Group, for the opportunity to read this book.

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am honestly quite ashamed that it is has taken me until now to read this, because I was sent a copy at the beginning of 2020 right before the first lockdown, and even though I did want to read it very much, I just somehow completely forgot. But as you may have seen on Twitter, I am doing the cover reveal for Coming Up for Air, and so when I had this post planned anyway, it just seemed like fate for me to finally read Fig Swims the World. And it really was worth the wait! It’s the story of Fig, who decides to set herself a New Year’s Resolution of learning to swim, and not only that, but swimming the world by completing a list of 30 iconic open water swimming routes. Fig is such a determined and brilliant heroine to follow, in the vein of Harriet from Geek Girl or Anna from the It Girl, and I really adored the supporting cast too. This post could have been subtitled the one with intergenerational relationships, because we have not one but TWO (three if you count Maud!) in here, and mirror twins Sage and Myrtle and so supportive and lovely and kind. Fig’s best friend Stella is another excellent human, and their word games brought me immense joy, AND even taught voracious reader me some new words!! Which doesn’t often happen to me nowadays! Mubla is… a Lot but I think she does have her kids’ best interests at heart, and her little brother Jago the child genius is an utter delight. And Dab Dabs is precious, despite !! I can’t wait for you all to see the cover of Lou’s nex book on Monday, and of course to read it soon.

[Gemma Irving · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm definitely too old for this book, but it did make me want to go swimming 😂

[Daisy doodle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an author I've read before, want to find more of them though.

[Gill Hutchison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect story for a young teenager itching for independence and adventure

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aimed at 10-14 year olds this is a wonderful story of Fig, given name Lemony, teenage daughter of fiercely controlling QC mother Mubla and gentle but ineffective embalmer father Dab Dabs. Every year Fig's mum sets a resolution and expects Fig to achieve it, this year Fig has had enough and sets her own to swim the world. She can't actually swim but that is a minor hiccup compared to working out travel arrangements and finances. With the support of her best friend, she meets a delightful older woman who helps her learn to swim and encourages her to achieve her dream. The book then follows Fig's adventures, the story moves along well and the characters are well written, there are realistic scenes of Fig being scared and using social media to connect to her friends. It also reminded me how wonderful swimming can be and helped me imagine wild open water swimming which is all the rage now.

With thanks to Net galley for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very moving and incredibly motivational. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, the pace was zippy and I loved hearing Figs tales of her swimming. I truly felt for her pains with her Mubla and how overbearing she was. Fig was a likeable protagonist and a good role model.

[Sarah Corcoran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fig is clever, she lives at home with a younger brother, Mum and Dad. But she is bullied at school, pushed to do more study at home by her mother and is generally fed up. She is 15 and wants more. Her mother has come up with a New Year's resolution for Fig, acting classes with the local drama club. But Fig's New Year's resolution was a bit different, she is going to swim the world. 19 fresh or salt water races in 6 continents, over the space of a year. Slight problem - she can't swim. But as her very protective, pushy mother says resolutions should not be broken.
So begins an adventure into the unknown, the making of lasting friendships, a growing confidence in herself, that she could achieve something that her mother had no control over, and having the strength to stand up for herself.
In this age of mobile technology and social media, Fig finds the strength to turn off her phone and enjoy the journey.
This is a debut novel and I loved it.
I was given this e-book via net galley and Little Tiger publishers for a frank and honest review.

[Childrens Sequels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fig is clever, she lives at home with a younger brother, Mum and Dad. But she is bullied at school, pushed to do more study at home by her mother and is generally fed up. She is 15 and wants more. Her mother has come up with a New Year's resolution for Fig, acting classes with the local drama club. But Fig's New Year's resolution was a bit different, she is going to swim the world. 19 fresh or salt water races in 6 continents, over the space of a year. Slight problem - she can't swim. But as her very protective, pushy mother says resolutions should not be broken.
So begins an adventure into the unknown, the making of lasting friendships, a growing confidence in herself, that she could achieve something that her mother had no control over, and having the strength to stand up for herself.
In this age of mobile technology and social media, Fig finds the strength to turn off her phone and enjoy the journey.
This is a debut novel and I loved it.
I was given this e-book via net galley and Little Tiger publishers for a frank and honest review.

[Michael Rumney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Through Fig wanting to swim Abercrombie gives out a message that young girls can achieve things and be independent.
A compelling enough story which on closer examination had one or two flaws. The main one being, a missing teenage girl taking part in a round the world swim with other participants would be easy to trace.
Abercrombie uses various methods to get the story across from the traditional narrative, email conversations, text messaging, statistical tables and photographs.
We know from the start fig can't swim, the author tells us. Showing the reader a scene which demonstrates this would have been more satisfying.
Non the less an engaging read, probably more suited to under 12s than Fig's age in the book 15 going on to 16.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a warm and wonderful adventure story with a difference - Fig is a girl who decides to swim the world, but the only problem is she can't swim! She sets herself the huge challenge of learning to swim so that she can enter open water competitions all around the world as a way of showing her over-bearing mother that she is her own person. The story takes the reader to amazing locations - you feel as though you are with Fig as she sets out on her challenge. But it's also a story about friendships and about finding yourself and learning to be happy with who you are. Perfect for readers of Cathy Cassidy or Jacqueline Wilson.

[Jo Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it is aimed at young adults (I was in the wrong section of the library!) the cover and title grabbed my attention as a women on a swimming quest.

The story takes you on a journey of overcoming fear, building relationships, developing skill and bringing a big dream into reality. It feels a little unrealistic, and there is dishonesty and unbeliuevable parts of the story, but overall a great story, that while it may be somewhat fantasy, could be used to inspire your action.

An easy read that is well written, entertaining and heart warming.

[Steff S (The Bookish Owl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ebook previously provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

Fig Fitzherbert is a worrier. Her life is ruled by anxiety not helped by her controlling overbearing mother, known as Mubla. Mubla is constantly setting her goals and resolutions to complete and has a lot of rules.

Mubla's latest resolution is acting classes culminating in a stage role but the thought of speaking in public makes Fig throw up. She decides to set her own resolution! To swim the world! 20 open-water swims across 6 continents. There's just one snag - she can't swim yet!

I really enjoyed this and I really admired Fig's gumption and refusal to give up on her goal. I do think especially at the beginning Fig was a little blind to her privilege but she did realise and I appreciated how she got along mostly on her own.

I do wish there had been more of a confrontation with Mubla and the ending was very abrupt.

[BookAholicEllie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book, inspired me to start swimming again as i did competitively as a child before health issues. I loved Figs personality and showing how to overcome your fears, stand up to controlling parents and people generally. Amazing uplifting coming of age book .

[✰matthew✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this story. i loved the journey and the swimming and what happens along the way. i thought the character writing was fantastic and i loved the inclusion of the mixed media pages!

*the mother is abusive and a complete bully, i feel that should be noted somewhere.

[Katie Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an alright. Nothing ground breaking but enjoyable.

The one downside of the book was that the main character was supposed to be 15/16 but they sounded much younger.

[Kirsty]

I wanted to love it. I liked the messages it had about being yourself and doing stuff for yourself but when she actually left to go swimming the world it was so unrealistic I couldn’t get behind it.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Anxiety
Emesis
Bullying

[Raihana · Rating 3 out of 5]

#resolutions #independence #resilience

[Erica Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked the idea of this story. Go Fig! Might get out my swimming costume...

[Imogen C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm the wrong audience I think ...

[felix dobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have always been looking for a good book, i finally found one. this book showed me everything, it was incredible. i love it.

[Misha]

Reread 2026
I used to loveeee this book back in lockdown

[Is Jem]

Of course the book I have to write a report on for a job interview is one of those books that I have too many emotions about to think clearly.

[Lily Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! This book is the perfect combination of coming-of-age themes: breaking away from parental control, learning to be true to who you are, and seeking adventure, even outside your comfort zone. I loved Fig's journey, as well as the characters she met along the way. I'm not a swimmer, nor a list-maker, but I could still relate to everything Fig was going through and trying to accomplish.

I will be adding Fig Swims the World to the read-aloud rotation in my class. I feel the messages in this story will truly resonate with my students.

~Lily

[Leila · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
The book was a little bit childish in parts but it was still exciting and fun. Fig is a very motivational character and she's stubborn in a good way although I thought she was a bad friend to Stella and I would have liked to see her caring more about leaving her brother. Needed more of Sage and Myrtle.

[Em's Adventures · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, inspiring, suspense building and entertaining! 😊⭐✨🌟🔭💫