Ultramarine: 2

Ultramarine #1

by Jenny Nimmo

Ned and Nell piece together the mystery behind their strange inborn fascination with the sea as they help a strange man save an endangered species of seabird.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1990

About the author

Jenny Nimmo was born in Windsor, Berkshire, England and educated at boarding schools in Kent and Surrey from the age of six until the age of sixteen, when she ran away from school to become a drama student/assistant stage manager with Theater South East. She graduated and acted in repertory theater in various towns and cities: Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Hastings, and Bexhill.

She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.

Reviews

[Sula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Around the early nineties there seems to have been a thing for strange men appearing from the sea with The Mysterious Mr. Ross, Finders and also this book, Ultramarine. This fantasy element provides a framework for a strong environmental message about the sea. Younger readers would probably enjoy this fantasy set in the everyday world, and may not be put off by the message's lack of subtlety.

[Carina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, another book un-earthed whilst clearing out my childhood room. Now, I don't *think* I ever read this as a child. Certainly nothing in this rang any bells at all.

It's an interesting book to try and describe, a huge part of this book focuses on the devastation caused by humanity's carelessness when it comes to nature - in particular the oceans and the creatures that inhabit it or live near it. Rather heavy subject matter for a younger child - but possibly a good introduction to the subject. However, the 'evil' grandmother, the orphaned children and the general tone at times push this into the pre-teen kinda age group - at which point the environmental issues raised seem rather basic.

That said, it did keep this 27 year olds attention, even if I did pretty much guess the major plot twists so... not a bad book, not a great book. Not one I'd necessarily recommend but I am hesitating over giving it to a charity shop.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seriously painful, from the blatant environmental agenda, to the unsympathetic characters. I wanted to finish it because my kids had read it. It's a short book, but it took me several days to read because I didn't want to do it.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason as a kid, I loved this book to death...I must have read it 6 or 7 times, always renewing it at the library when the due date was being reached. Might have to read it again

[Asenath · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was kinda weird. Maybe if I liked the sea more. It caused me to have a weird dream.