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Coming Up for Air
When Coco moves to the seaside town where her mum grew up, she’s excited to make friends and find out more about the family her mum has kept from her. What she doesn’t expect is to be met with resentment from the community. Whatever secrets her mum’s hiding, they run deep.
But Coco is determined and her love of swimming and natural talent for freediving helps her start to break through with the ocean-loving locals. Until disaster strikes at sea...
As history threatens to repeat itself, will Coco ever be able to undo the age-old rift?
But Coco is determined and her love of swimming and natural talent for freediving helps her start to break through with the ocean-loving locals. Until disaster strikes at sea...
As history threatens to repeat itself, will Coco ever be able to undo the age-old rift?
- GenresYoung Adult
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2023
4 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Lou Abercrombie
7 books8 followersLou 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 24, 2024
❝ I’m not a Cuckoo or a Zombie or a Fish! I’m Coco James, the girl who doesn’t give up… ❞
April 2, 2022
”Being in the sea is the one place where I feel I can come up for air and just breathe again.” She pauses to look at me. “The sea will be different tomorrow, and so will you.”
When 15-year old Coco’s learns about their move back to the seaside town where her mum grew up, she is both excited and nervous. On the one hand, fitting in with the small-town teens that look at outsiders with a wary eye isn’t easy. On the other hand, their coastal location will give her the chance to fully explore her hobby for swimming and freediving on a daily basis. This passion for freediving turns out to be not just the key to making new friends among the locals, but also to uncover some secrets about her family that her mum has kept hidden for years.
What I loved:
The sea-side setting and the element of freediving were what initially drew me to this story, and both came through the way I wanted them to. The town of Piscary came to life of the pages, with its picturesque beaches and coastal rock caves. The local culture and silent feud between the natives (Fish), newcomers (Cuckoos) and seasonal tourists (Zombies) gives it a realistic and lived-in feeling that makes it easy to immerse yourself in the setting.
That “lively” feeling is even more apparent in the scenes surrounding freediving, as this is where the novel truly shines. I wasn’t surprised to read in the author’s note that they’re a fervent swimmer themselves, as their knowledge and passion for the subject really shone through. Our protagonist Coco does the best when she’s in water, and the same can be said for this book in general.
Speaking of Coco: I liked her as our main character. She reads like a realistic, bubbly 15-year old, and narrates the story with a distinct voice.
What I didn’t love:
That distinct narrative voice is also where she began to get grind my gears however. Coco is an aspiring filmmaker, and narrates large parts of her story like she’s directing a movie. Throughout a scene, you’ll get cues like "cut to slow panning camera-shot” or “looks at camera”. while it’s a fun gimmick at first, it quickly becomes overused and stale.
Another issue I had with the writing style was how some more action-y scenes felt a little choppy. I had a few moments where I missed an important action point, and had to do a small double take, because the rhythm of the scene was off.
Overall however, the main reason for my three-star rating was how middle of the road the story felt. Apart from the freediving-aspect, nothing particularly stood out to me. The story was exactly what I expected from a YA-contemporary, characters were fine but unmemorable and none of the representation was ground breaking.
Had I been 15, I would’ve probably had a great time reading this, especially during the summer on a beach. As it stands however, it’s not one of those stories I’ll remember for years and years to come.
I’d recommend this story mostly to readers on the younger side of YA; say 12 to 16.
Even though it didn’t pack the same emotional punch for me as either of these novels, Coming Up for Air will probably be worth checking out if you enjoyed Summer of Salt or The Last True Poets of the Sea.
Thanks to Little Tiger Group Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When 15-year old Coco’s learns about their move back to the seaside town where her mum grew up, she is both excited and nervous. On the one hand, fitting in with the small-town teens that look at outsiders with a wary eye isn’t easy. On the other hand, their coastal location will give her the chance to fully explore her hobby for swimming and freediving on a daily basis. This passion for freediving turns out to be not just the key to making new friends among the locals, but also to uncover some secrets about her family that her mum has kept hidden for years.
What I loved:
The sea-side setting and the element of freediving were what initially drew me to this story, and both came through the way I wanted them to. The town of Piscary came to life of the pages, with its picturesque beaches and coastal rock caves. The local culture and silent feud between the natives (Fish), newcomers (Cuckoos) and seasonal tourists (Zombies) gives it a realistic and lived-in feeling that makes it easy to immerse yourself in the setting.
That “lively” feeling is even more apparent in the scenes surrounding freediving, as this is where the novel truly shines. I wasn’t surprised to read in the author’s note that they’re a fervent swimmer themselves, as their knowledge and passion for the subject really shone through. Our protagonist Coco does the best when she’s in water, and the same can be said for this book in general.
Speaking of Coco: I liked her as our main character. She reads like a realistic, bubbly 15-year old, and narrates the story with a distinct voice.
What I didn’t love:
That distinct narrative voice is also where she began to get grind my gears however. Coco is an aspiring filmmaker, and narrates large parts of her story like she’s directing a movie. Throughout a scene, you’ll get cues like "cut to slow panning camera-shot” or “looks at camera”. while it’s a fun gimmick at first, it quickly becomes overused and stale.
Another issue I had with the writing style was how some more action-y scenes felt a little choppy. I had a few moments where I missed an important action point, and had to do a small double take, because the rhythm of the scene was off.
Overall however, the main reason for my three-star rating was how middle of the road the story felt. Apart from the freediving-aspect, nothing particularly stood out to me. The story was exactly what I expected from a YA-contemporary, characters were fine but unmemorable and none of the representation was ground breaking.
Had I been 15, I would’ve probably had a great time reading this, especially during the summer on a beach. As it stands however, it’s not one of those stories I’ll remember for years and years to come.
I’d recommend this story mostly to readers on the younger side of YA; say 12 to 16.
Even though it didn’t pack the same emotional punch for me as either of these novels, Coming Up for Air will probably be worth checking out if you enjoyed Summer of Salt or The Last True Poets of the Sea.
Thanks to Little Tiger Group Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2023
A mani basse uno dei libri più brutti che abbia mai letto.
March 22, 2022
When Coco James and her mother, Min are forced to leave London for the Cornish seaside town of Piscary, emotions tug like riptides. It’s where Min grew up, but she hasn’t been back since she was 17, and Coco’s never met her uncle, who still resides there in a cliff top house. What’s waiting for them there? Will they ever return to London? What about the friends they’ve left behind? While Min and Uncle Henry argue as if they were still two squabbling children, fifteen-year-old Coco drifts off to see what she can find to pass the time and to suppress the misery of leaving everything she knows behind. The lure of picturesque Piscary – the sea, the beaches, the littles lanes and shops (the same things that lure tourists, aka Zombies, every summer) – is a momentary distraction. But beneath the pretty surface lurk old wounds and deep-set grudges, and spirited Coco quickly discovers that it’s not going to be easy making friends, even with her twinkling smile. Not when her mother – a woman with lots of glamour and lacking in grace – is clearly a pariah in the town. The prejudices of locals – known as the Fish – continue down the family lines, and the Fish kids are viciously disparaging about the Zombies and the Cuckoos (people who have moved into the area and bought houses); and they see Coco as both. For, despite the James family having moved to the cliff top house when Min and Henry were just toddlers, they’re still considered to be Cuckoos. But there’s another reason why her family isn’t welcome…and if Coco is to make any friends and have a future in Piscary, she needs to find out why. Who was her father? How did he die? Why does everyone seem to hate her mother?
I enjoyed Lou Abercrombie’s first book, Fig Swims the World, but I absolutely loved this one. It might be a seaside story with the friendship tangles – but here there are serious depths. Coco has coped with having an unmaternal mother (Min) by becoming resourceful, self-regulating and incorrigibly up-beat. Up until now, that’s worked. But in Piscary, her efforts to integrate hit wave after wave of backlash from the locals, and the cracks begin to show. But she’s a shining example of how we should be who we are even in the face of adversity. She refuses to give in and crawl away. She won't let an ancient baseless prejudice continue to warp relationships. She will make friends, no matter how hard it seems. And when she feels the pressure, she heads for water. As it happens, it’s in doing this that she finds some connection with the locals. And some particular connections that she never knew existed.
A really wonderful side-bar to this story is that Coco desperately wants to be a documentary film-maker, and the story is told in parts as if she were recording her move to Piscary on her phone to be eventually turned into a film. This includes describing panning shots and close ups and breaking the fourth wall - a side-eye or comment to the reader - which works brilliantly in breaking tensions, bringing comedy and creating breathing space in a paragraph. There are also some excellent fish facts, delivered by Uncle Henry's obsession with marine life - another thread of the story which has its rich rewards.
Coming Up For Air is so well painted it could hang on the wall – the descriptions of the coastline and sea in particular are dramatic and beautiful – but it’s also full of adventure. There are caves to explore, dangerous seas to tread, and a West Side Story-esque spat between the Fish, the Cuckoos and the Zombies (although the fight is with tongues only). But, at the end, after many storms, we discover that we’re not all that different. City-dwellers, Fish, friends and foes – we have the same values, and if we just come up for air we’ll see the common ground between us.
For 11+
I enjoyed Lou Abercrombie’s first book, Fig Swims the World, but I absolutely loved this one. It might be a seaside story with the friendship tangles – but here there are serious depths. Coco has coped with having an unmaternal mother (Min) by becoming resourceful, self-regulating and incorrigibly up-beat. Up until now, that’s worked. But in Piscary, her efforts to integrate hit wave after wave of backlash from the locals, and the cracks begin to show. But she’s a shining example of how we should be who we are even in the face of adversity. She refuses to give in and crawl away. She won't let an ancient baseless prejudice continue to warp relationships. She will make friends, no matter how hard it seems. And when she feels the pressure, she heads for water. As it happens, it’s in doing this that she finds some connection with the locals. And some particular connections that she never knew existed.
A really wonderful side-bar to this story is that Coco desperately wants to be a documentary film-maker, and the story is told in parts as if she were recording her move to Piscary on her phone to be eventually turned into a film. This includes describing panning shots and close ups and breaking the fourth wall - a side-eye or comment to the reader - which works brilliantly in breaking tensions, bringing comedy and creating breathing space in a paragraph. There are also some excellent fish facts, delivered by Uncle Henry's obsession with marine life - another thread of the story which has its rich rewards.
Coming Up For Air is so well painted it could hang on the wall – the descriptions of the coastline and sea in particular are dramatic and beautiful – but it’s also full of adventure. There are caves to explore, dangerous seas to tread, and a West Side Story-esque spat between the Fish, the Cuckoos and the Zombies (although the fight is with tongues only). But, at the end, after many storms, we discover that we’re not all that different. City-dwellers, Fish, friends and foes – we have the same values, and if we just come up for air we’ll see the common ground between us.
For 11+
June 23, 2025
Possibile che nessuno si sia accorto che una casa vecchia e dilapidata non può avere un attico?! E quale traduttore confonde, sempre e comunque, un attico per una soffitta.
Oltre a questo esempio, ci sono vari altri casi in cui si legge l'inglese sotto la traduzione italiana. E non è mai un buon segno.
A parte questo.
Protagonista simpatica come il mal di pancia in una giornata di sole. Lei è perfetta: con la sua telecamera deve riprendere tutto e deve migliorare la cittadina in cui è arrivata dopo che la madre ha perso il lavoro a Londra. Gli autoctoni non la possono sopportare e li capisco: arriva questa straniera e pretende di capire come va il mondo nel giro di due secondi. E poi si azzarda a spiegare a tutti quello che dovrebbero fare.
Non dimentichiamoci che è anche campionessa di immersione. Batte addirittura chi è nato vicino al mare e lo fa da quando era bambino.
Mistero poco significativo. Ho aspettato tanto che il libro decollasse ma invece di un jet... è partita una gallina. Ed è atterrata subito dopo. Conclusione troppo affrettata.
Bella copertina.
Diretto in archivio.
Oltre a questo esempio, ci sono vari altri casi in cui si legge l'inglese sotto la traduzione italiana. E non è mai un buon segno.
A parte questo.
Protagonista simpatica come il mal di pancia in una giornata di sole. Lei è perfetta: con la sua telecamera deve riprendere tutto e deve migliorare la cittadina in cui è arrivata dopo che la madre ha perso il lavoro a Londra. Gli autoctoni non la possono sopportare e li capisco: arriva questa straniera e pretende di capire come va il mondo nel giro di due secondi. E poi si azzarda a spiegare a tutti quello che dovrebbero fare.
Non dimentichiamoci che è anche campionessa di immersione. Batte addirittura chi è nato vicino al mare e lo fa da quando era bambino.
Mistero poco significativo. Ho aspettato tanto che il libro decollasse ma invece di un jet... è partita una gallina. Ed è atterrata subito dopo. Conclusione troppo affrettata.
Bella copertina.
Diretto in archivio.
March 24, 2022
Review to follow...
February 27, 2023
So good
August 2, 2022
3.5
I liked the underwater scenes and the myths that surrounded the town, just adds some fairytale spice into everything. The characters were interesting enough that I want to get to know them more. I liked the connections to the past and think a split pov of maybe Coco and her mom would’ve been cool. I did find coco annoying at times not gonna lie oop and some of the dialogue felt unnatural, same as the production lingo.
Having seen seals up close for the first time a few weeks ago in Scotland it was exciting to read about them a bit hehe. I do wish there was a dolphin interaction somewhere in there, that would’ve been perfect. The free diving stuff was really nice though and the connection the talent created was a nice part of the story.
I feel like I’ve gotten worse at reviewing stuff lol.
Execution was fine, vibes were vibey.
I liked the underwater scenes and the myths that surrounded the town, just adds some fairytale spice into everything. The characters were interesting enough that I want to get to know them more. I liked the connections to the past and think a split pov of maybe Coco and her mom would’ve been cool. I did find coco annoying at times not gonna lie oop and some of the dialogue felt unnatural, same as the production lingo.
Having seen seals up close for the first time a few weeks ago in Scotland it was exciting to read about them a bit hehe. I do wish there was a dolphin interaction somewhere in there, that would’ve been perfect. The free diving stuff was really nice though and the connection the talent created was a nice part of the story.
I feel like I’ve gotten worse at reviewing stuff lol.
Execution was fine, vibes were vibey.
August 22, 2023
What I like:
- Coco wants to be a film director someday thus the reason for "cue to..." and "looks to camera." It shows her personality and how she views her life (like a film, though imperfect).
- Coco's determination to make friends and not stop the titles that the townspeople give to everyone.
- How quickly Coco adjusted to the water despite being a city girl, shows how she is very like her father.
-How she found out about her history and reunited with her family.
--> Like how she is Leo's cousin!! (Was kinda shocked)
What I did not like:
- How certain things were very vague, especially about the drawing in the cave by her father. I felt like she could have gathered more information about it. Additionally, although I can understand the relationship status between Coco with her mum and uncle, I felt like the way the relationship was eventually fixed/grew at the end was not written well (as said, very vague).
- The plot was only at the end of the story. Literally!! The "Until disaster strikes at sea..." in the description only happened at the end!! This was rather annoying because that meant that first, the resolution was really really really short. Secondly, meant that everything before was almost unnecessary. This is true because many parts could have been cut short. For example, how Coco's plan to bring together the people was solved in the end (resolution), before that was all talks no action.
- Too many characters. Maybe it is just me who finds it hard to remember and connect all the characters, but I feel like some characters like the hotel man or something could be left out, or just said as "the hotel man." (I am honestly unsure who he is, maybe the post office guy...really really confusing to the point that I did not bother to remember about him)
- Once she told people she is Coco James, everyone either hated her or loved her. I understand why people hate her (cos of Min and blah blah blah) but the fact that everyone started to love her like that "Hej" lady. (I honestly am confused, the Hej lady hated her at first right? Lol)
-------
Overall, I did not really enjoy this book. Yeah, there were things that were cute and all but it was too wordy and did not get to the climax only until the end. Mmmm so I do not think I would recommend :/
- Coco wants to be a film director someday thus the reason for "cue to..." and "looks to camera." It shows her personality and how she views her life (like a film, though imperfect).
- Coco's determination to make friends and not stop the titles that the townspeople give to everyone.
- How quickly Coco adjusted to the water despite being a city girl, shows how she is very like her father.
-How she found out about her history and reunited with her family.
--> Like how she is Leo's cousin!! (Was kinda shocked)
What I did not like:
- How certain things were very vague, especially about the drawing in the cave by her father. I felt like she could have gathered more information about it. Additionally, although I can understand the relationship status between Coco with her mum and uncle, I felt like the way the relationship was eventually fixed/grew at the end was not written well (as said, very vague).
- The plot was only at the end of the story. Literally!! The "Until disaster strikes at sea..." in the description only happened at the end!! This was rather annoying because that meant that first, the resolution was really really really short. Secondly, meant that everything before was almost unnecessary. This is true because many parts could have been cut short. For example, how Coco's plan to bring together the people was solved in the end (resolution), before that was all talks no action.
- Too many characters. Maybe it is just me who finds it hard to remember and connect all the characters, but I feel like some characters like the hotel man or something could be left out, or just said as "the hotel man." (I am honestly unsure who he is, maybe the post office guy...really really confusing to the point that I did not bother to remember about him)
- Once she told people she is Coco James, everyone either hated her or loved her. I understand why people hate her (cos of Min and blah blah blah) but the fact that everyone started to love her like that "Hej" lady. (I honestly am confused, the Hej lady hated her at first right? Lol)
-------
Overall, I did not really enjoy this book. Yeah, there were things that were cute and all but it was too wordy and did not get to the climax only until the end. Mmmm so I do not think I would recommend :/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2022
Thanks once again to Netgalley, the Publisher and the Author for allowing me to read an ARC of Coming Up For Air.
I really enjoyed this book and I finished within 24 hours which speaks volumes to how good a book is in my eyes. I thought it had an Outer Banks vibe to it if you’ve ever watched the Netflix show you’ll know what I mean about the people who live in outer banks and the people who just come for the summer to second houses and the rivalry between them all.
Coming Up For Air had this too with the “Fishes” who are born and bred residents of the seaside town of Piscary, “Cuckoos” who bought houses in Piscary and live in it but wasn’t born in Piscary and “Zombies” who just come to enjoy the town for the summer. Coco tried her hardest to bring the town together and stop with the silly names all whilst keeping her big secret that she really wanted to tell so she could be free and honest and finally have a proper family.
One of my favourite parts of the book was Coco’s relationship with her Uncle Henry and how both of them overcame different fears and learnt to open up to people and start again. I thank the author for highlighting Chronic pain and health issues as I suffer from one myself and I think that sometimes people don’t realise how hard it is to do day to day tasks like Uncle Henry struggled with .
Coco is an inspiring Film Maker thanks to her mums previous work in the industry and I really enjoyed that element to the book how it told you about the different scenes and the settings it added another depth to the book which I think readers will enjoy .
I really enjoyed this book and I finished within 24 hours which speaks volumes to how good a book is in my eyes. I thought it had an Outer Banks vibe to it if you’ve ever watched the Netflix show you’ll know what I mean about the people who live in outer banks and the people who just come for the summer to second houses and the rivalry between them all.
Coming Up For Air had this too with the “Fishes” who are born and bred residents of the seaside town of Piscary, “Cuckoos” who bought houses in Piscary and live in it but wasn’t born in Piscary and “Zombies” who just come to enjoy the town for the summer. Coco tried her hardest to bring the town together and stop with the silly names all whilst keeping her big secret that she really wanted to tell so she could be free and honest and finally have a proper family.
One of my favourite parts of the book was Coco’s relationship with her Uncle Henry and how both of them overcame different fears and learnt to open up to people and start again. I thank the author for highlighting Chronic pain and health issues as I suffer from one myself and I think that sometimes people don’t realise how hard it is to do day to day tasks like Uncle Henry struggled with .
Coco is an inspiring Film Maker thanks to her mums previous work in the industry and I really enjoyed that element to the book how it told you about the different scenes and the settings it added another depth to the book which I think readers will enjoy .
December 4, 2022
This book was err… a book. I’m conflicted, like I usually am, because I understand that this book is very clearly for the younger ya readers out there, and I, a 19 year old, am clearly not the target audience here, but Coco made me close the book and shove it to the back of my mind because of some of the awkward things she’d do—I don’t handle cringe or second hand embarrassment very well—but other than that, I’d say it’s a decent sort of coming-of-age book for younger teens.
I did, however, have an issue with the fact that the description mentions that ‘disaster strikes at sea’ and then fails to mention that said disaster happens with about thirty pages left in the 360 page book, and then everything else gets wrapped up so quickly and tied with a neat little bow that you just have to wonder how much of it was left out.
Anyway, onto the next book.
I did, however, have an issue with the fact that the description mentions that ‘disaster strikes at sea’ and then fails to mention that said disaster happens with about thirty pages left in the 360 page book, and then everything else gets wrapped up so quickly and tied with a neat little bow that you just have to wonder how much of it was left out.
Anyway, onto the next book.
March 13, 2025
This was 4.5 stars for me!!!
I loved the mixture of town secrets, ocean imagery, and coming-of-age themes.
The perfect book to read while you're at the beach. (I wish I had!)
The only thing I didn't love was the way Coco randomly films, like...everything. lol. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a key part of her character that aspires to be in the filmmaking industry one day --and Lou Abercrombie conveyed this in such a vivid way -- but I definitely got a bit of second-hand embarrassment from her filming herself talking to strangers and stuff.
In the long run though, I can easily look past that, and I'm sure it's just personal preference (I'm sure some people love that aspect of Coco!). I loved this book and it was my favourite read of 2024! Highly recommend, especially for teens and tweens!
I loved the mixture of town secrets, ocean imagery, and coming-of-age themes.
The perfect book to read while you're at the beach. (I wish I had!)
The only thing I didn't love was the way Coco randomly films, like...everything. lol. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a key part of her character that aspires to be in the filmmaking industry one day --and Lou Abercrombie conveyed this in such a vivid way -- but I definitely got a bit of second-hand embarrassment from her filming herself talking to strangers and stuff.
In the long run though, I can easily look past that, and I'm sure it's just personal preference (I'm sure some people love that aspect of Coco!). I loved this book and it was my favourite read of 2024! Highly recommend, especially for teens and tweens!
August 13, 2022
Coming up for air' fills that gap between middle grade and Young Adult Novel beautifully. It's the story of happy-go-lucky main character Coco and her absolutely insufferable (!!!) mother, who begrudgingly move to a small coastal town and try to find their footing there.
I love coming-of-age novels, but I find it refreshing, that this one isn't one. Coco is pretty sure within herself and a great role-model in positivity.
A teen novel that doesn't deal with violence and only features love very very subordinately, 'Coming Up For Air' is a wonderful summer-y read for adventurous people (or people who are not adventurous but like to read about adventures).
Personally, I loved the maritime charm of this book and the descriptions of free diving. It's such a cool sport!
I love coming-of-age novels, but I find it refreshing, that this one isn't one. Coco is pretty sure within herself and a great role-model in positivity.
A teen novel that doesn't deal with violence and only features love very very subordinately, 'Coming Up For Air' is a wonderful summer-y read for adventurous people (or people who are not adventurous but like to read about adventures).
Personally, I loved the maritime charm of this book and the descriptions of free diving. It's such a cool sport!
November 5, 2022
Coming Up For Air is a feel good book thats a lovely read. Full of everything you'd expect from living in a town, family secrets, love, growing up. All with a back drop of the ocean. A really enjoyable read.
May 23, 2023
Teenager Coco moves from London to the coastal town where her mother grew up. Her efforts to make friends are met with resistance and her family's secrets are well hidden. She loves the water and is also an aspiring documentary film-maker (like the author). A good read.
August 25, 2022
It was a very good book!
October 14, 2022
Very good
December 30, 2022
It’s a very interesting book and i wish i could read it for the first time. It made me want to read more and more everytime i read.
December 31, 2022
I love the beach setting and the mystery, made me want it to be summer and go swimming in the sea! I did love it a lot, short and simple xx
September 3, 2023
it was good. emotional at times, but not sad enough to genuinely make me cry. strong sense of family and liked the writing style. would def recommend!
January 12, 2024
amazing, I loved this book so much and the ending made me cry as I could not believe the book was over.
March 13, 2024
I read it for a literature quiz I am doing with my school overall not overly great but it kept my attention and I dragged myself through it
April 28, 2025
It was a very good book and I would recommend to ages 7-10 or older maybe. Obviously it depends on your reading age but I thought it was very easy to follow and it was just overall a very good book.
May 15, 2025
It's okay. I guess I should've expect this from a ETF book.
July 22, 2022
I really enjoyed Fig Swims the World a couple of months ago, so when I was asked if I would reveal the cover for Lou’s second teen book, I was thrilled, especially because it was my first EVER cover reveal and as such this book holds a very special place in my heart. It’s the story of aspiring filmmaker Coco James, who has to move to the small seaside town where her mother grew up, and then when she arrives she has to face the consequences of people there still holding a massive grudge against her mum because of something she did in the past. I loved Coco, she has a lot to contend with given her mum is so selfish and honestly borderline emotionally abusive, yet she is so kind to everyone around her and goes out of her way to spread positivity and joy, even when people are initially so resistant to her. Shiv was such a great friend and I loved that Coco got to spend time with her family, and I enjoyed Leo’s development throughout. And I was so relieved Coco had positive adult role models in Uncle Henry and Min’s friend Bob! It was also super interesting to learn so much about freediving, and I’m interested to see if the water based activities theme will also be present in Lou’s next book.
December 22, 2022
This book!!! I can't even begin to explain the happiness and joy that it brings to me. The ending left me smiling and all giddy; I haven't had a book do that to me in a while. It was quite shocking to me because I thought that Leo and Coco would end up getting together but then it comes out as they are cousins so that thought flies out the window immediately and I never could have guessed that Shiv and Bennie would get together. The whole storyline is a complete shocker and one that fills my heart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2024
Questo è decisamente un romanzo adolescenziale, incentrato sul mare e sulla ricerca del senso di comunità. La protagonista Coco è una giovane che ricerca proprio il senso della famiglia e di appartenenza, che ricerca nella cittadina di mare da cui proviene la mamma. Mi aspettavo un romanzo romantico, con baci nel mare aperto, che non ci sono stati, ma in realtà ho trovato molta dolcezza familiare, che è un tema altrettanto delicato e importante. Molte scene di avventura e coraggio, oltre che tanto ottimismo che non guasta mai.
December 14, 2023
Mi è piaciuto molto questo libro, è semplice, molto facile da leggere, ma nella sua semplicità racconta una storia meravigliosa in cui regna l'amicizia e vengono dimenticate le diversità!
È una storia ricca, bisogna leggerla tutta per capire la sua bellezza.
Peccato che questo stesso libro va così veloce che finirlo ti rende triste.
Mi sono sentito nel mio ambiente leggendo questo libro, io, che di solito sono abituato a leggere altri tipi di libri. Vorrei che ci fosse il continuo.
È una storia ricca, bisogna leggerla tutta per capire la sua bellezza.
Peccato che questo stesso libro va così veloce che finirlo ti rende triste.
Mi sono sentito nel mio ambiente leggendo questo libro, io, che di solito sono abituato a leggere altri tipi di libri. Vorrei che ci fosse il continuo.
September 18, 2022
it was so cute!! I enjoyed it but def not one of my faves and tied between whether it was 3.5 stars or 4... not much difference tbf
loved the characters they were so cute and the story was so well done but some of the plot was very obvious and the other characters didn't seem to get that. but a good book overall and it reminds me of that show surviving summer on Netflix!!
loved the characters they were so cute and the story was so well done but some of the plot was very obvious and the other characters didn't seem to get that. but a good book overall and it reminds me of that show surviving summer on Netflix!!
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