The Shark and the Scar

by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

If you can't trust your family, who can you trust?

Thirteen-year-old Jay survived a shark attack. He has a big scar on his body, and he doesn't remember exactly what happened. Sadly, his estranged mum didn't survive the horrific accident, and Jay and his dad have moved to the west coast of Ireland, where he surfs and keeps his past a secret. He's not allowed a phone, and they don't have the internet at home.

Then Jay discovers something that makes him realise his dad has been lying to him. What really happened on that awful day? And how can he ever trust anyone again?

270 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2022

About the author

Sarah Moore Fitzgerald is a novelist and professor. She's part of the creative writing team that delivers UL’s MA in Creative Writing, founder of UL’s Creative Writing Winter School for mid-career writers and the author of seven novels including The Apple Tart of Hope, All the Money in the World and The Shark and The Scar. Her work has been adapted for the stage, translated into over 20 different languages and shortlisted for several awards (including the Waterstones children's book Prize, Children's Books Ireland book of the year and the Irish Book Awards). She's a recent winner of the London Magazine's Prize for short fiction.

Reviews

[Alissa Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

very twisty, keeps you gripped with suspicion even after some truth is revealed!

[Byron Bibliotherapy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharks, suspense, family dynamics.

Interesting use of alternating third person and first person point-of-view. This gives an extra layer of distance between the reader and Jay, meaning we're just as confused as he is about the incident he has forgotten.

The author did a good job of tying the threads together. I had an inkling of what was going on, but I think kids' minds would be blown.

Highly recommended for readers after adventure with psychological depth and realism.

Looking forward to reading more from this author.

See my review over on instagram @byronbiblio

[whatbooknext · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay can’t believe it. He has woken up in hospital, learning he has been in a coma for nearly four weeks. He remembers being in the water at the beach, with his dad not far away. This is how it had always been. Him and Dad together, surfing and hanging out in their seaside town in France.

The doctors tell him he has had multiple surgeries for his injuries. Jay’s not even sure what injuries he has, just that he is glad for the pain relief and the sleepiness that rolls over him. He soon learns he has a wound from his neck to his leg where something sliced him open. Dad doesn’t want to talk about it, and every time the ‘accident’ is mentioned, he quickly diverts to something else.

All Jay can remember is something large coming at him. Red water and someone screaming. When he finally does learn what happened that day in the water, he feels he can put more pieces together, allowing him to concentrate on his recovery and healing.

Still, Dad will not discuss it, and Jay can understand it. It would’ve been horrible for anyone watching it happen from the beach. Dad is keen to put the whole thing behind him, but seems to be distracted. When Jay finally leaves the hospital, it isn’t home to his friends and the home he and his dad share. They are moving – to a completely different country!



Jess loves and hates the waves in equal measure. She loves to watch her older twin brother and sister in their surfing school, riding the waves with all the wannabe surfers, but hates the fact she can’t join in. Ever since she had a close call in the water when she was very little, her family have been super over the top protective. It is driving her crazy.

Jay and Jess meet one night at an annual town beach festival. Jess is alone after falling out with her friends over a misunderstanding, and Jay has just arrived in their small Irish coastal town. Both lonely, they discover they enjoy each other’s company. Jess is still suffering from her friend’s ostracism and her family’s no-surf-for-Jess-rules, and Jay is still trying to piece together the day his life changed that sunny day back in France. Together, they give each other the strength they each need – resulting in Jay’s life changing again, and the truth that shatters his trust in his father.

But someone brand new to his family helps Jay see that although his treasured life and trust with his dad in France is gone, a brand new life awaits him.


Another gem from this talented author! Sarah Moore-Fitzgerald has a wonderful way with story, taking something out of the ordinary and turning it into a tale to immerse yourself in. A secret is always engaging, and clues are dropped a little at a time for the reader as main character Jay struggles to remember what put him in a coma for weeks and hospital for months.

Jay has only ever had his father in his life who then whisks him away from all he knows. Watching Jay build new relationships is difficult, but blunt, blabber-mouth Jess is fun, honest, loyal and the friend Jay needs to help him deal with the burgeoning realisation his trusted father is not telling him the truth about something that nearly took his life.

Learning your parents are not perfect is a coming-of-age story all in itself, so The Shark and the Scar has all the makings of a great middle-grade read. It is told in both viewpoints of 13 year olds Jess and Jay with clearly marked chapter headings.

[MaryBrigid Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wonderfully talented Sarah Moore Fitzgerald has been one of my favourite authors ever since I first read The Apple Tart of Hope, a book which I can't sing the praises of highly enough, so I always know I'm in for a good read when I get my hands on a new book of hers.
The Shark and the Scar captivated me from the first page, and I couldn't put it down. Like the layers of a onion, the story is slowly revealed and is full of laughter and tears, and unexpected twists.

[Isaura Goncalves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very different to what I’d normally read, and a bit of a children’s book I’d say, but good enough story line. I read the book in 4hrs, so I definitely can’t give it less than four stars.

[Rosa van Wijnbergen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I accidentally bought this books thinking it would be a YA. But it turned out to be for the younger audience (13 y/o) so that was already a big no for me from the start.

The story had potential I guess and I suppose it would be a good book to start reading English. Because it’s very easy written. And I think that’s one of the things that bothered me the most.

[penmumble penmumble · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming seaside story! it;s short enough to digest easily. Fun mystery and likeable characters!

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trauma effects people in different ways and for Jay surviving a shark attack has repercussions that he’s finding it difficult to deal with. His dad has a different coping mechanism than him, and that would be fine if jay wasn’t dragged away from his home to start a new life and took never to discuss the accident. Something is lurking in the back of Jay’s mind about what happened, and it’s means that the bond of trust between father & son is on shaky ground.

A book which deals with several emotional topics in a sensitive way, which I found engaging. Like waves, relationships can have ups & downs, and the way Jay has to navigate his choppy memory and his family history is very well done. When it needs to be, it’s subtle which is wonderful but the author doesn't shy away from sugar coating the truth. I really hope that this story reaches a lot of readers, as it has hidden depths that I think will surprise people. The cover is very appealing and is one of the reasons that I was drawn into reading the book. It will look fantastic on a display in a bookshop.

I received an early copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

[Victoria Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I thought both characters were well written and you could really get a sense of their personalities. I liked the way the story was told from the perspectives of two different characters and thought the bit where Jess and Jay meet and how they both interpreted that meeting was a really talking point. I am currently doing a well-being course at my school that thinks about how your perspective colours your interactions and thought that part of the story would make a great teaching point. However, towards the end of the book, one of the character uses the word s**t. I understand the context of the use of the word; the character was very angry and it sounds like something they would have said, Sadly though it means I won't be able to use this book in my school setting as I teach primary. This is a huge shame as I think the way the characters think about themselves and the feeling of teenage angst that Jess in particular has would provide some excellent teaching points and I think my Year 5 and 6 pupils would have loved the story.

[Denise Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay has been in an accident. He’s been attacked by a shark. He has a gigantic scar all down one side of his body. His recuperation will take a long time. His father is by his side throughout.

As Jay begins the healing process, there’s more to his recovery than simply dealing with the physical scars. The emotional impact has left much deeper scars. When his dad says they need to move to Ireland, Jay suspects that his dad is hiding something, but what? As the truth of the accident comes out, Jay has to decide if the lies are harder to cope with than the truth.

This is a story about family relationships, set against a backdrop of surfing. It explores the ideals we hold and asks whether they are too precious to let go.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great, engaging read from talented author Sarah Moore Fitzgerald. This book, like all her others, introduces us to a cast of beautifully drawn characters, especially the two young teenagers at the heart of the story, Jay and Jess. Sarah depicts perfectly what it feels like to be this age and how life can be confusing, fun, lonely, exhilarating and messy- all in one day. A book that will allow for lots of interesting reflections and chats with your young adult after they have read it.

[Coral Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay has a terrible accident, spending months in hospital to recover. Jay can't remember what happened and his dad is the only person allowed to talk about it with Jay, he can't event talk with his friends!! Jay discovers something that makes him see that his dad has been lying to him....A fantastic story about family relationships, friendships, learning about truth and lies and how these all effect your relationships.

[Vanessa Hoyles · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am honestly so so disappointed with this book it makes me want to cry, I was constantly reading thinking there was going to be some kind of huge sinister twist at the end, something worse that would mean the shark attack was a better story to tell the boy what happened, but it didn't there was no huge twist the shark attack wasn't a shark attack but what really happened wasn't even that interesting. The back of the book makes this book sound so much more exciting than it was

[Cora McCormack · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this as a bedtime read to my daughters (aged 11&13) and none of us enjoyed it, the 11yr old described it as flaky and I agree! Lots of time spent on done aspects and then other massive pieces just jumped over. I know it’s not an ”adults” book but it’s also not a great YA book.

Also the inability of the father to address the issues are awful, I thought those parenting days were over!

Would not recommend

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is warm, life-enhancing, non-patronising work for young adults. The prose is gorgeous, and the characters are so real they stay with you. If you've anyone young in your life, get them this. They'll love it. If you're feeling young, get it for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

[Joe Emery · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slow.

[Elsa Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, exciting, enjoyable and entertaining.This was one of my favorite books. I highly recommend it, if you like a twist in your books then this is for you!

[Ezel Kucukbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a crazy book!

[LK · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars it wasn't bad it just was a kids book

[Mary Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

With her smooth, cohesive story-telling style, Sarah Moore Fitzgerald has created an incredible book. Here we have a traumatic, life-changing accident, the fragility and vulnerability of family and friendship bonds, the need to know and to write our own life-story, secrets, lies, love and loss flowing across the pages like the tides without missing a single beat. It expresses notions about truth, memory and, most importantly, trust…how fragile it can be. All in a mere 260 pages. A pitch-perfect pace grabs the attention from page one and will not let go. The descriptions of the settings are easily envisioned; the time of day, the landscape; but never overburdens the story. We get the fullness of Jays’ life; his backstory, his feelings, how it feels as he recovers and moves on with his “new life” while trying to grasp how he got here. We see his Dads’ character and motivations and can come to our own conclusions about the rightness and wrongness there. Jess is an interesting character; sometimes awkward, sometimes eloquent, always desiring to shine a forthright light of truth, which usually causes her grief of one sort or another. But loyal, regardless of the outcome. Around these three, the story paints a picture of a mostly ordinary life gone pear-shaped. Layer after layer of the story is unveiled with meticulous care, building to several trust-breaking revelations until…the final truth is uncovered. And it is a jaw-dropper. Compelling, intriguing, filled with heart, peppered with humour, surprising and just marvelous!

[Geo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really great middle grade read and quick! Makes me want to learn how to surf!