June 17

‘Ship kings: The coming of the whirlpool’ by Andrew McGahan

The coming of the whirlpool“If you go to the sea, you will come to the attention of the ship kings. And if they find out who you are they will kill you”.

These words spark the beginning of a perilous journey to the sea. Dow Amber became a traitor to his family and town by rejecting the simple timber-cutting life that they have set out for him. Instead he went on a perilous journey simply because of his love of the sea.

This story, being a seafaring story, has vast amount of different locations in it, such as the town Dow grew up in and the sea. Dow Amber is a strange and unusual boy. After seeing the sea just once he then wanted to throw away his life at Yellowbank, the town he grew up in, to go and live near and on the sea. A big shock had awaited him at the winter council; a secret. It was a family secret that had haunted his mother’s family for  generations; a secret that changed all their lives forever.

Do you want to know what the secret is and how it affects the rest of the books, events and the characters? If so, then you had better read this book and you won’t regret it. This book is such a great read for those mystery, action and adventure type readers. It also helps if you like books about times before the modern age, especially when set in an imaginary world. This book is set in various locations, with suspenseful and exciting situations. This book is especially good for people 11-25 years of age. This book is better for males because the main character is male, making it easier for them to relate to and understands the some of the situations he goes through.

Jonathan D., Year 8

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“If you go to sea, you will come to the attention of the Ship Kings. And if they discover who you are, they will kill you.”

This book is about a boy named Dow. He wants to be a sailor but his parents don’t want him to be a sailor but instead a wood worker. They convince him to be a wood worker but he betrays his father and becomes a sailor.

The book is set in the medieval age.

I liked it because it gave a lot of information when it came to the hard times and the confusing time. I also like it because it relates to me, when I wanted to go trick or treating my parents did not want me going so they convinced me to stay because we are going to have a good dinner and watch a movie.

I would recommend it to boys and/or girls in Year 8 and 9 who are interested in action, sailing and adventure.

Hunter C., Year 8.

November 26

‘Ship Breaker’ by Paolo Bacigalupi

Ship breakerWelcome to a world where oil is scarce, but loyalty is scarcer. Nailer lives on Bright Sands Beach in America and earns a living or quota by stripping copper from old rusty ships. He lives with his dad who is always sliding high and killing people.

Nailer comes close to death after being involved in an accident whilst stripping copper, after his co-worker betrays him and leaves him to die. Nailer is then faced with a massive decision that could change his life forever: go back to normal life or hit a ‘lucky strike’ and meet the most beautiful and wealthy girl ever, after everything he has known changes in the blink of an eye. But his dad has already found out about this and is coming to take it for his own and Nailer must get out before his dad finds out. He chooses to flee his home and enter a dangerous war between swanks. Nailer begins hunting for what he thinks is the right thing to do but at the same time he is being hunted. He then finds himself boarding a sinking clipper and having to fight for his life.

Personally I don’t do much reading anymore and when I was told to read the book Ship Breaker I was quite surprised to find myself reading it in my own time because of how well it kept me interested. There is a lot going on and even I felt a bit scared at times because of how well it was written. I highly recommend this book for people who like a bit of thrill, gore, suspense and action. This book is good for people in their young teens. It is a reasonably short book and none of the scenes are slow and boring; they’re full of action and depth. Also if you don’t mind a bit of creativity the novel will suit you, because there are a few cool characters.

Jake S, Year 9

 

November 25

Coming of the Whirlpool – Ship Kings 1 – by Andrew McGahan

The coming of the whirlpool“If you go to sea, you will come to the attention of the Ship Kings. And if they discover who you are, they will kill you!”

Intrigued by the sea and his desire to set sail, Dow Amber is about to face the toughest time of his life. Up in the high country in New Island we meet the woodcutters. Every autumn they travel up to the mountains, to cut down wood for their village. In this story we meet Dow Amber, an intriguing teenager who has lived his early years only knowing the high country. Like his dad, Dow has been brought up to a life of logging. However, when Dow’s dad shows him the magnificent ocean, he instantly becomes attached. He travels down to the bay known as the Claw where he hopes to learn the ropes of travelling the sea. However, he finds people who do not want to sail out, as they have been cursed by a whirlpool that haunts the bay.

The Rulers of the world, the Ship Kings, arrive at the shore. Dow instantly becomes intrigued with them, especially with a girl who lives on the ship. Does Dow’s life lie with the Ship Kings or will he face death with the mysterious whirlpool? Some fellow characters that are included in this story are Captain Chloe, Nathaniel and Boiler Swan the innkeeper.

I enjoyed this book because I was instantly engaged by the story. I can relate well to the book as the main character is a teenage boy. It set an interesting picture in my head of the setting and the events that occurred. The language that is included makes it a better read. The ending made me want to instantly pick up the sequel.

I recommend this book for teenagers and young adults who are interested in a thrilling sea adventure. This book would mostly appeal more for boys, however some girls who also love adventure might also enjoy this story. This story is an amazing read. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

John K, Year 9.

June 23

‘Ship kings: The Coming of the Whirlpool’ by Andrew McGahan

The coming of the whirlpool‘When he was a great mariner of his day and famous through out the Four Isles, he was to be known by many names. He would be called the last of the Ship Kings.’

The ‘Ship Kings’ is a book that takes place in the Four Isles in the past somewhere around the 18th century. It is set around a boy named Dow Amber who is a descendant of Honous Tombs. He goes to the Claw to fish and to learn more about the sea.

The book has very dramatic parts but it has time skips that usually skip boring stuff. Instead of having those time skips they should’ve added something more exciting like if he met someone new or he went somewhere. It would be way better than some time skips.

The book doesn’t tell much detail about the characters. It doesn’t tell some of the characters’ backstories or why they are even there. There could’ve been a little more improvements to the book but I still enjoyed the story. I recommend this book to both genders but mostly to boys who are 12 – 15 who enjoy a fantasy world in the past who loves a band of characters with different personalities and it’s for people who love the sea.

Andrew S., Year 8

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Ship kings-the coming of the whirlpool is an exiting adventure novel that would be enjoyed by kids from 11-14. The book begins with Dow, an ordinary kid who works with his father as a logger in the wet forests of the New Island plateau, but this all changes when Dow first sets sight on the sea. As soon as he sees it, he knows that is where he belongs. The story takes its first twist when Dow decides to give up his life as a logger and leave his family behind to go to the Claw, a massive bay to the south of New Island.

Dow has many adventures working as a fisherman on the Claw, and meets a mysterious, bad tempered man called Nathaniel who teaches him the way of sailing. One day, a large fleet of ships come into the bay and docked in the main city of New Island, Dow hears of a mysterious device which allows the ship kings to navigate the sea, and also hears that this device has been lost to his people for centuries…

Ship Kings- coming of the whirlpool is a generally good book with decent plot twists and some exciting parts. But as with most books, there is room for improvement. Some parts of the book were slow and even slightly boring. Adding more content and/or action could fix this and make the book more enjoyable. Another problem is the explanation of characters. The book doesn’t give the reader much information about Dow and the other characters, leaving the reader clueless about some of the features of characters such as personality and appearance. This can be a real let-down as it is sometimes difficult to understand the characters’ thoughts and decisions.

Harvey D., Year 8

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‘If you go to sea, you will come to the attention of the Ship Kings. If they discover who you are, they will kill you.’

Located on the small island of Yellow Bank is a young timber cutter with the name of Dow Amber. Dow Amber is an average teenage boy. He is the descendent of a powerful ship king. Dow realises he is to leave his loving family and to sail the unforgiving depths of the sea and travel to Stromner to further seek his future. But to do so he would need the help of an old, grumpy, lonely and drunken man who no longer enjoys his life because of his son and grandson’s passing after the tragic Maelstrom incident. While in Stromner, Dow encounters the Ship Kings. Dow is intrigued by their presence and fascinated by the vessels and crew members. But the worst is yet to come…

The reason why I enjoyed this book is because it is the story of a teenage boy who is an unsuspecting hero who moves to Stromner to seek his future. Dow realises that he’s not cut out to be what he’s meant to be. The story was engaging and appealing because of the way Andrew McGahan describes the adrenaline-packed scenes and the personalities of each and every character which made me want to read even more of the book. Whilst reading I could picture every scene in my head which made the book even more enjoyable. The story ended with drama, which made me want to read the rest of the series to see what else happens.

I recommended this book to 12-15 year old boys who enjoy the world of fantasy and adventure. This book is truly a must read. The rating I give this book is 4 out of 5 stars.

Liam B, Year 8

June 3

“The Coming of the Whirlpool. Ship Kings, Book 1” by Andrew McGahan

The coming of the whirlpool“He would be called the last of the ship kings, even though he was nothing of the sort. He would be called the man who sailed off the edge of the world, and a good many other things besides: a traitor and rebel by his numerous enemies, a hero by his few friends. But his real name, the name of his birth, was simply Dow Amber. But take note, Dow’s time was not our time, and the world was not as we know it.”

     This book is outstanding for all age groups and genders (but would suit the boys better). If you’re looking for a story with adventure, drama, fiction or maybe a bit of action, this is the book for you. The book is very intriguing to read. I couldn’t stop reading and waiting to turn to the next page. What was even more surprising was that every new page has a new problem or even a mysterious surprise. This book is outstanding. I would recommend this book for teenagers between the age 14-19.

      I would certainly rate this book a 9 out of 10. Even though it has a slow start, it picks up in the first two chapters and will keep you hooked till the end of the book. By Christian, Year 8

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     Dow Amber is no ordinary teenager, a boy with a sudden urge of knowing that he belonged at sea. His adventure lies in the award winning book ‘Ship Kings: The Coming of the Whirlpool’, a fascinating book created by the famous writer, Andrew McGahan.

     Dow’s story was set in a place called ‘New Island’, described as a place of ‘grey and rainy land of highland forests and lowland pastures’. As you read, you can imagine the smell of the moist air and the feel of the breeze brushing against your hair.

     Dow, was born in a place where he was chosen to become a ‘lumberjack’, but as his father showed him the sea, he knew he was meant to set sail there, to feel the rocking of the boat, to smell the salt of the ocean and to see the waves as they crash down against each other. After a few days or weeks, Dow’s desire became a reality. Dow had appeared to be a kind but strange and interesting lad, always worrying his parents with his dreams and hopes to set sail. His family, a mother, a father, his younger brother and his beloved twin baby sisters all lived in a little logging village with friendly people.

     Throughout Dow’s early life, he has learned techniques which ready him for his sail and stories and tales about how the whirlpool claimed two lives ten years ago. He sets sail with a crew on an adventure across the seas and comes across many obstacles in his journey like ‘The Ship Kings’. He meets many new friends throughout his adventure to ‘The Claw’.

     I found this book very interesting as it has the right amount of tension and surprise to get the reader hooked. I loved the way the writer expressed the setting and journey in such detail. It made the reader feel like they were there. Each thing the writer has given a name to, has a strange but fascinating ‘ting’ to it. For example: ‘Diego of the Diamond’. That name will straight away interest someone to find out more about him or her. The writer has given me such imagination from this story, which has made me want to be there. I love the part where his father first took him out of the house to go logging. Such detailed explanation can give a person a wild imagination far beyond the average.

     I recommend this book to all the people who are interested in adventure, mystery and fantasy, but mostly I target this to boys aged 12 and up, as they may be more interested in this type of genre.

Nicole.J, Year 8.