The storm swimmer by Clare Weze

Eleven-year-old Ginika has been sent to live with her grandparents in their seaside boarding house for the summer. Her parents have come into financial difficulty that is initially not fully explained and are forced to live in a campervan and work long hours. Ginika is fraught with anxiety over the separation from both her parents and her best friend, and struggles to settle in.

Early into her visit while Ginika is lying on the beach feeling emotional, lonely and abandoned, she notices a boy swimming in the shallows as if he is part of the waves. The two make eye contact and from then on their budding connection is sealed. Meanwhile Ginika’s grandfather tells stories of mythical sea people who have been known to inhabit the coast and have been sighted on rare occasions.

 Ginika spends as much time as possible looking for and successfully trying to communicate with the boy she now knows as Peri. They form a strong bond, but local girl Scarlett is desperately trying to find out what Ginika is up to. Unfortunately, Scarlett is careless with her words and has from the beginning interrogated Ginika about her family problems, how long she is staying for and where she will attend high school. Ginika tries to avoid Scarlett as her probing has brought up other deep issues that continue to worry her, such as what has really happened to her parents, will she be the only child of a darker colour at the new high school and will she have to stay at the seaside indefinitely.

Staying at the local caravan park are families and children with special needs due to illness. Ginika and Peri are befriended by wheelchair bound Ted and embark on an exciting but somewhat risky adventure where they introduce Peri to the many highlights of a coastal town. The next day though, Peri ‘borrows’ one of the caravan park go-karts and a search is on. This leads to more life-threatening danger for Peri and big decisions to be made by Ginika. How will Ginika help Peri and keep his secret safe? Can she confide in Ted and Scarlett? Will she be reunited with her parents and learn the truth?

The Storm Swimmer is a story of family love, separation, trust, friendship, and the lengths people will go to keep loved ones safe.  Beautifully and descriptively told within a backdrop of the mysteries of the ocean and modern-day coastal living, this is an engaging and enthralling upper middle grade read.

Themes: Family, Ocean Life, Separation, Friendship, Loneliness, Fantasy, Diversity, Childhood illness.

Kathryn Beilby