Published by Neem Tree Press Ltd

Not yet Published – September.

I can’t say that I have ever heard of Neem Tree Press. I was working on the Christmas Book Festival for this year (Sunday 20th of November), and searching for the latest publications of the authors attending, when I cam across this book – and publisher.

As always I started the proof without reading the blurb and I am loving this.

Max lives on a Scottish Island with his parents and baby sister. He was popular – one of the in crowd, however, after an accident on his father’s fishing boat things change for Max dramatically. He isn’t any more.

His village is not on the Internet, in fact there’s no mobile phone network at all – until the decision is made to place wind turbines just out in the bay – which, not only would be a source of power, but would also enable the village to have Internet and mobile connection. Maybe Max will be able to have the computer that will turn things around for him…

Not long after the turbines are set up, things begin to change and happen…he finds lots of dead bats on the beach, the adults are becoming increasingly tired, snappy – and generally irritable. His uncle’s dog, left with his family whilst he is away, becomes periodically aggressive, for no apparent reason …and the birds have disappeared. All of them, including the all pervading gulls. The island has gone silent.

This is a family story, but also a mystery. What is happening at the wind turbines? Why are there men with guns walking around the perimeter? Why is it that everyone (including the animals) are beginning to behave differently – unnaturally in some cases.

It’s a story of friendship and how people shouldn’t be taken at face value – sometimes those that seem most disadvantaged have a great deal more to offer than those who aren’t deemed to be ‘different’.

It is stupendous. Which is why I have decided to review at just 162 pages in…can’t wait for the ending.

Just finished this – a Sue Stupendous title. Made me a little more aware too. We need to be so careful about our world and each other…

As for Twister – another dog that caught my heart like Manchee in The Knife of Never Letting Go (Patrick Ness) – a book for YA…