Sharon Tregenza - Tarantula Tide - Book Review
I bought this book whilst at the Edinburgh book festival. I was intrigued by the bold, simple front cover which gave hints of Viking adventure and . . . . spiders! Unable to wait, I read the whole book on my train journey home. I was so glad of this great book, it was a welcome distraction to accompany me home. The first chapter set the tone well and introduced key aspects which were returned to and developed throughout the book. I thought the way the book addressed Jack and his inner turmoil was sensitive and didn’t shy away from his raw thoughts and feelings. The friendship between him and Izzie enabled a great adventure to take place, with unexpected twists and turns. I loved the atmosphere established on Shetland - laid back and familiar yet still full of adventure, especially concerning smuggling and the discovery of an exotic creature.
A great read and a book I would recommend - four out of five.
Published by Floris Books 16 Oct 2008
Synopsis
Smugglers. Vikings. Shetland should be a fascinating place for a holiday, but Jack is harbouring a secret and is less than enthusiastic to be there. Then he meets Izzie and her exotic pets and things soon start to get more interesting: Jack finds an unexpected visitor underneath the fridge; the wandering tramp is not what he seems, and each night a mysterious person waits on the beach outside Jack's cottage. But what do all these have to do with an unusual visitor named Octavia? Jack and Izzie unwittingly find themselves in the middle of a dangerous adventure, wondering what the next tide will bring to the land of the Viking Fire Festival. "Tarantula Tide" is the winner of the Kelpies Prize 2008.
About the Author
Sharon Tregenza was born and grew up in Cornwall. She currently lives with her husband in an old mill house on the Welsh border. She has an MA in Creative Writing and has had almost four hundred stories, poems and articles published worldwide. One of her poems has been included in Pan Macmillan's recent poetry anthology, There's a Hamster in the Fast Lane. She was inspired to set her book on Shetland when her husband worked on the island and she fell in love with the warm people and varied wildlife.
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