Hello! Today is my stop on the blog tour review for War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson. I am excited to share my review.
Many thanks to @The_WriteReads and @NeemTreePress for gifting me a review copy and allowing me to participate in the blog tour.
Title: War of the Wind
Author: Victoria Williamson
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
Genre: Middle Grade, Young adult, mystery
Length: 256 pages
Published: Pre-Order now available. Will be published on April 23, 2024
Buy the Book Here: http://www.amazon.com
Book Blurb
AN ADVENTUROUS ECO-THRILLER FROM AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S AUTHOR VICTORIA WILLIAMSON
On a remote Scottish island, fourteen-year-old Max’s life changes forever when he loses his hearing in a boating accident. Struggling to make sense of his new life and finding it hard to adapt in school, he begins to notice other — even stranger — changes taking place when a new wind farm appears off the island’s coast.
With the help of three school friends with additional support needs, Max discovers that a sinister scientist, Doctor Ashwood, is using wind turbines to experiment on the islanders. They must find a way to shut down the government’s secret test before it spins out of control…
My Review
This book has a great start that draws you in. By the end of the first page, you realize that Max, a 14-year-old boy on a remote Scottish island, has an accident and is suddenly partially deaf. Max narrates his story and tells how he is a reluctant big brother who feels his parents had a baby to replace him after his accident.
Max describes the upheaval of suddenly having a disability. You can’t help but feel as torn as Max over seeing his old friends doing mainstream things as he feels forced to connect with other students that have support needs. Max struggles to make even the most basic communication with his parents, a theme that is relatable for many in this target reader’s age group. The author writes with great empathy, making you feel Max’s angst.
As Max brings you further into his world, you learn that a new wind farm installed on the island is causing mixed emotions among the residents. Although Max is happy to gain the ability to use a mobile phone, text his friends, and engage in social media, the turbines seem to be responsible for some troubling occurrences on the island.
Max and his new friends uncover a scheme to control and exploit the island’s residents. The urgent need to dismantle this operation becomes paramount.
About the Author
Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching math and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops. Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019. Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organization working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi. You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com Please check out the other stops for this blog tour! Let’s get social! Join me on my socials and share this post with others!
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