Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Book Review: Shark Wars

By: EJ Altbacker
Published by: Razorbill
Released on: June 28th, 2011
Source: ARC from publisher to review
Ages: 9-12
4 stars- A Fun, Action Packed Read
Purchase from: Amazon| Barnes & Noble

Since the dawn of time, prehistoric shark clans called Shivers have ruled over the earth's oceans, fierce protectors of all who swim. For eons, the Big Blue has prospered under Shiver Law, and the delicate balance of sea life kept sacred. Until now.

Rising sea temperatures and overfishing have caused food to become scarce, and the battle for new hunting grounds has brought with it corruption and warfare.

Now, with the ocean on the brink of chaos, a young reef shark named Gray - exiled from the safety of his peaceful reef home - must venture deep into Open Water to unlock the secrets of his destiny and bring peace back to the ocean. But first, he'll have to discover the truth about who - and what - he really is.

This is a great action packed, under water adventure that centers around sharks. If you have ever wondered what really goes on a in sharks world, than Shark Wars will have your answer.

Gray is a typical reef shark, or so he thought. He and his friends live with the Coral Shiver, a clan of sharks, but when Gray is banned for not following rules, he finds himself in the middle of a large ocean that's full of excitement and danger. Things change for Gray when he's is taken in by the Goblin Shiver, ruled by Goblin. He becomes blinded by the things these mean sharks are doing and he gets a first hand taste at betrayal, treachery and just how far some sharks will go to get what they want.

Gray is a shark that's easy to like, despite some of the poor decisions he makes. He has a great character arc through out the story and in the end he learns a powerful lesson about making the right choice and friendship. Gray has some fabulous friends who have come together to form the Rogue Shiver, and I really enjoyed getting to meet them. One of my favorite characters is Takiza, the beta fish who's wisdom and advice to Gray remind me of Yoda from Star Wars. He also has some mad fighting skills.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this story. This is one exiting, action packed, fast paced story that takes readers into a whole new underwater world. These's battles, a fabulous underwater setting, and a large cast of great shark characters. I also like that on both inside covers of the book are pictures of the sharks, and other sea animals that are apart of the story, along with their names. It makes it easy for readers to connect with the characters. I should say this was done on the ARC, so I'm not sure if this made it into the final copy of the book.

I think Shark Wars is book that will appeal to boys and readers who enjoy a great adventure. I'm looking forward to finding out what's in store for Gray and his friends when the sequel is out later this fall.


I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~