Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston

The shark was beneath my bed, growing large as the room, large as the lighthouse, rising from unfathomable depths until it ripped the whole island from its roots. The bed was a boat, the shark a tide, and it pulled me so far out to sea I was only a speck, a spot, a mote, a dying star in an unending sky...

Julia has followed her mum and dad to live on a remote island for the summer - her dad, for work; her mother, on a determined mission to find the elusive Greenland shark. But when her mother's obsession threatens to submerge them all, Julia finds herself on an adventure with dark depths and a lighthouse full of hope...

A beautiful, lyrical, uplifting story about a mother, a daughter, and love - with timely themes of the importance of science and the environment.

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I'm so glad my copy of this had the illustrations. It wouldn't be anything like as good without it.

Julia and her parents (and Noodle the cat) travel to a lighthouse so far north the sun barely goes down. Her father is there to automate the light, and her mother is searching for the elusive Greenland Shark. Julia's not sure about the whole thing, but she makes a friend and spends her days roaming the island and trying not to notice her mother's strange behaviour. But the Shark is omnipresent, sinking into every part of their lives until it threatens to drown them all.

This is a beautiful, thoughtful book. If you're looking for a fast paced read, this isn't it, but it is so amazing and wonderful I don't have enough words for it. The illustrations weave through and under and around the words, adding a completely new dimension to the story.

Being outside the story, it was easy for me to see what was wrong with Julia's mother before she did, and watching it happen was painful. This book is going to do so well with fans of Wonder or The Last Bear (both of which I highly recommend if you haven't read them.)

I absolutely adored this book, I can't wait to be able to sell it in store. Not every reader will like it, but those who do will absolutely love it. Like I do. 

Julia and the Shark publishes on the 2nd of September, 2021. Ireceived a free copy and am giving an honest review.