Tim Wynne-Jones

Zoom was a cat who loved water. He liked to play at sailing in the bathtub, and would spend his nights watching the tap and dreaming. Then one day he found a letter from his Uncle Roy, instructing him on how to get to the sea, which turned out to be located inside the home of a mysterious woman named Maria. After setting sail, Zoom had a marvelous day at sea, before returning to shore (AKA Maria's home), where he was assured he could come back, at any time he liked...

An entertaining work of show more picture-book fantasy, Zoom at Sea was the first of a trilogy of stories - subsequent titles include Zoom Away and Zoom Upstream - from Canadian author/illustrator team Tim Wynne-Jones and Eric Beddows devoted to the adventures of this unusual feline. The story here is quirky, with plenty of surreal elements that the narrative simply takes in its stride, presenting as matter-of-fact realities. The sea being inside a house, for instance, and something that is put together (so to speak) by the mysterious Maria. The artwork, done in graphite pencil, is intricate and quite lovely, with so many wonderful little details. I particularly loved Zoom's changing facial expressions! Highly recommended by a colleague, this book was once described by a reviewer at the Toronto Star as "the most completely satisfying Canadian picture-book ever produced." I don't know if I'd go that far, but I certainly think it is marvelous, and sure to appeal both to young cat lovers and to readers who enjoy surreal fantasy and fairy-tale fiction. I read the 35th Anniversary edition of Zoom at Sea, which would seem to indicate that this is a book with some staying power! show less

Boy, did Blink get off on the wrong floor. All he wanted was to steal some breakfast for his empty belly, but instead he stumbled upon a fake kidnapping and a cell phone dropped by an "abducted" CEO, giving Blink a link to his perfect blonde daughter. Now Blink is on the run, but it’s OK as long as he’s smart enough to stay in the game and keep Captain Panic locked in his hold. Enter a girl named Caution. As in "Caution: Toxic." As in "Caution: Watch Your Step." She’s also on the run, show more from a skeezy drug-dealer boyfriend and from a nightmare in her past that won’t let her go. When she spies Blink at the train station, Caution can see he’s an easy mark. But there’s something about this naïve, skinny street punk, whom she only wanted to rob, that tugs at her heart, a heart she thought deserved not to feel. show less

When I requested this book from the Early Reviewers program, I didn't realize it was a YA novel. The protagonists are actual young adults, however, not high school-aged teenagers.

The best way that I can describe this book is that it's somewhat the antithesis of a Charles de Lint novel. Wynne-Jones is also a Canadian author writing about artists, but there is no external magic lurking about and the older adult artists aren't the admirable people; they're the ones who are screwed up and show more inflicting the pain as opposed to being the unique specially-blessed snowflakes. This book is the antidote to that sort of mystical BS. show less

Nate is still reeling from his best friend's disappearance four months before. Dodge is presumed dead in a boating accident, but the body was never found. Nate has nightmares where Dodge is floating under the ice in the frigid water of Ghost Lake begging him to come save him, find him, help him..... Nate has plans to travel to the remote campsite with a friend. They have proved they can make the journey by themselves. His own father, Burl Crow, made sure Nate has the skills to make the trip. show more At the last minute, Nate's friend can't go. Nate decides to go alone. He wants to search for Dodge. Maybe he can find him even though others failed. But when he arrives he finds the camp occupied by strange men....violent men....and it becomes a much more dangerous game of survival than Nate ever expected.

I think everyone has an experience as a young person that pushes them over the edge towards adulthood. For Nate, this trip up to his family's remote campsite by himself is just that sort of experience. He learns life lessons and truths about his life, his friend, and even strangers on his journey. We are all the sum of our choices....and Nate has a lot to discover about himself, his parents, and his feelings of guilt about his friend's death.

The story is well-written and engrossing. There's action, suspense, and emotion in this story. It definitely kept my attention from start to finish. Nate's journey is more than a physical one. This is such an action-filled, complex story about a young boy facing loss and harsh truths for the first time. Loved it!

Tim Wynne-Jones has written several books for young adults and children. I definitely want to read more!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Candlewick Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** show less