Murray, Ruchira. Shipwreck Island. Orphans of the Tide Series; bk. 2. HarperCollins. 12/2022. 404pp. Fiction. GRADES 5 – 9. ADDITIONAL. $18.99. 978-0-06-304316-9.
Tweens Ellie and Seth, assumed to be white, have journeyed across the ocean, searching for dry land, on the run from the enemy. They find an island inhabited with a medieval city ruled by aristocrats and a god-like queen, but there is brewing political turmoil and a rapidly approaching famine. Seth has some godly powers affecting water and water creatures, Ellie is a “vessel” for a god, both of which readers of the first book, Orphans of the Tide will better understand, along with their post-apocalyptic, water-covered world. Murray’s vision for this world and its people is complex, with folktale and mythical elements intertwining with hints of what happened centuries before. Best for readers continuing the series and those interested in novels full of mysterious adventure.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library