Dark Blue Rising

This is the first instalment of a new trilogy from the amazing YA author Teri Terry. Love this author's writing as her books are descriptive, pacy, full of drama and intrigue and they always leave the reader wanting more...

Tabby and her mom Cate never stay in one place long enough for her to go to school or make friends. It's always been this way, and over her 16 years, Tabby has learned how to disappear into the background, how to avoid CCTV cameras and not to tell people her name or any other personal details. Her mom never really explained why, it's just the way it is.  However, Tabby's life dramatically changes when she is involved in a car accident. Her mom Cate is arrested and Tabby discovers that her life has been a web of lies and deceit. This can't be right, can it? Cate has always been there, full of love, they have it all wrong, don't they? What was she warning Tabby about as she was being led away by the police... beware of The Circle?  As she adjusts to her new life, Tabby finds herself drawn to the ocean, it's the only place she feels happy. She is encouraged to enroll at a swimming summer school to help her heal. But all is not as it seems...

Dark Blue Rising has 448 pages of intrigue, deceit and drama with lots of twists and turns and is suitable for the 11+ reader. This unique story would also be suitable for reading intervention groups/book clubs as it has many discussion points, for example: identity, environmental issues, surveillance issues and trust.

This is a great start to a trilogy that has the potential to become a little more sinister as it goes along. Teri Terry is a master at making the reader question and think about the future. I'm so looking forward to book two, which sadly will not be out until next year but I'm sure it will be well worth the wait to find out what Tabby will learn next about her unusual abilities!

448 pages / Ages 11+ / Reviewed by Linda Brown, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 11+