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256 pp.
| Peachtree
| February, 2022
|
TradeISBN 978-1-68263-373-1$16.99
(2)
4-6
Farook (The Girl Who Stole an Elephant) returns to Serendib, her fictionalized Sri Lankan setting, for an exciting Treasure Island–style tale that pits three young protagonists against two murderous villains. Twelve-year-old twins Razi and Shifa help Zheng, also twelve, who has landed on their beach after escaping a shipwreck. Before his ship sank, Zheng managed to save a treasure map leading to the fabled Dagger of Seredib; but there are two other survivors desperate to get the map by any means necessary. Sea monsters, murderers, hidden treasure, a raging storm, and a fast-paced plot full of twists and turns and clever cliffhangers will pull readers into a tale that is also a moving family story. For example, young fisherman Razi must overcome his grief after a family tragedy left him with a fear of the sea. Short sentences laced with action verbs, short chapters, and specific details of the island setting ensure a lively reading experience.