BOOK REVIEW:
Nor' East Swell – Aaron Topp (One Tree House, $24.00)
Reviewed by Louise Ward, Wardini Books
This young adult novel stars Witi, goofy on land and a seal in the ocean, not so secretly in love with his best friend Alana, and due for a good hiding by the college rugby jocks. In the middle of that hiding, he is rescued by the new kid on the block, brash Australian Jordy, whose love of surfing is the only thing the pair have in common. It's enough that Witi comes to Jordy's aid in another rumble and the pair of them, plus Alana, are stood down from school, giving them the perfect opportunity to get up to stuff.
In amongst these teen shenanigans we learn that Witi has a deep connection to the water. It's not just that he's a good surfer – he yearns for the water and it seems to want him too, to the point where he can actually hear it calling his name. Witi's father disappeared eight years before we meet him and his and his mother's trauma at losing their anchor is played out in everything that happens. Interspersed with Witi's tale are entries from his father's notebook, detailing a high-flying music career that comes crashing down, recovery and revelation on Witi's ancestral land, and a purpose that is all-consuming, and will be handed down to his unborn son.
Upon beginning this novel, we think we know what we're dealing with: a missing father, a mystery, follow the clues, let off some teenage steam. But this goes way deeper. Why does Jordy keep turning up? Why has Witi's mum cut them off from her whānau? Is Witi really a soul of the sea, or is he just plain crazy? The answers, as the story unravels, are incredible.
Nor' East Swell is a riveting weave of adventure, danger and the limitless power of the natural world that had me exclaiming out loud with surprise and, occasionally, fear for the characters. Topp has woven mysticism and the industrialisation of climate change with the sheer poetry and joy of living in and with a natural element. Highly recommended for readers of about 14 years and up.