The Wanderdays Journey to Fantome Island

For Flo and Joseph Wanderday, it’s just a normal school day. Their mum, one of the world’s greatest explorers, is away on another trip and they are awaiting her daily phone call home, when the terrible news comes that her ship, the Ariel, has gone missing and all contact with the crew has been lost.

When a mysterious stranger gets in touch, the siblings discover that their mum was on no ordinary expedition but was on a mission to uncover and prove the many environmental crimes committed by her former business partner, Sir Frederick Titan, who the rest of the world believes to be a hero. After discovering secret passages, hidden rooms, unique maps and a whole host of clues, Flo & Jo set off on their own trip of a lifetime, hoping to save their mum and show the world the truth.

The first in a new series from Povey, The Wanderdays: Journey to Fantome Island is an exciting action-packed and thrilling adventure story, with many twists and turns, leaving me trying to read as quickly as possible to see what happened next! There is a wonderful cast of characters, including a perfect dastardly villain, and a truly heartwarming relationship between Flo & Jo, who provide strength and support to each other when needed, as their journey helps them both grow in confidence and Joseph tries hard to overcome the manifestations of his OCD, a condition that the author herself has. The book also contains strong and important environmental messages woven into the storyline without it being too preachy.

A definite must for all libraries and school, this is one of the most enjoyable middle grade titles I’ve read recently, and I can’t wait for the second instalment to be released.