Review – The Line Tender by Kate Allen (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN-13: 978-0735231603
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: ARC through Amazon Vine
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Wherever the sharks led, Lucy Everhart’s marine-biologist mother was sure to follow. In fact, she was on a boat far off the coast of Massachusetts, collecting shark data when she died suddenly. Lucy was seven. Since then Lucy and her father have kept their heads above water–thanks in large part to a few close friends and neighbors. But June of her twelfth summer brings more than the end of school and a heat wave to sleepy Rockport. On one steamy day, the tide brings a great white–and then another tragedy, cutting short a friendship everyone insists was “meaningful” but no one can tell Lucy what it all meant. To survive the fresh wave of grief, Lucy must grab the line that connects her depressed father, a stubborn fisherman, and a curious old widower to her mother’s unfinished research on the Great White’s return to Cape Cod. If Lucy can find a way to help this unlikely quartet follow the sharks her mother loved, she’ll finally be able to look beyond what she’s lost and toward what’s left to be discovered.”
This was very well done book, I really enjoyed the illustrations and learning about great white sharks. The book does move a bit slow, but I was engaged in the story the whole time. It was weird that I picked this up after reading “The Whispers” by Greg Howard since both books are similar (deal with missing mothers and grief).
Lucy and her best friend, Fred, are working on a Field Guide for their science class and as a result they stumble upon some of Lucy’s mom’s unfinished research. Lucy is determined to see this research project become a reality and her mission enables her to learn a lot about the sharks her mother studied, the people her mother worked with, and herself.
I loved the drawings throughout, they were beautifully done. I also enjoyed learning about great white sharks. The story does move very slow though and at parts it is pretty depressing. It is also much more about Lucy dealing with grief, her family, and her friends than anything else. It does end on a hopeful note which was nice.
Overall while I didn’t love this, I did enjoy the scientific subject matter and drawings throughout. I would recommend to those who enjoy reading about a preteen dealing with grief, family, and friends with some side notes about the science of great white sharks.
