Ice Breaker: The Hidden Series Book 1 (Lian Tanner, A&U)

When the world fell to technophobic zealots, a mechanical child was hidden in a ship that was sent to sail the waters of the South Pole. In the 300 years since, a lot has changed on the ship: the descendents of officers, cooks and engineers have formed insular and distrustful tribes. Twelve-year-old Petrel is the only outcast with no tribe. When a strange boy is found on the ice, Petrel saves his life in the hope that he might become a friend—but the outside world hasn’t forgotten the ship’s secret cargo, and the boy has a chilling mission. The world of Ice Breaker is wonderfully realised: the clanking engines, rusted walkways and icy upper decks of the ship make for vivid settings. There is suspense and danger, and the characterisation is very human and ultimately moving. The mysterious boy’s journey from an austere and desperate boy soldier to a person of warmth and courage, and Petrel’s journey from nobody to somebody, are both rather wonderful, and several other characters also take surprising paths. Petrel’s companions, the strangely intelligent rats Missus Slink and Mister Smoke, are also highlights. The first in a new series, Ice Breaker should appeal to middle- and upper-primary readers who love adventure, suspense and strange worlds.

Jarrah Moore is a primary literacy editor at Cengage Learning Australia

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews