Dawn Patrol. (Orca Sports). Jeff Ross. Victoria, BC: Orca, 2012. 146 pp., pbk., $9.95. ISBN 978-1-4598-0062-5. Grades 5-8 / Ages 10-13. Review by Mark Mueller. Reviewed from Advance Reading Copy. **½ /4

excerpt:

“You have to catch a wave at just the right time. If you try to stand up too early, you sink. Stand up too late, and you get bowled over by the wave and dumped down the front side. When to stand up is not really something you can be taught. You have to feel it.”

Esme and Luca are two extreme surfers who like to travel to various sites across the world to catch “monster waves”. When their closest friend, Kevin Taylor, disappears, the two friends travel to a resort in Bocas del Mar, Panama, in hopes of finding him. When they arrive at the resort, they ride the waves; engage fellow surfers and unfriendly locals, and meet the mysterious Loco Delgado. As they try to work through the various clues to locate Kevin, the answers to their questions seem to generate more questions. For instance, why did Kevin go to Panama? And what was the exact nature of the relationship between Kevin’s parents and Loco Delgado? Nothing seems to make sense to any of the characters until the end of the novel during an explosive encounter between Kevin, Esme and Loco Delgado.

      Jeff Ross has crafted a YA novel that gives the reader an interesting introduction to surfing and surfing culture. The plot of the story is tight and well crafted – and perhaps this is one of the strengths and weaknesses of the book. At times, the plot and the characters seem too tight, and this reader would have liked to see more development. Teens who have a passion for sports will certainly like this novel; however, teens who like books with lots of depth may feel disappointed at the end. While I would certainly recommend this book for inclusion – especially for reluctant readers – I would not say it is essential.

Recommended.

Mark Mueller is the Education Librarian at Tyndale University College in Toronto, ON.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - March 23, 2012.

AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME