This isn't a book I would have picked for myself, but it was part of the Penguin Young Readers Author Program and so I gave it a try. As usual, the folks who choose the books for the program were right. Bouwman has created a fantasy world that intersects with ours in remarkable ways. The second world (as it is called), is a cast watery place with a few islands, a large floating nation known as the Raftworld, and even Krakens. People from our world cross over through portals that appear during storms or in whirlpools out at sea. Some of the people who figure prominently in the story are from our world. One group crosses over in 1781, after begin thrown overboard from the slaveship Zong. Another group is pulled into a maelstrom after fleeing from South Vietnam in 1978. And then there are the characters from Raftworld and the Tathen Islands in the second world.

Through the magic of storytelling, the author weaves all these tales together into a whole. There are kidnappings, rescues, magical powers, pirates, sea monsters, quests, and even Amelia Earhart! Readers will have plenty of action and suspense, some humor, family loyalty, and new friends to keep their attention. A captivating ride of historical fantasy adventure.