THE GLASS FROG

Lowry’s middle-grade fantasy novel charts an unexpected arrival in a small coastal town.

In the tiny coastal town of Seaside, everything is always the same: Life is unimaginatively ordered, and nothing ever deviates from the dull, dreary uniformity that most of its inhabitants prefer. Until, that is, the day that a castaway washes up on its shores after a storm. The survivor—who mysteriously slumbers for days on end after being rescued—is deemed an “Unnecessary” visitor by most of Seaside’s residents, who wish him dead until Damon Farrier, an orphaned young man, saves his life. Damon sets in motion a chain of events that will reverberate across their world, because when the castaway (called the Navigator) eventually wakes up, he proves to have magic in his veins, magic connected to fantastical creatures from the deep sea and also to Damon’s 14-year-old sister, Sophie, whose imagination starts to run even wilder than it did before the Navigator appeared in their lives. When the Navigator leaves Seaside, Sophie follows him, setting out on a journey that will shape her future and possibly even determine the fate of Seaside. The author’s debut novel is charming and whimsical, featuring a delectable writing style with plenty of subtle humor: “Seaside was given its unimaginative name by its unimaginative people. In fact, hostility toward creativity and change is a central feature of the Seasider mentality, a proud tradition handed down from generation to generation.” The narrative, which resembles a fairy tale both in structure and tone, is full of unexpected depth and follows a surprisingly interwoven, complex arc as it explores topics of change, agency, and growth as both Damon and Sophie struggle to fit into a world they feel uncomfortable in. The bonds between brother and sister—and between mentor and mentee, as forged between the Navigator and Sophie—are heartfelt and celebrate family, with members both blood-bound and found along the way.

A delightful fantasy debut.