SWIMMING IN THE MONSOON SEA

Fourteen-year-old Amrith De Alwis is still dealing with the deaths of his parents eight years ago. He does so by not dwelling on their passing and is embarrassed by the annual remembrance enforced by Aunty Bundle, his mother’s best friend, who along with Uncle Lucky is raising Amrith as part of their wealthy, happy family in 1980 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. His quiet summer of typing lessons and practice for a school drama competition is disturbed by the arrival of his actual uncle and 16-year-old cousin Niresh from Canada. Amrith develops a crush on Niresh and is jealous when the boy pays more attention to Aunty Bundle’s daughters. Stories of the mistakes of past generations help Amrith deal with his newfound cousin, his lingering grief and his awakening sexuality. Award-winner Selvadurai writes with great success to his youngest audience yet. His evocation of place and the depth he brings to his characters and their relationships make this a surprisingly gripping read. A tasteful, wonderful exploration of a seldom-explored culture that will be at home in any YA collection. (Fiction. YA)