Storm Warning

Susannah D. Ketchum, a former teacher-librarian at the Bishop Strachan
School in Toronto, serves on the Southern Ontario Library Services
Board.

Sixteen-year-old Sandra Williams is on a mission. To solve a 30-year-old
mystery, she has learned to scuba-dive and has engineered an invitation
to visit the magnificent lakeside home of Bryan MacDonald’s family.
Not included in her plan is the growing attraction she feels for Bryan.
Nor has she reckoned on Bryan’s “slimey” uncle Greg, who adds a
menacing note to her quest.

Monica Hughes, the author of more than 30 books for young people, has
won many awards, and Storm Warning is a 2001 Ontario Library Association
Red Maple nominee. It is, however, less satisfying than many of
Hughes’s other titles. Sandra is a spunky and fairly well-realized
heroine. Supporting characters Bryan and Amanda, Bryan’s 11-year-old
sister, are less well developed. In addition, although Hughes has
researched her scuba-diving and sailing facts, other aspects of the plot
require a heavy dose of credulity. Readers of fantasy and
science-fiction titles such as Hughes’s The Keeper of the Isis Light,
Beyond the Dark River, and Sandwriter expect to suspend belief
willingly. A “realistic” novel should strive a little harder to be
convincing.

Hughes is a polished writer, and this “chilling, thrilling underwater
adventure” moves briskly. So, despite its weaknesses, it will probably
be quite popular with young adults. Recommended.