Boy Under Water, Adam Baron, HarperCollins

Review by Gemma E McLaughlin

Upon buying Boy Under Water I was intrigued by the beautiful cover art and mysterious writing which read “Sometimes to find the truth, you have to go deep”. These words perfectly set me up for the novel itself and I was not disappointed. The story is gripping and brimming with plot twists and the writing style is very relatable.

Boy Under Water is told from the perspective of Cymbeline Igloo as we discover a week before his tenth birthday there is something rather unusual about his seemingly normal life as a cheerful boy: he has never been swimming.

Although this simple fact initially appears to be of little, we soon discover that it is a key element in the history of his family and in particular in the dark, cryptic past of his mother which ties together all the elements of the story.

When you begin reading the novel it seems an odd choice to have a sweet naive child as the narrator of a heartbreaking tale, however upon later inspection this is exactly the beauty of the book.

Cymbeline’s perspective as a simple, kind child is the perfect contrast to the horrifying dark twists of the main plot and the day to day developments of his life at school truly underline the impact of this contrast.

One thing I particularly loved while reading this story that remained constant throughout the book was this bright, joyful writing style that really defined the unique selling point of Cymbeline and his amazing tale.

As we draw to the conclusion of the book there is a subtle moment of realisation that the story had never really been about our young hero but about his mother, a change in focus that grabbed my attention in a truly astonishing way.

While Cymbeline was a great character and the hero the readers needed for the story his mother, was clearly at the centre of a magnificent storm of events.

I was so pleased to see her incredible strength and genuine character growth build as Cymbeline found answers to the puzzle that perfectly intertwined with his mother’s actions and emotions.

My favourite parts of the book, even more than the devastating turns of the plot which kept me captivated, included but the relatable humour, some moving and uplifting scenes and the light, pure depictions of young friendships which were all the more moving for some heartbreaking moments of tears.

I’d certainly recommend this work of incredibly adroit writing to any mystery fans that enjoy a kick of lighthearted humour and fascinating plot twists.