Desperate to become a shark caller to avenge the death of her parents, Blue Wing is instead charged with befriending infuriating newcomer Maple. At first they are angry and out of sync with the island and each other. But, can they overcome their differences and conquer the deadliest shark in the ocean? I finished The Shark Caller on New Year's Day and only hours into 2021, I think I may have found one of my favourite books of the year! Zillah Bethell was born in a leprosy hospital in Papua New Guinea, spent her childhood barefoot playing in the jungle, and didn't own a pair of shoes until she came to the UK when she was eight. She was educated at Oxford University and now lives in Wales with her family. The Shark Caller bercerita tntg Blue Wing, ank yatim piatu yg diasuh bapak angkat (istilahnya 'waspapi') bernama Siringen yg adalah satu"nya pemanggil hiu di desa itu. Blue Wing pngn bljr manggil hiu jg, tp selalu ga dibolehin krn ada alasan tersendiri. suatu saat desa itu kedatengan profesor Hamelin sm anaknya, Maple, yg ternyata punya maksud tertentu jg.

At first, the girls are too angry to share their secrets and become friends. But when the tide breathes the promise of treasure, they must journey together to the bottom of the ocean to brave the deadliest shark of them all… aku ingin bisa memanggil hiu. Kau tahu itu. Aku sudah kelewat sering bilang kepadamu, sampai rahangku terasa ngilu setiap kali mengatakannya. Aku ingin bisa memanggi hiu. Ajari aku sihirnya dan tunjukkan kepadaku caranya."The most incredible story…tender and wise, with themes of friendship, love, grief, revenge and acceptance.” Michelle Harrison

I remember we kind of danced around the shoe. I don’t know why but we did. For a few weeks we took turns limping about in it and when we got fed up of that, it came in very useful for digging up sweet potatoes. The read is also a celebration of sharks, an often much feared creature. I found myself falling in love with this powerful ocean dweller and can see how they are misunderstood. The second time that Blue Wing confronts ‘Xok’, the shark responsible for the death of her parents, in the ocean was both heart-breaking and uplifting.Zillah says, “Saara Söderlund has given the greatest gift of allowing me to reinhabit the landscape I left when I was ten. Papua New Guinea in all its fierce, mercurial, quixotic beauty. And I am so very grateful to her.”

The Shark Caller is Zillah Bethell’s remarkable new book that leaves you completely stunned and totally in awe of the wonderful storytelling. When do stars come out?” she asked, nodding to herself as if she’d already planned the whole escapade. Which she had… The Shark Caller is exceptional. You will want to re-read it from the beginning the moment you finish it. Rarely does a book have such a profound and moving effect on its readers as this one had on me. I’m still reeling from the ending, and have already re-read the book with entirely new eyes. Blue Wing lives with her guardian Siringen, a shark caller, on the outskirts of her village. She’s desperate to become a shark caller herself to avenge the death of her parents, who were killed by a notorious shark, Xok. But it’s against tradition for a girl to become one, and Siringen believes Blue Wing still harbours too much anger in her heart. The most incredible story...tender and wise, with themes of friendship, love, grief, revenge and acceptance.' Michelle Harrison, author of A Pinch of Magic

This belittling of the Shark Caller does not however prevent the Bigman telling Siringen that he is to be given the responsibility of looking after a new visitor – an American professor of coral, who will be staying on the island together with his daughter. Blue Wing is not happy that they are to be housed in the hut that used to belong to her family and decides that she hates them before she has even met them. As they arrive, she spies on them and talks to Chimera – the daughter of a witch doctor, who lives outside of the village – telling her of her resentment. As the girls’ friendship develops, they find themselves caught up in a compelling mystery to uncover the secrets that Maple’s grieving father is hiding, secrets that uncover their family’s history and reveal a longing to change the past … When an American comes to study coral, and brings his insufferable daughter with him, Blue Wing is outraged to discover not only have they been put up in her family's home, she is now expected to show the grumpy and rude Maple around town. As the girls get to know each other, Blue Wing realises that she and Maple have some things in common, and maybe they're both just trying to cope with their grief in their own ways. By the shores of Papua New Guinea, Blue Wing argues desperately with Siringen, her waspapi, that she should be a shark caller. It is a tradition that the shark caller position is passed down from uncle to nephew, but Siringen is the last of his family. Instead, Blue Wing is roped into looking after Maple, a visitor to her island. However, Blue Wing and Maple soon learn the importance of friendship, forgiveness and learning to live with grief in this beautiful and moving story.