A big-hearted story with a bright spirit and bold determination about saving some of the ocean’s most vulnerable creatures
When an English girl moves to a Caribbean island with her mother, a love for the ocean seems almost inevitable. But in the first book, she has a deep fear of the ocean. Now, in The Secrets of the Shallows, she’s found her rhythm in the biggest way.
Lucy Morgan is a 12-year-old girl living on Pontus Island in the Caribbean, exploring the seas with no fear. She’s become so skilled that she’s even considered a guide on diving trips for tourists. Though she’s only lived on the island for a short six months, she certainly considers herself a local as she navigates through the town with her two good friends, Solomon and Jack.
One particular area of interest to her is a turtle beach, where turtles have come to nest for hundreds of years. So when a group of developers comes to take over the turtle beach and turn it into hotels, she is none too happy about it. With the help of her local friends, her mom, and her love of the environment, Lucy attempts to take on the developers and put permanent protection laws on some of Pontus’s most beloved natural spaces.
Author Gloria Barnett takes conquering fear to the next level by having Lucy transform it into one of the joys of her life. This book starts out with her being an expert at diving, feeling comfortable enough to not only dive but instruct and save others. It’s clear that Lucy’s love of the ocean is something that will stay with her, and that bravery inspires the people around her. Even her mother becomes more open to the idea of getting in the ocean after watching Lucy find so much joy in doing it. Of all the lessons to learn from children’s books, this book illustrates something deeply important: what’s on the other side of fear.
As a mom, there are a handful of little things that I really admire about this book, like the way Lucy handles disappointment. There’s a time when one of her friends doesn’t want to come along to explore a part of the ocean because he thinks it’s boring. Instead of changing her mind about going, or making a fuss about it, she just accepts it and continues to do what she wants to do. There are a handful of small but thoughtful decisions like this that really emphasize how strong-minded Lucy is.
With a tenacity that only a confident 12-year-old can have, Lucy is the type of main character that little girls will aspire to be. Her independent nature is one of the coolest parts of her personality. Her mother allows her a kind of freedom that is not as common today, where she can join her friends and the locals and have general autonomy over her everyday life during her school break. In one chapter, Lucy is guiding a diving trip in the deep seas; in the next, she’s walking around the market or tracking down bad guys. And for the most part, Lucy is worthy of the responsibility and freedom she is given. Still, Barnett maintains a realistic portrayal of Lucy’s age, as she makes the wrong choice a handful of times and gets herself in some pretty dangerous situations. Like many 12-year-olds, Lucy is learning what it means to be independent and testing her boundaries, and children her age will be inspired by all that she accomplishes.
While her tenacious spirit is something to be admired, some of Lucy’s actions raise some issues. She is ultimately new to the island, white, and has only recently conquered her fear of the ocean. Yet she walks around the island as if she owns it. Her natural entitlement can be a bit off-putting at times, given where she is. For instance, despite her efforts to save the turtle beach from developers, she disobeys the laws by walking onto the beach despite many signs saying not to. She brushes it off, saying there is no harm because almost no one has been allowed on the beach. Her six months on the island make her nearly a tourist herself, and she’s not following the island’s set rules. I’m worried this may send the wrong message. She comes into a lot of situations trying to change or “fix” things, and she gets nearly all of the praise for the conservation accomplishments. While the author touches on the history of the island that includes a dark past of slavery, this character comes in a bit too close to the white savior archetype, correcting things that the people there seem to have missed. The book is undeniably well-intentioned, but it may have missed the mark in this respect.
I did, however, appreciate her acknowledgment of the part that slavery played on the island. An elder on the island brings her and her friends to a place by the market where slaves arrived and were kept. His small history lesson shines a light on the darker parts of the island’s past and what the people there have had to overcome.
The Secrets of the Shallows is a thrilling, inspirational, nature-loving story that young girls will enjoy.
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