On a remote Scottish island, fourteen-year-old Max’s life changes forever when he loses his hearing in a boating accident. Struggling to make sense of his new life and finding it hard to adapt in school, he begins to notice other — even stranger — changes taking place when a new wind farm appears off the island’s coast.
With the help of three school friends with additional support needs, Max discovers that a sinister scientist, Doctor Ashwood, is using wind turbines to experiment on the islanders. They must find a way to shut down the government’s secret test before it spins out of control…
My Thoughts
I love Victoria Williamson's books as you can probably tell from The Bookshelf. She writes exciting, inclusive stories that feel effortless (bet they're not!) and very 'now'.
War of the Wind is another huge triumph for the author. She has combined a diverse range of characters with the incredibly current topic of wind energy, to create a thrilling eco-adventure that had me racing through the pages until the final, heart warming, conclusion. The story is brilliantly written and for me, the fate of Twister, the dog's wonderful, wet, slobbery shaggy dog, was as much of an emotional rollercoaster as that of the main character Max and his school friends.
Setting is one of Victoria Williamson's fortes, and I could smell the sea and feel the wind on my face as I struggled across the fantastically remote Scottish island of Scragness with Max and his friends. There is also a map, one of my favourite 'extras' in a book, just in case the reader gets lost (which they won't, in the hand of this author's brilliant direction.)
And if all this is not enough to make you pop out to your local bookshop and nab yourself a copy of this superb book, remember that twenty percent of the author royalties are donated to the fabulous British Deaf Association. Reason alone to buy it I would say.
Well done Victoria Williamson.