FATHOMLESS

Returning to the late-19th-century world of Spineless (2022), readers join siblings Lulu and Frankie Davenport along with best friend Algie Emsworth as they reunite in Florida for a summer that doesn’t turn out as expected.

Home after a tedious term at boarding school, 12-year-old Lulu can’t wait to go sailing. But 13-year-old Frankie isn’t being great company, their father is distracted, and Algie has gotten a job at the general store to help his family out financially. On top of that, Lulu hears an eerie wailing and is made uneasy by rumors that 200-year-old pirate queen Capt. Ale is haunting the town. When Lulu meets Vic Cazador, a boy her age whose father is a customs officer, things fortunately take an upturn. Vic is blind from a bout of measles two years previously, and as he and Lulu bond over their shared lack of confidence—Vic because his controlling father is overprotective and Lulu because Frankie is so competent—they support each other while learning about their own strengths. The plot is original and surprising, with themes about belief in oneself and sibling rivalry that stay true to the age of the audience; the story also incorporates well-presented ideas about morality, ethics, family, and the frailties of adults. Lulu and Frankie are white and Cuban American; Algie is white, and Vic is Cuban American.

A clever plot, taut writing, and sophisticated emotional themes bring a remarkable depth to this sequel.