AUTHOR: Pablo Gutiérrez
PUBLISHER: Edebé
GENRE: Novel
READER’S NAME: Piers Armstrong
DATE: August 24th, 2023

storyline, style of writing: 

- describes the summer vacation of a Spanish family to a surfing / fishing village in Portugal

- the narrative is first person; the protagonist is a 12-year-old boy.

- the story transpires in the present; a long first part precedes the vacation and describes the family atmosphere, the boy's school, and friends, etc.; the 2nd part transpires in Portugal where the family stay alongside a German family with a 15-year-old girl whom the protagonist befriends and who teaches him to surf

- there are a couple of minor adventures; these are deliberately commonplace and ordinary, but provide enough adrenaline to sustain suspense for the reader

- there are some interesting cultural explications, both about Spanish families, and then also comparing Mediterranean and Northern European mores.

- the novelist is very adept, both in narrative structure and writing style. The adult novelist very successfully adopts the psychological perspective of the young protagonist.

- suitability for translation: very suitable; no difficulties.

- whether the subject matter will travel well in the US: you never can tell; this is no grand adventure - there is no Harry Potter excitement here. However, it is very readable, and very simpatico - U.S. high school kids would read it easily, and, I hope, learn a lot about the very different family culture of Spain. The content is "sentimentally" educational and edifying.

- whether the overall idea seems different and unusual: not really, but that's actually the point  

- whether it deals with a common theme but treats it in an original way:  yes, I would say so; its chief distinction is the fidelity to normalcy, which is much rarer than one might think.

- predictability and variety of plotlines and how they blend together: plotlines are well blended.  There is just one silly thread (about the kidnapping of kids) which never really takes off and appears almost as a thread the writer envisaged then abandoned.

- the plausibility of the dialogue: yes, very plausible

- the author and their previous works: the author appears to be experienced and successful

similarities to other popular books, etc.: I am not a good judge to know what to compare it to (similar things in same genre).

Summary: 

- note re category: Young Adults

- warrants translation and could do well. It is very suitable for school libraries (even in states like Florida). It is very inoffensive. It reads very easily. I could imagine kids suggesting it to peers as an easy read. They would learn a lot from it about family sensibilities. The surf theme is tantalizing but is actually less important.