Spearo Reviews
“A captivating read from first page to last”
— Pat Swanson (World Champion Spearo)
“Award winning Mary-Anne Scott has written another great read for reluctant boy readers and anyone keen on fishing or keen to learn more about it – especially spearfishing. Great family dynamics, emotional undercurrents and ocean action. Dive in!”
— WhatBookNext.com
“There is plenty of action to keep fishing fans happy, but this is balanced by the story behind the developing relationships in the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and it will hopefully appeal to some of those children who don't always want to read!”
— Penny, via GoodReads
“The author takes us into the world of not just spear-fishing (to keep the outdoorsy readers engaged) but also touches on themes of loneliness, mistaken assumptions, broken families and new countries (with our narrator a recent migrant from Zimbabwe). Lots of fishing facts included in the novel.”
— Anne, via GoodReads
“Spearo offers a deep expedition of adventure and self-discovery through the foggy goggles of a young man swimming in a new ocean for the first time. You don’t need to be aquatically active to appreciate this tale of scaling life’s challenges; Spearo caught my interest through complex characters and a believable Kiwi plotline. This authentic tale targets that all too familiar space of being young and alone, yearning for friends and fun when things aren’t going right for you. I was hooked..”
— Dave Tucker, The Sapling
“Author Mary-Anne Scott's really knows how to capture the attention of our younger readers. Spearo is full of action, drama and cracks along at a wicked pace. But it is also full of emotion and her characters aren't afraid to show it. I never thought I'd want to read a book about spear fishing. But Scott instantly captured me with familiar landscapes, passion and emotion. A fantastic addition to New Zealand's middle-grade fiction scene.”
— Rebekah Lyall, NZ Book Lovers
“This is a book of our times!”
— Steph via GoodReads
Sean and Mason form a diving friendship. As the main characters in Spearo they imbue the story with realism, action and understated male emotions. Mary-Anne Scott does a great job in providing the reader with credible teenage voices facing a myriad of challenges from immigration, being the odd one out, coping with family and relationship issues - to finally coming of age.
Sean who recently relocated to New Zealand from his family’s safari ranch in Zimbabwe contrasts with and affirms a kiwi culture displayed in Mason who is a ‘mad keen’ spear fisher as opposed to the usual pig hunter. Both characters support each other in various ways that consolidate their friendship and provide thematic continuity.
Sean observes Mason struggling with editing a media clip and offers to help. “You have to take the soundtrack off to edit the clip.” Mason offers Sean advice on his first pool dive with a snorkel, “Put your snorkel in and swim around on the surface.”
Tension is introduced through Nicole, Mason's sister, who through a misunderstanding repeatedly antagonises Sean. This tension escalates when the boys and Nicole enter a national spearfishing competition. Nicole says “We’re in a tournament right now and you want to sulk about turns? You know you won’t shoot anything if you dive”.
Free diving and fish spearing skills are developed by both characters which not only entertains the reader but informs, describing the technical skills and strategies required. Although the subject made me feel a bit squeamish at times, this is an entertaining and informative story that held my attention. Spearo will appeal equally to those who are adventurous or aspiring to be.