When it comes to middle-grade fiction, where recycled plots and predictable narratives abound, a truly original premise is rare. Of course, considering the amount of content vying for the average tween’s attention, it’s understandable why authors might choose to tread familiar ground. Still, there are exceptions. With a plot involving a massive straw from outer space transforming Earth into a giant juice box, Marius Trevelean’s SIP offers young readers a satisfying blend of action, adventure, and a healthy dose of sci-fi-tinged satire.
SIP opens with twelve-year-old Jim Moss trying to overcome his aquaphobia. After all, if he wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and someday join the navy, he can’t be afraid of water. But everything changes when Jim gets word that his father is missing. Commander John Moss and his Royal Navy battleship, Excalibur, were engulfed by a giant straw that suddenly materialized in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. With the help of an eccentric uncle and a ragtag team of almost-pirates, Jim sets out aboard the Mandrake in search of his father. Little does he know that humanity’s fate just so happens to hang in the balance.
Despite a premise bordering on absurd, SIP is a surprisingly touching read. Trevelean does an excellent job of balancing the silliness with some serious moments. Key to this is Jim and his gradual transition from a child pining for his father to a self-assured young man attempting to save him. The boy who spends “hours crying long, shuddering sobs of despair” at the thought of losing his father eventually finds himself negotiating on behalf of humanity, refusing to give up even when “marooned, destined to spend the rest of his life touring the cosmos.”
While SIP benefits from a clever plot-device and a likable protagonist, the novel occasionally strains under the weight of itself. The major issue here is the sheer number of elements at play. Admirable as they may be, Trevelean’s cinematic ambitions make for a MacGuffin-reliant narrative that leans heavily on exposition that far too often tells readers what it could otherwise show: “Suddenly, they heard an eruption of sound, a cacophony that rang through the cavern, echoing off the dank, damp walls of the graveyard. The group froze in terror, wary of other terrible creatures that might lurk in the shadows.”
Still, with aliens, pirates, and even the president of the United States in the mix, Trevelean successfully sticks the landing. Additionally, SIP is well-paced and brimming with originality. And given the intended “tween” audience, the story’s more cartoonish elements make total sense. Add to that a decisive ending that hints at future installments, and you have all the makings of a must-read YA series.
Featuring a potent blend of action and satire, Marius Trevelean’s SIP ultimately succeeds at delivering a refreshingly unique spin on the coming-of-age YA template.
~James Weiskittel for IndieReader