July 12, 2018 5.15 pm This story is over 75 months old

Children’s book review: Grace Burrin, 9 – Boy Underwater

“It is exciting, exhilarating and even humorous!”

This guest book review was written by nine-year-old Grace Burrin, pupil at Ermine Primary Academy.

Boy Underwater is the debut children’s book from Louth-born author Adam Baron, who has successfully published a number of adult novels. It was Waterstones’ Book of the Month through June.


Over to Grace:

Boy Underwater by Adam Baron is an amazing book. It was published in 2018 and is quite possibly the best book I’ve read this year.

It is jam-packed full of different emotions and is the perfect story if you like secrets! It’s filled with love, mystery and a heart-warming attention to detail. It’s deep and moving, yet funny nonetheless. I loved it!

Boy Underwater is about a boy who has never been swimming, and his name is Cymbeline Igloo. He deeply wants to find out why his mum has never taken him swimming but to do so, he has to go on an epic adventure which will take him to the ‘deepest’ areas of his own (and his family’s) secrets.

My favourite characters are Billy Lee and Cymbeline Igloo. I like Billy Lee as his character consistently grows throughout the story.

I learnt from him. I learnt that no matter what you have done to someone, or what they have done to you, you can still make up and be friends. I liked Cymbeline Igloo because, although he is young, it doesn’t stop him from entering an awesome adventure and discovering the answer to many secrets.

I would recommend this book for children aged 9-14 because it is filled with a variety of emotions, enigmas and even death!

It is exciting, exhilarating and even humorous!

I personally loved this book and I thought it was brilliant. With the help of friends old and new, Cymbeline manages to go on a fantastic adventure. This book has definitely made my top five!

I have been an avid reader and writer since the age of 5. I started writing adventure stories in Year 1 and used to get lots of house points from my teacher for the stories I wrote at home. I read each day and my favourite genres are comedy and adventure stories. When I’m older I would love to be an author and a teacher!