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Overview
Sometimes you have to get lost . . .
The Girl: Clio Ford, seventeen, wants to spend the summer smooching her art-store crush, not stuck on a boat in the Mediterranean. At least she'll get a killer tan.
The Mission: Survive her father's crazy antics. Oh, and also find some missing underwater treasure that could unlock the secrets of civilization.
The Crew: Dad's wacky best friend Martin, his bizarre research partner Julia, her voluptuous daughter Elsa . . . and then there's Aidan, Julia's incredibly attractive, incredibly arrogant assistant.
What's going on behind Aidan's intellectual, intensely green eyes, anyway?
As Clio sails into uncharted territory she unveils secrets that have the power to change history. But her most surprising discovery is that there's something deeper and more cryptic than the sea—her own heart.
. . . to find what you're looking for
Synopsis
Sometimes you have to get lost . . .
The Girl: Clio Ford, seventeen, wants to spend the summer smooching her art-store crush, not stuck on a boat in the Mediterranean. At least she'll get a killer tan.
The Mission: Survive her father's crazy antics. Oh, and also find some missing underwater treasure that could unlock the secrets of civilization.
The Crew: Dad's wacky best friend Martin, his bizarre research partner Julia, her voluptuous daughter Elsa . . . and then there's Aidan, Julia's incredibly attractive, incredibly arrogant assistant.
What's going on behind Aidan's intellectual, intensely green eyes, anyway?
As Clio sails into uncharted territory she unveils secrets that have the power to change history. But her most surprising discovery is that there's something deeper and more cryptic than the sea—her own heart.
. . . to find what you're looking for
Publishers Weekly
When Clio was a kid, she invented a popular adventure board game with her father, which allowed them to live an adventurous life that included trips to Peru, Greece and Japan. But after the money disappeared and Clio had a scuba diving accident (her father allowed her to get a tattoo over her scar), her parents fought nightly and eventually "sat down to tell her that sometimes parents don't get along and can't be married anymore." Now years later, circumstances throw 17-year-old Clio and her estranged father together for another adventure, this time aboard his luxury yacht; he has assembled a strange crew, including his archaeologist professor girlfriend and her cute young assistant, Aidan, to embark on a mysterious expedition. The author masterfully weaves together plenty of plot points, from the unresolved tension between Clio and her father, to the strange attraction between Clio and Aidan, which at times "practically crackled." Flashbacks to another adventurous father and daughter more than 100 years before add depth to the story and provide clues to the crew's secret mission. Spirited Clio is immensely personable and witty and Johnson (Devilish) paints her summer at sea vividly, including well-crafted descriptions of everything from a scuba dive through a shipwreck to a touching father-daughter reconciliation. Ages 12-up. (June)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationEditorials
Publishers Weekly
When Clio was a kid, she invented a popular adventure board game with her father, which allowed them to live an adventurous life that included trips to Peru, Greece and Japan. But after the money disappeared and Clio had a scuba diving accident (her father allowed her to get a tattoo over her scar), her parents fought nightly and eventually "sat down to tell her that sometimes parents don't get along and can't be married anymore." Now years later, circumstances throw 17-year-old Clio and her estranged father together for another adventure, this time aboard his luxury yacht; he has assembled a strange crew, including his archaeologist professor girlfriend and her cute young assistant, Aidan, to embark on a mysterious expedition. The author masterfully weaves together plenty of plot points, from the unresolved tension between Clio and her father, to the strange attraction between Clio and Aidan, which at times "practically crackled." Flashbacks to another adventurous father and daughter more than 100 years before add depth to the story and provide clues to the crew's secret mission. Spirited Clio is immensely personable and witty and Johnson (Devilish) paints her summer at sea vividly, including well-crafted descriptions of everything from a scuba dive through a shipwreck to a touching father-daughter reconciliation. Ages 12-up. (June)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationChildren's Literature -
What Clio wants to do this summer: start her new job at the art store, where co-worker Ollie is sure to become her "first kiss." What she has to do this summer: suddenly leave town—the continent, actually—to accompany her impulsive father on a treasure hunt. This story of a seventeen-year-old girl dragged along on a mysterious Mediterranean mission to find a sunken stone tablet is a rich read in many respects. Skillful writing results in well-developed characters, engaging action, and a general authenticity that should appeal to young adult readers. Clio is smart, sassy and likeable, and her interactions with her peers are very believable. Her personal angst over her new friends on the boat comes off as the most compelling plot line, while the slowly revealed reasons for her estranged relationship with her father feel less weighty. The descriptions of their past as a famous father-daughter game-making team who traveled the world until an accident changed everything appear as largely expositional summaries that don't pop off the page. The history of the stone, which is sought as a language primer to unlock secrets of ancient civilizations, is developed by occasional, century-old letters. This part of the story becomes a bit frustrating, though, because it gets lost in the tumult by story's end. Overall, though, this is a quality, page-turning read for teens. Underage drinking without real consequences may make this inappropriate for some.KLIATT -
To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, May 2007: An improbable but entertaining plot, by the author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Clio is the heroine and she has a complicated history with her father. The two created a highly successful computer game together and the family became wealthy, but Clio's father has wasted a lot of the money and takes on a last, desperate project to redeem his life and reputation. He has a new romance with a woman academic who is searching for a historical treasure that was lost in a shipwreck in the Mediterranean. Clio helps in this effort, but she is angry at her father, primarily because she believes he walked away from his family. There are two other major characters in this adventure: the daughter of Clio's father's lover, who eventually becomes a friend; and Aidan, a young research assistant who becomes Clio's romantic interest. There is diving, excitement, adventure, romance—all in a beautiful setting. And the young people are intelligent, skilled, and responsible. A good YA adventure novel. Reviewer: Claire RosserSchool Library Journal
Gr 9 Up
Clio Ford, 17, is an artist who has just landed a job at an art store that puts her right in the line of sight of her crush. Within minutes of landing this primo job, she learns that her mother has been awarded a fellowship that involves moving to Kansas for the summer; Clio will have to live with her father, whom she considers immature and selfish, on a yacht in Italy. Within pages, Clio is off on an excursion that involves her father (who is really working hard to make things right), his new girlfriend (an archaeology professor on a hunt), his girlfriend's daughter, a grad assistant, and her father's best friend. There is a secret shrouding this adventure. Through old letters that are found and snippets of conversation, readers figure out that the group is looking for something akin to the Rosetta Stone. Johnson does a great job of peppering enough interesting information and planting enough clues to keep the story moving along. Purchase for readers who enjoy lighthearted mystery and intrigue.
—Emily GarrettCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.