Otters' Moon

Luke doesn’t want to be here, trapped for the summer on a remote Scottish island when he should be at home kicking a football around with his mates. But Mum insisted, although she has barely got out of bed since they arrived, and Dad is too wrapped up with his new wife and forthcoming baby to care.

At the height of his anger, Luke meets Meg, a local girl living in a boarded up boathouse with her Grandad. Meg is angry too but seems marginally more approachable than the other locals. The tentative friendship that develops, focussed on protecting some baby otter pups, is good for them both. Until the terrible secret of an ‘otters’ moon’ threatens to take another life.

An engaging and unusual adventure exploring family break-up, mental illness, betrayal and bereavement, themes that may well strike a chord with many young readers.

Both Luke and Meg are initially mistrustful, fiercely self-contained and secretly afraid of being hurt again but discover that sometimes it takes a leap of faith to discover the light at the end of the tunnel. Despite its weighty subject matter, the book is ultimately uplifting in its celebration of hope, friendship, recovery and forgiveness.