Final Storm by Deborah Abela, (Puffin Books), 2019, Pb,
RRP $16.99
ISBN:
9780143794462
Reviewed by Pauline Hosking
This is the third and final of Deborah Abela’s Grimsdon series. Isabella, Griffin and
their friends exist in a reimagined civilisation after climate change has
wrecked the planet. Since managing to survive in a flooded world (described in
the second book) they have settled into the relative safety of New City.
Before long their home is threatened by ever more
erratic weather patterns. An organisation named Future World Solutions promises
it can control the weather. But Isabella discovers that the man behind the
organisation is their old enemy Byron Sneddon. Even worse, the person she believes
to be a new ally is, in fact, Sneddon’s
son. After a series of escalating adventures, the son turns on his father, and
the good guys triumph.
The story is fast-paced with many unexpected twists. The
friends are action heroes who manage to overcome each potentially deadly challenge
in the nick of time. There is no clear main character, which is unusual in a
middle grade novel. Both Griffin and Isabella take centre stage at different
times, concerned for each other and the future of New City. Especially poignant
is Isabella’s desire to find her mother.
Some of the best writing describes the terrifying
extreme weather events. Abela wrote the series because she was angry that governments
around the world weren’t doing enough to combat climate change, and as a
rallying cry for young environmental activists. I found it surprising, though,
that her vision of climate change encompasses storms, winter weather and floods
- not high temperatures and drought, which is something Australia is already experiencing.
There maybe one or two moments of confusion for those
who have not read the previous novels (e.g. the introduction of Matilda without
any explanation as to what she is). Overall this is an exciting read for Grades
4,5 and 6.
