This is my the first book by Victoria Williamson that I have read but it most definitely won't be my last. I loved the diverse characters and how well the representation was done in this book. It also gave a lot of things to think about and therefore I think this would be a great book for a book club read. I also think it would be well suited to schools as it would open discussions about bullying, special needs pupils, climate change, technology and smart phones, transparency in the press and more.

War of the Wind is an environmental thriller for a teen audience with positive representation of children with additional support needs, this book needs to be in every school!

This novel from Victoria Williamson, who has been rightly acclaimed for her previous middle grade books, is aimed at a teenage audience as it details the personal journey of fourteen year-old Max, who is struggling to come to terms with total hearing loss. From the opening pages which plunge the reader into the icy North Sea alongside Max during a terrible accident on his Dad’s trawler, you are drawn into his world of alienation; feeling great empathy with his character as you begin to realise the frustration and anger behind some of his unpleasantly challenging behaviours.

On a remote Scottish island where Max was once one of the cool gang, proud of his physical prowess and joining in with his mates when they teased the “specials” or “zoomers” as they unkindly label the children with additional learning needs, he is now one of those children. And he is not happy about it. I think that what Victoria Williamson does so well, is that she makes the reader inhabit a character who is scared, angry, frustrated and flawed. She paints Max as an absolutely believable teenager, he is not rendered as a saintly hero just because he is now deaf, but has carried his former prejudices with him into his new reality. Feeling that his parents have replaced him with perfect baby sister Sally, not understanding why his Dad seemingly can’t be bothered to communicate in writing and irritated that his mum is always too tired to sign accurately, Max lashes out at those who are trying to help him. The narrative delicately unfolds his growing relationships with three children who have been “othered” their entire lives: David who is a wheelchair user, Beanie who has Down’s Syndrome and Erin who was born deaf. His gradual acceptance into this community is not without its ups and downs, but as their isolation provides them with the singular opportunity to save their island community, their strengths come to the fore.

You see, this is not just “an issues” novel, it is in fact a fast-paced, technological thriller with a despicable scientific-military experiment at its core. The islanders have voted to allow three huge wind turbines to be installed just off the coast; disregarding the ugly new impostors on the rugged coastline and their resultant noise pollution in favour of the promise of long awaited wifi. As the blades start turning, the local wildlife bears the first impact but then Max begins to notice inexplicable and sinister changes in the behaviour of the majority of the island’s inhabitants. As Max, Erin, Beanie and David work together to disrupt the plans of ruthless scientist Doctor Ashwood, I found myself turning the pages quicker than a turbine blade on the stormiest Highland night!

I highly recommend this novel for all secondary school librarians, both for it’s entertainment value as a gripping thriller and for the empathy-inducing portrayal of children who are often overlooked or dismissed. In the author’s notes at the end, it is stated that the novel was reviewed by the British Deaf Association to ensure that it presented a sensitive portrayal of deaf characters. As an adult reader, I was hugely impressed with the narrative and will take away new learning for my inclusivity work as a health librarian. Additionally, the manipulation of a population by a person in power, to allow a change which is calculated to set neighbour against neighbour, could potentially lead to some interesting PHSE conversations.

War of the Wind begins by thrusting us into the action when a young boy, Max, suffers a tragic accident aboard his father’s fishing boat, resulting in him losing his hearing. He attends his local island high school where he used to be part of the popular group of children but is now one of the ‘zoomers’ who attend the school’s small special education unit.

As the story progresses, we find out that the island is going to be home to some new wind turbines which will provide the island with electricity and help the locals get connected to up-to-date technology. The island has its own group of protesters who are anxious about how the scheme will affect island life.

Of course, things don’t exactly go as expected, and Max and the other ‘zoomers’ have to work together to restore peace and normality to the island.

War of the Wind works really hard to help the reader understand the impact sudden deafness brings on a young person. From the relationships with family and how to communicate with them, to becoming one of the people you may once have picked on. Max goes through a really challenging time. It also explores the feelings a young person may have when a new child comes along amidst their own pain and confusion.

Throughout the story, Max learns to see beyond his classmates’ disabilities and see them for the wonderful, intelligent people they are and learns to work with them. He battles his anger at the situation he has found himself in and how he no longer fits in with the group he used to be part of.

I like how the story challenges our preconceived ideas of people with disabilities and also helps us to understand that many people have hidden disabilities that they mask in order to appear ‘normal’ to others.

I did feel some of the ideas in the story a little beyond the realms of believability though I did appreciate how it gave the group of friends the chance to use their deafness as a strength in a plausible way.

All in all, I felt that War of the Wind was an exciting and inclusive book that would appeal to any children who may be interested in science fiction based around modern technology.

4.5
Book source ~ TWR Tour

Max is 14 and lives on a Scottish island with little to no outside contact with the world at large. Meaning, no internet. *gasp* In addition, a boating accident has left Max deaf and he’s not adjusting well. When an energy company comes along and offers to build wind turbines just off shore to produce energy and bring the internet including smartphones for all citizens as well (hallelujah!), Max is finally thrilled about something since the accident. Except, things aren’t what they seem, and now Max and his friends are fighting for more than access to cat videos and unlimited dank memes. They’re fighting for the lives of everyone on the island.

I’m at the age (55) where I’ve had access to the internet longer than I didn’t. I began surfing the net, as we old farts called it, in 1994. I cannot imagine not having it now. It is so entwined in my life it would be incredibly difficult to free myself from it. Assuming I wanted to. I don’t. Duh. lol So the fact that there are still actual places in the world that don’t have access to the world wide web still boggles my mind.

Anyway, on to the book. What a great read! Max’s struggle and anger feel very real. Despite the fact I wanted to smack him upside the head for his treatment of people, I do understand how he wallowed in his misery. I can imagine most adults doing the same, so I cut him some slack. Just a bit though. Fortunately, he’s a good kid at the center so he grows and learns throughout the book. And he has some great friends that he didn’t even realize were friends because of the wallowing. The wind farm is a hot topic right now with the need to do something about fossil fuels, so it’s a timely subject and the scientist tied to it adds a flare that will have you shaking your fists in anger. Great writing, awesome characters, and a touchy subject turned on its ear = a book you really shouldn’t miss.

War of the Wind is the fifth book I’ve read by Victoria Williamson. While I’m a fan of Victoria Williamson and impressed at her ability to write so many different genres, I had mixed feelings about War of the Wind.

I loved the characters in War of the Wind. I was rooting for Max the entire time, as he struggled to navigate and adapt to life with hearing loss. My heart broke for him when he thought his family had replaced him and his friends didn’t want him anymore. I thought Max had great character development and I thought he learned a lot about himself throughout the book. I loved reading about his evolving relationship with his friends and family.

Max and his friends were easy characters to root for. I wanted them to succeed in saving their community. I liked how they were able to work together and use their strengths to come up with a plan.

What made me a bit uncomfortable was the wind turbines. The wind turbines were being used for nefarious purposes and I don’t think there was enough emphasis that the turbines themselves aren’t necessarily bad, it’s that they were being used for bad things. I think the discussion of the wind turbines could have been a bit more nuanced, instead of painting them in a, mostly negative, light.

One of the tropes in this book is the “evil scientist” trope. I don’t know how I feel about this trope but I think it has the potential to be harmful. There are too many conspiracy theories about science being bad and I think this trope has the potential to make people more distrustful of science.

I appreciated the disability representation in this book. I don’t know how accurate it was, but in the author’s notes, it mentions that the British Deaf Association reviewed the novel before publication to ensure the Deaf characters’ stories were portrayed sensitively.

Two other things that I wanted to note is that this book does contain bullying and some scenes that involve physical violence. This book also falls somewhere between the Middle-Grade and Young-Adult age categories.

Overall, War of the Wind was an enjoyable read. It had some wonderful characters and representation in it. There were a few plot points that didn’t sit well with me, but overall I liked it.

War of the wind is a brilliant read for 11=15 year olds. Full of drama, the story follows Max as he learns to live with his hearing loss and new way of life when a wind farm is introduced onto his island and this begin to change even more.
With themes of family, disability, bullying and the environment throughout it was an emotional but powerful read and I adored all of the main characters!

BOOK BITE
An electrifying, fast paced eco thriller celebrating diversity and inclusivity.

BOOK HAIKU

Max feels angry and

frustrated as evil creeps

near to his island.

Soon he will discover he must never judge a book by its cover.

Whirring off the shore

thoughts go askew as malaise

swallows and consumes.

Nefarious plots

put an island’s people at

risk as tensions mount.

Can Max and his friends prevail

as they hunt the villain’s trail?


CHARACTER ACROSTICS

Mortified

Angry

X auditory

Bullied

Eager

Addicted

Nervous

Innovative

Exasperated

Decoder

Astute

Vehicular

Intelligent

Dependent

Edgy

Resourceful

Indignant

Nurturing

Concerned

Awkward

Laughing

Unsettled

Manipulated

Amoral

Sinister

Heartless

Wicked

Omnipresent

Observer

Dangerous

GOOD NIGHT TO READ MINI REVIEW @GoodNightToRea1 @LoveLibraries23

This compelling teen eco thriller opens with a life changing accident which shapes the personality of the lead protagonist. Like Feast of Ashes it has environmental and dystopian elements which are integral to the plot. Add an atmospheric, isolated location, Manchurian Candidate vibes, scientific skulduggery, and intelligent teens seeking to foil corrupt government agents Alex Rider style and you get the idea.

Told through a first person narrative, Williamson skilfully builds tension as an island community is disrupted by strange happenings. Suddenly, a class of children with additional support needs is caught up in the centre of a nefarious plot.

The book’s structure consists of five phases interlaced with flashback sequences as life on the island starts to get steadily worse, building up to a dramatic denouement which makes the heart race.

War of the Wind encompasses the universal themes of abuse, bullying, cruelty, friendship, jealousy, denial, frustration, misconceptions and prejudice. It is also not teen adventure centric. Max’s father has a secret which is affecting his son and causing an internal struggle. Extra stress and pressure caused by the seismic changes in the adult characters’ lives are also magnified by what’s happening on the island.

While the story does make a grand effort to have complex, diverse and engaging characters, where it stumbles is Max’s continuous repetition of derogatory terms to describe his assisted learning classmates. Beanie and David are targets until he comprehends the damage of labels and slurs.

Max also continually makes excuses for bad behaviour until he is educated by the fiery Erin. While it is part of his personal journey towards adapting and understanding, it starts to jar after a while and detracts from the thriller element and empathetic nature of the story.

This book will appeal to a Middle Grade audience who enjoy high stakes danger, scientific theory and techno spy thrillers.

It includes a map at the start and a British sign language guide to educate and focus the reader. A useful glossary of Scottish words and phrases is also available at the back.

GOOD NIGHT TO READ REVIEW RATING- 3.5 CHOCOLATE LIBRARIES

This book has a great start that draws you in. By the end of the first page, you realize that Max, a 14-year-old boy on a remote Scottish island, has an accident and is suddenly partially deaf. Max narrates his story and tells how he is a reluctant big brother who feels his parents had a baby to replace him after his accident. 

Max describes the upheaval of suddenly having a disability. You can't help but feel as torn as Max over seeing his old friends doing mainstream things as he feels forced to connect with other students that have support needs. Max struggles to make even the most basic communication with his parents, a theme that is relatable for many in this target reader's age group. The author writes with great empathy, making you feel Max's angst. 

As Max brings you further into his world, you learn that a new wind farm installed on the island is causing mixed emotions among the residents. Although Max is happy to gain the ability to use a mobile phone, text his friends, and engage in social media, the turbines seem to be responsible for some troubling occurrences on the island. 

Max and his new friends uncover a scheme to control and exploit the island's residents. The urgent need to dismantle this operation becomes paramount. 

War of the Wind is a beautiful book ideal for middle school readers. The characters will resonate with many children who can identify with each character's experiences.

All i can say is WOW. This book was amazing the way Victoria turned something so innocent into some not was just pure talent.

Combined with the backstory of Max who I really felt for being changed forever after an event and learning to come to terms with it. I just like to say thank you to Victoria for doing this as I know how an event can change a person's life and after reading I did shed some tears as I was glad that an author had written a book which will speak to so many people.

I loved the side characters such as Beanie who gave the book the important essence for a great book. I also loved the thriller side of it and having villain who just seemed to be everywhere. I really would love a sequel where they collide for another time.

For all the above reasons I am giving this wonderful book 5 stars

I received a copy of this via NetGalley, to review as part of a book tour for The Write Reads.

This was a young adult book, which somehow came as a surprise to me, but I enjoyed it. As I started reading, my first impression was that something about this book gave me Studio Ghibli vibes. I felt the writing had a charming sort of whimsical quality, but at the same time, it was serious and sophisticated.

I enjoyed the openness with which Max narrated, and the way he talked to the reader. As a reader, I think I felt the need to stay with Max, and see him through everything. I became invested in the story, and in some ways, it was quite a powerful one. While I was reading, I experienced some highs and lows of emotion.

By the time I reached the end of the book, it became clear to me why I had stayed. I thought about what Max said in the last sentence, and realised that as a reader, I had been waiting for that moment, and was happy to be part of that journey with Max.

Thank you to NetGalley, The Write Reads, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

In a Nutshell: Liked the disability representation, but have mixed feelings about the message. The label of ‘eco-thriller’ doesn’t suit the book perfectly. This is more of a teen mystery with subtle shades of psychological horror.
Content warning: animal deaths.

Story Synopsis:
Fourteen-year-old Max has been wallowing in self-pity ever since he lost his hearing in a trawler accident a couple of years ago. Struggling to adapt to his new situation in school and at home, Max is quite frustrated. The only thing he is looking forward to is the network connectivity promised by the company who is building wind turbines on the remote Scottish island Max calls home.
However, most of the islanders are protesting the turbines, which Max finds unfathomable. Why say no to free Internet? However, he soon notices a change in the behaviour of those around him. Do the turbines have anything to do with this?
The story comes to us from Max’s limited first person perspective.

PSA: The blurb reveals too much.

I’ve read quite a few books by this author, and she targets different age groups and different genres with each story. I like that she isn’t afraid to go dark, and pens her books according to the audience she has in mind. However, this book is my least favourite of what I have read from her oeuvre.
The biggest pro of the book has to be the way it handles disability representation. Max has a lot of anger and frustration in him. His pity party never ends, thus making his struggle to accept his new situation come across as very realistic. His constant comparison of his life before and after hearing loss helps us realise how much we take our senses for granted. There are some offensive words in his thinking, but the author helps readers understand what is not acceptable in inclusive language.
Unlike most books with the main protagonist having some kind of disability, Max isn’t a likeable lead character as he wasn’t really a ‘good boy’ when his hearing was intact. The struggle of being on the OTHER side of bullying is something he cannot attune himself to. This internal conflict makes for much thought-provoking writing, and will hopefully make little readers understand that life can change for anyone, anytime. Bullying is never right.
Other than Max, we also have Erin – who was born deaf, Beanie – who has Down Syndrome, and David – who is restricted to his wheelchair because of cerebral palsy. There is also a revelation at the end about one prominent character having a learning disability. Through these characters, the story explores varied facets of living life as a disabled person and helps generate not sympathy but empathy towards them. Because of Max and Erin’s deafness coming from different reasons, we also see the difference between those born with a disability and those who become disabled at a later stage in their lives. This is all handled sensitively. I also loved all the aspects related to sign language and how it works. There’s even a picture of the British sign language alphabet at the start of the book. As the book has been whetted for language and deafness portrayal by the British Deaf Association, we can be sure that the deaf rep is authentic.
At the same time, I wasn’t happy when David was revealed to be a secret genius. It is a cliché probably inspired from Stephen Hawking, but not everyone who has cerebral palsy is a genius, and a character with cerebral palsy must be accepted even if he is on the opposite end of the genius spectrum.
I also don’t agree with the label of ‘eco-thriller’. There is a mystery in the book, but the slowburn pace and the writing style don’t make it a thriller. Some of the content is disturbing enough to qualify it as a mild psychological horror. The story is divided into sections, with the key chapters being titled around the arrival of the turbines. i.e. 'Two Years Before the Turbines', ‘One Month After the Turbines’,… This makes it clear that the turbines are at the core of the story. However, the sections are titled as “Experiment – Phase 1/2/…”, thus revealing a huge spoiler even before the readers know that there’s an experiment. What’s the point of the book’s being a “mystery” or a ”thriller” then? This naming decision should have been reconsidered.
The ‘eco’ tag also is not justified because though turbines are at the core of the book, their depiction is lopsided. My biggest worry is that children shouldn’t come away with the idea that wind turbines are destructive. With the planet needing more sustainable clean energy models, wind turbines are definitely to be encouraged. However, once the conspiracy in the book is sorted out, there is just a single line to establish that turbines are innocent. All the adults seem to be protesting the turbines because of relatively trivial points and ignoring everything connected to energy generation. Those who want the turbines do so only for the free internet and connectivity promised by the company. Turbines are so much more than this! This was a great chance to educate children (without getting preachy) on clean energy, but it was missed out. A couple of the negatives mentioned in the book about the ill effects of turbines on human health are claims based in reality, but there’s no conclusive proof yet. I wish there had been a stronger focus on the advantages of turbines. The balance is very much missing in this book.
The ending is worth it in terms of resolution, but the final confrontation is a bit of a downer in terms of how quickly it is completed.
This book is aimed at teens aged 11-15, so it covers the upper MG – lower YA group. Some of the content, however, might be a bit too dark for the lower of this age segment. The animal deaths, in particular, might be disturbing. Proceed with caution in case you plan to read this with or gift this to a sensitive animal-loving child.
All in all, this is a good story, but not exactly as I expected. It had tremendous potential, but in not addressing turbines in a balanced way, it ended up disappointing me a bit. I can’t enthusiastically advocate a book that casts doubts on an important renewable energy resource. Nevertheless, the depiction of deaf characters is a huge point in its favour.
20% of the author royalties for this novel will be donated to the British Deaf Association.
3 stars.
My thanks to TheWriteReads, Neem Tree Press, author Victoria Williamson, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of 'War of the Wind'. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

A fantastic middle grade / young adult read that supports stories about children with disabilities and highlights their strengths as individuals as well as working together. Combining mystery and adventure, a small groups of kids on an island in Scotland are facing off against a power far greater than themselves. When the new wind turbines arrived on the island with the promise of Wi-Fi and expanded connection to the rest of the world, everyone was quick to accept the gifts of new smart phones and go along with the project. But the kids soon notice that people are not acting normal. Aggression is increasing, animals are dying and the wind turbines must be the culprit.

Each character in this story is struggling with their own challenges - ranging from deafness to down syndrome and other physical disabilities - but they really shine when they learn to lean on one another and tackle the menace that is ruining their families.

I loved this book a lot and really enjoyed Max's development over the course of the story. He is really struggling with his new found deafness and finding ways to interact with his parents and the change in friends after his old friends seemingly stopped liking him. This anger blinds him for a long time and makes it more difficult for him to establish friendships with his new classmates. But he quickly realizes how things are changing and that he has to do something to help everyone, or else it will all be lost forever.

Main Character Overviews:

Max is 14 and a few years ago went from being a normal boy to having a terrible boating accident that damaged his skull and left him with no ability to hear. Struggling with these changes, learning sign language so he can communicate with those around him, he's having a hard time finding himself.

Erin is 14 and in the special class with Max. She was born deaf and is very comfortable with her condition, even if she does have to deal with a lot of teasing from the other kids in school.

Beanie is a girl with down syndrome and in the classes with Max and Erin. She is so sweet and supportive of her friends, always trying to help and be there for them when they're struggling. She is one of my favorite characters in this entire story.

Loved this middle grade book set on a remote Scottish island with some interesting points about climate change and so on. Victoria has a brilliant way of writing a story. I liked the disability rep too, a lot

Victoria can do no wrong, this is the third of her books I’ve read and whilst this one is aimed for a much younger audience than the last two it was still an enjoyable read.

The story follows Max, who is struggling with becoming deaf after an accident has left him feeling isolated when old friends and family start to drift away.

Whilst at a school for children with additional needs there are changes in the islands population and all fingers point towards the offshore wind farm, but whatever is happening it’s not having any impact on those at the school.

The story then becomes a quest to find the cause, stop it and restore order to the island before it’s too late.

If there’s anything that Victoria does well, it’s writing with full inclusivity each of her books so far have been written from the perspective of different races, those with a range or disabilities and sexualities. This is no different.

I will admit that this was probably a bit weaker for me than her other works but that’s because it’s aimed at much younger people than me, nevertheless it was a really well rounded book which covers multiple topics.

Thanks again to @thewritereads for bringing me more of Williamsons work.

3.5 stars

WAR OF THE WIND is an interesting sci-fi mystery with great disability representation.

I loved the disability representation in this book. At its heart are four kids with additional needs. We get to see characters who are deaf from birth and those who loose their hearing later in life. They both have different approaches and feelings, therefore, towards their deafness.

I really loved seeing Max adjust to his new situation, all the resentment he has towards his life changing so drastically and anger that it's changed people's perceptions of him. It has affected some relationships but also given him this chance to look at himself and his own biases.

This is a story on the Upper MG/Lower YA boundary. It has a focus on friendship with no romance, which was nice. Personally, I'd put it into MG over YA because of the way it tackles emotions - it felt like the discussion and portrayal was aimed slightly younger.

I wish there had been more nuance in the use of wind turbines. The plot does read a bit like a conspiracy theory without a "well these wind turbines were hijacked for evil reasons but that doesn't make the turbines themselves evil" to balance it out. I wish there had been a nuanced discussion about how there can be a tension between different environmental groups and communities over the placement and effects of turbines.

There are a few throwaway lines early on but then the book just goes into "the turbines are being used to control people and effects animals" without any discussion of the positives. This is a book for kids, and while I don't think books should whack them over the head with lessons, I do think it's a bit reckless to tell a story that sounds like a conspiracy theory without any balancing views. If there had been nuance (and thus I hadn't spent half the time reading going "there's more to this than is being told") then it would have easily been a 4 star read.

My thoughts

Narrative and Plot




War of the Wind is a novel that discusses some of the grim aspects of technology and touches on the topic of disability through the voice of a child. There is more heart to it when all this comes from a child's perspective.



The theme low key reminded me of The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams by the same author. But the plot was well woven with memorable characters that you cared for. The pacing and the overall storytelling made it unputdownable.







Characters and Conflicts













I loved the core group of Max, Erin, and Beanie. The way their friendship developed and how they found comfort in each other was heartwarming.

Max being the protagonist had a remarkable character arc. It took him a long time to figure out things but what happened to him was not easy to recover from. Max follows the ultimate hero's journey as far as a middle-grade novel goes. As a reader, you are with him when he is frustrated with life and then finds out things can be even worse.


Every single character felt three-dimensional even the baby Sally. The villain, however, didn't end up as strong as I had hoped. There was some mustache-twirling villainy but other than that we never got a confrontational final fight. Other than that this was a near-perfect read.









Conclusion





War of the Wind was my first read of the year. It was everything I hoped for from a book like that. There was innocence, drama, an underlying message, and hope in the end.

War of the Wind is a YA fiction that follows 14-year-old Max, who is struggling to accept his disability after an accident on his dad's boat left him unable to hear. Max lives on a remote island where the government wants to put up wind turbines. They promise the residents of the Island free mobile phones and internet access if they allow the new wind turbines to go up. As soon as the turbines go up, strange things start happening to the residents. It's up to Max and the other "zoomers" to come together to find out what is going on and work out how to stop it.

This is another well-written novel that had me gripped all the way through. I loved the diverse characters. They were well done, and I could relate to them all. Especially when it came to how they were treated differently, especially in the school environment. I know from experience how hard it can be in mainstream schools when you have a disability.

For me, this was a great read, and Victoria is an author I've loved discovering and can't wait to read more from her soon.

I’m a big fan of Victoria Williamson’s books and War of the Wind is no exception. A sci-fi type story with real heart, I enjoyed every word. Watching the protagonist struggle and eventually grow with his hearing loss was thought-provoking and engaging. The story was entirely unpredictable but I love that it was rooted in real and believable characters.

I really enjoyed this story of Max, who loses his hearing in a boating accident, and how his anger and frustrations spill over when he returns to school to find himself in the special needs class, or with the ‘zoomers’ as he cruelly designates his classmates. His (former) best friend and their mates make fun of him and the other special needs kids. On top of this, Max struggles to deal with things at home. His hearing aid doesn’t work, his father won’t learn sign language or use pen and paper to communicate with him, there’s a new baby with perfect hearing to replace him (or so he thinks) that takes up all his mother’s time. When a new wind farm is built and the company promises all islanders a free mobile phone with a super voice to text app, Max is excited to think that all his communication problems may be solved. But nothing is as it seems, and soon Max discovers something sinister is afoot, and it’s up to him and the other ‘zoomers’ to stop it.
I empathised a lot with Max and his suffering after the terrible accident, and I totally appreciated the difficulties he faced. However I also hated how he looked at the other kids – David with Cerebral Palsy, Beanie with Down Syndrome, and Erin, deaf since birth who has “normal” friends. Of course, this makes for a wonderful character arc. As Max gets to know these children, especially as they work together to save the islanders, he comes to see and value the human being behind the disability.
I enjoyed the storyline around the sinister Dr Ashwood and his evil experiments but the strength and heart of the story is around Max, Erin, Beanie and David and their growing friendship and understanding.
Overall this story has a very strong message about humanity and how to treat others, and I hope this book is widely read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC of 'War of the Wind' to review. This novel is a compelling YA thriller which will be enjoyed by any secondary-aged readers. Set on a Scottish island, the novel follows 14-year-old protagonist Max who lives on the remote Scottish island of Scragness where three wind turbines are about to be installed. While some islanders are vehemently opposed to these, others are excited because these turbines will finally offer them mobile and broadband connections. But when the people and animals of Scragness, it is up to Max, who became deaf in an accident three years before, and his fellow students with additional support needs, to find out what is going on.

The plot is gripping and ingenious, and I admired Victoria Williamson's representation of different disabilities and support needs. The novel is honest about the challenges faced by Max and his friends, from communication difficulties to ableist bullying, but Williamson does not limit her young protagonists who realise that they are uniquely equipped to save the day. It was particularly great to see a character with Down's syndrome presented in a heroic but unsentimental light. And there is a lovely twist at the end where we discover that another character has a hidden disability which they have to find ways of overcoming.

My one reservation about this novel is the way it is has been marketed as an 'eco-thriller' when it doesn't really contain any kind of ecological message. There are, of course, legitimate debates about where wind turbines are placed and their effect on local wildlife, but this novel does nothing to acknowledge the need to move towards renewable energy sources. Although this is a work of fiction, I found the premise of wind turbines being used to transmit secret messages which control citizens uncomfortably close to many of the conspiracy theories that are increasingly gaining traction in today's society. I would therefore want to exercise some caution in thinking about which young readers I shared this with.