It felt predictable - until it wasn’t. The ending sneaks up on you!
Feature image credit: Allen & Unwin
Co-written by Torres Strait Islander film producer, director, screenwriter, and actor Aaron Fa’Aoso, along with Michelle Scott Tucker and Lyn White, Spirit of the Crocodile is set in Saibai, a small island in the Torres Strait, north of Cape York, Queensland.
The story begins with an easy, slow pace, and the writing style is uncomplicated and straightforward, using everyday language. This is perhaps why when the pace later picked up rapidly; it felt smooth and natural and surprising. There is a light focus on the impact of climate change with a strong emphasis on the cultural aspects of the community.
This book is aimed at early adolescent readers, with lead character Ezra in his early teens at 12 years old: a teenager who feels like a late bloomer. The development of his character during this confusing stage of life is made relatable for the target audience, as it focuses on the changing sense of identity one feels as they transition from primary to high school.
As Ezra’s life in this novel is near the end of primary school, the story includes a visit to his new high school on Thursday Island. The authors focus on how peer influence, increased independence, recognising the onset of puberty, and the need for validation affect him and his outward behaviour, particularly as Ezra sees so many unfamiliar faces and desperately wants to make a good impression.
The giving nature of the community — the selflessness, the acceptance of all, the expectations of everyone to help each other out, and the community rituals that bring everyone together — are all neatly explained throughout. One detail I found appealing was the use of clamshells and what was grown in the garden as indicators of who lives there — as opposed to numbers on a letterbox! This type of touch makes it an enjoyable read as an adult, and being aimed at teens it comes with that sense of comfort that it should have a predictable and happy ending.
That is not to say this book does have a happy ending, though — only that when I was reading it, it felt as though it carried a moral tone, and such stories often follow a predictable trajectory. The story serves as a good reminder for parents of kids who might be acting out or making poor choices that they may not be doing so out of malice, but because they’re still growing up.
Reviewed by Rebecca Wu
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Allen & Unwin
Released: March 2025
RRP: $19.99
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