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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
San Miguel, Samantha

Spineless

246 pp. | Union Square | June, 2022 | Trade ISBN 9781454937623 $16.99 | Ebook ISBN 9781454937630 $9.99
(3) 4-6 Near the end of the nineteenth century, twelve-year-old asthmatic and aspiring naturalist Algie Emsworth is thrilled to be spending the winter in Florida. He teams up with Frankie and Lulu, fellow scientists-in-training, to explore. They discover a family of extremely large and intelligent octopuses but quickly realize the news species needs protection from humans, particularly wicked Professor Ransom Champion. Chases over sea, air, and land chases ensue as the kids fight to get the octopuses to safety. The book has touches of steampunk and dime-novels, with a setting more concerned with swashbuckling ambience than historical accuracy. San Miguel balances the pulpy action scenes with thoughtful introspection, as Algie deals with his physical limitations and learns that villains’ motivations can be as complex as his own.
Reviewer: Sarah Rettger

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