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Perfect for fans of: Eva Ibbotson

‘Escape to the River Sea’ is the next chapter of Eva Ibbotson’s classic. Taking us back into the world of ‘Journey to the River Sea’, Emma Carroll has written a beautiful tale filled with emotion, action and mystery.

It’s 1946, and Rosa Sweetman is waiting at Westwood for her family to claim her, after arriving there on the Kindertransport from Austria. Although she is well looked after, she doesn’t feel as though her life is fulfilled during her time there; there is something missing. When Yara Fielding arrives, she promises to take Rosa on an adventure in the Amazon which will show her the beauty of the world beyond the war of Europe.

When she meets Yara’s family, she immediately finds a sense of belonging. But can that last during a quest for a mysterious giant sloth, and a danger none of them suspected to face in the forest?

As usual, Carroll has written a story which transports you to the world the character’s inhabit. As a fan of ‘Journey to the River Sea’, I was really excited to hear the tale was being continued by one of my favourite authors.

It starts with Rosa feeling lonely and as though she doesn’t fit in while staying at Westwood, which is where she begins her journey of self-discovery. Everything we see is from her perspective, which gives an interesting insight into the adventure, as well as providing a sense of mystery as we uncover the clues along with her and the twins, Enzo and Vita. As they search for the giant sloth, we encounter many other dangers in the rainforest which will have you turning the pages as quickly as you can!

I also found myself looking up elements of the story – for example, I’d never heard of the ‘Wedding of the Waters’ and found this fascinating to discover! It’s such a brilliant accompaniment not only to the first book, but to any rainforest topic work in school, too. The descriptions of the settings and animals really help build a picture in your mind.

There was a perfect villain, as well as lovable characters. For me, Enzo was my favourite character; he had such an energy within the story and he was really lovable, but you’ll find yourself invested in all the characters and the end of the story.

If you like the sound of this book, you can buy it here. (Release date: June 2022)

Emily x

📚 Book gifted by publisher