Review: The Islands of Elsewhere

The Islands of Elsewhere
By Heather Fawcett
New York: Rocky Pond Books, 2023. Fiction. 220 pages.

The Snolly family has relocated to live with their ill grandfather for the summer, but the sisters are worried about what will happen to Granddaddy when they return to the city in the fall. When they hear local legends about a missing treasure their pirate great-great-grandmother might have hidden on the family's seaside property, they are determined to find the treasure to help their grandfather.

Each of the sisters has a unique set of interests: Hattie, the oldest, is interested in art and has a fixation on collecting money but never spending it; the middle sister, Bee, loves studying plants and collecting useful items to keep in her beloved backpack; the youngest sister, Plum, dresses in detailed costumes and imagines she becomes the role she is dressed up as. Readers will delight in the girls' vibrant personalities. The hint of magic that hovers over the story will give fantasy fans a taste of the genre blended with the mystery of the small coastal town. Family tensions and sibling rivalries the sisters learn to navigate will resonate with many young readers. An enjoyable sibling story with a modern fairytale feel.

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