SYLVIA DOE AND THE 100-YEAR FLOOD, by Robert Beatty, Disney Hyperion, Oct. 8, 2024, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 8-12)
A girl sets out to save her friends, and maybe find a home for herself in the process, in Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood, by Robert Beatty.
Robert Beatty, a master at telling atmospheric tales of mystery and suspense set in the natural world, has crafted another ingenious, unputdownable story.
Thirteen-year-old Sylvia Doe has lived at the Highground Home for Children nearly all her life. Whenever the administrators try to place her with a foster family, she runs away—back to Mason, Highground’s caretaker and her best friend. The only place she feels like she belongs is with him and the horses he has taught her to love.
When a powerful storm causes the remote mountain valley where she lives to flood, Sylvia begins to encounter strange and wondrous things floating down the river. Glittering gemstones and wild animals that don’t belong—everything’s out of place. Then she spots an unconscious boy floating in the water.
As she drags him onto the shore and their adventure together begins, Sylvia wonders who he is and where he came from. And why does she feel such a strong connection to this mysterious boy? —Synopsis provided by Disney Hyperion
Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood is part mystery and part adventure with some magical realism thrown in the mix.
Sylvia is a spunky protagonist who feels a connection with the natural world. (One of the highlights of the book comes in her notes and illustrations.) That connection means that she’s more observant, and when unusual animals start appearing, she’s determined to look closer.
With North Carolina still reeling from Hurricane Helene, Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood feels surreal. The settings, the feel of water rushing over you, the utter destruction. Robert Beatty captures it all. And it all feels a bit uncanny.
Beatty is a strong writer, and his characters and scenes get equal attention, making for a page-turning novel that sucks you in. Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood is a fast-moving novel that will appeal to a large cross-section of readers.
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