A teen boy tries to balance caring for his family, making a life for himself, and saving the world in Moskowitz's (Gena/Finn, 2016, etc.) thoughtful seafaring adventure.Indi knows his family is odd. Four white siblings living alone on a rickety boat after their parents' disappearances would be strange enough, but they are also "sicarios"—monster hunters like their parents before them. The quartet sails the Mediterranean, speaking an amalgam of Romance languages mixed with Greek and Arabic, risking their lives to kill nightmarish creatures that live in the water and prey on humans, and surviving as best they can. As his eldest sister leads them on an impossible revenge mission to find the legendary monster they believe killed their parents, Indi longs for a life of less danger for his siblings and more normalcy for himself. But after forming an unexpected connection with a vulpine Tunisian female pirate, Indi begins to question in earnest if he actually belongs in this world. Existential pensiveness and heart-stopping action (on monster-infested high seas no less) are a rare, successfully developed duo. Indi's life is dangerous sea creatures one moment, anxious contemplation the next, and the constancy of his siblings through it all. Moskowitz immerses readers in Indi's perspective, where electrocuting monsters is second nature and stepping onto dry land seems alien, exploring the complicated spaces between family, self, and duty.Measured, mesmerizing, masterful. (Magical realism. 14-17)

Four siblings hunt sea monsters while searching for their parents in Moskowitz's unique family drama. While Indi wants to settle down and make a home for their young siblings, Beleza, the eldest, is their de facto captain. She insists they continue sailing the Mediterranean, making port only to replenish supplies, take hunting jobs, and fish for clues about the legendary monster their parents were tracking when they disappeared. As sicarios (monster hunters), Beleza claims, they are saving the world, but Indi thinks she just wants revenge, and he's tired of living in mortal danger. Their conflict boils over after a disastrous run-in with a devorar, a monster less dangerous than the creature Beleza wants to face. Indi, torn between love for his family and a desire to lead his own life, is a surprisingly poignant narrator, and while monster hunting provides thrills, Moskowitz focuses more on the close-knit family moments that give the story its heart. Despite the anticlimatic final hunt, this novel is a carefully pared down blend of fast-paced action and moving character study.

A teen boy tries to balance caring for his family, making a life for himself, and saving the world in Moskowitz's (Gena/Finn, 2016, etc.) thoughtful seafaring adventure.Indi knows his family is odd. Four white siblings living alone on a rickety boat after their parents' disappearances would be strange enough, but they are also "sicarios"—monster hunters like their parents before them. The quartet sails the Mediterranean, speaking an amalgam of Romance languages mixed with Greek and Arabic, risking their lives to kill nightmarish creatures that live in the water and prey on humans, and surviving as best they can. As his eldest sister leads them on an impossible revenge mission to find the legendary monster they believe killed their parents, Indi longs for a life of less danger for his siblings and more normalcy for himself. But after forming an unexpected connection with a vulpine Tunisian female pirate, Indi begins to question in earnest if he actually belongs in this world. Existential pensiveness and heart-stopping action (on monster-infested high seas no less) are a rare, successfully developed duo. Indi's life is dangerous sea creatures one moment, anxious contemplation the next, and the constancy of his siblings through it all. Moskowitz immerses readers in Indi's perspective, where electrocuting monsters is second nature and stepping onto dry land seems alien, exploring the complicated spaces between family, self, and duty.Measured, mesmerizing, masterful. (Magical realism. 14-17)

In this thoughtful fantasy, 16-year-old Indi and his three siblings (Beleza, 19, Oscar, 12, and Zulu, 6) track and eliminate the vicious sea monsters that threaten -lubs- (landlubbers) and sailors who are ignorant of the monsters- existence. In the months since their parents- disappearance, Indi has dutifully played the roles of caretaker, teacher, and ship-s doctor, but his longing for a normal teenage life on land is becoming increasingly difficult to quell. As Beleza-s hunger to discover the truth of their parents- disappearance pushes them into increasingly dangerous situations, Indi must decide whether to continue fighting monsters or to leave the sea-and his siblings-behind. Like Indi, the pacing here is measured and introspective, except for sea battles, when the motley four-person crew scrambles to defeat unimaginable monsters, including the -nine-tentacled... three-meter-toothed- Morde d-eau. Moskowitz (A History of Glitter and Blood) succeeds at creating a world that feels outside of time; the internet and other contemporary technologies exist outside the siblings- worn sailboat as they traverse the Mediterranean. Indi-s relationships with his siblings, imperfect and complicated, and his dream that they be able to choose their own paths, will stay with readers long after the final battle. Ages 14-up. Agent: John Cusick, Folio Literary. (Oct.)