British author Natasha Farrant's much lauded 2018 Children of Castle Rock arrives in the States with a new name, A Talent for Trouble, and a whole lot of adventure.
Eleven-year-old Alice is about to attend boarding school on a remote Scottish island. Alice, who loves writing about daring feats and fantastic exploits, has read extensively about boarding schools and is worried: "Even the sunnier ones involved violent sports or people getting murdered." Jesse, an athlete who loves orienteering, is not scared there will be violence--all three of his older brothers attended Stormy Loch and graduated unmaimed. But Jesse resents the restrictions his brothers' legacies place on him. His school experience is further soured by Fergus, a super-smart kid with a rebellious streak and a mean sense of humor. Acting out, though, is Fergus's way of trying to get his divorced parents' attention. After a disastrous first day, the three are forced to work together. Unsurprisingly, a close, loving friendship develops; surprisingly, the trio becoming a unit is the first step along a dangerous path.
Farrant's (After Iris) chatty, omniscient narrator brings readers close enough to the protagonists to understand their motivations and empathize with their struggles while leaving enough distance to build suspense and maintain mystery. The children's friendship is organic and dynamic, with each one learning and growing personally as their relationships develop. A Talent for Trouble, features children who are both reckless and brave as they forge their own paths in an adults' world. --Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness