Sea Change by Iain Rowan

Middle Grade, Young Adult, Horror

Source:  I won a copy from LibraryThing

John knows what it’s like to be bullied. Yet he does nothing when another kid is bullied. Plagued with guilt his mother sends him to spend some time with his sister in a fishing village. Have things really changed? When he arrives and gets off the bus the first thing he sees is a boy with a snarl.  Then he meets Simon and Sal. The three become best friends. But something is seeking John out. Something needs his help. It seems to be the worst bully of all.  Will John help or will he finally stop running?

This book starts out with a bullying incident that leads to John being shipped to his sisters for a while. Then things turn creepy.  You have a small fishing town. Dark legends and tales.  What I loved about this story was the message of learning to stand on your own two feet and face your fears. The idea of standing up to bullies. The idea is that if you take revenge on the bullies then you yourself become the bully.  I also loved that John is introduced to an old man through his sister’s friend Alan who runs the local bookstore. This is where John learns about the town's legends and the evil that is there.