“Truly lucky people have a lot of bad things happen to them along with the good…and yet, even the worst of them always seem to lead somewhere worth going,” (Stevenson 338).
Viola and Wilmur have been waiting for their parents to return to them, but after fifteen years of waiting it seems less and less likely that that will happen. Nobody ever ventures out to the desolate town of Caveat, that is until one night Captain Cadence Chase breaks down their doors looking for a mysterious book that is in Viola and Wilmur’s possession. The three make a deal: Chase can have the book, but only if she takes them along with her. While Viola and Wilmur are excited to leave dreary Caveat, they have no idea what awaits for them on the dangerous Dickerson’s Sea.
I adore N.D. Stevenson’s graphic novels and was shocked to see he was writing a middle grade graphic novel. It sounded great though, an epic adventure with two young children and a mysterious Captain and an even more mysterious book? I’m in! But while I really enjoyed Scarlet Morning, it isn’t without it’s problems.
Don’t get me wrong, it really is a fantastic book. I love the world that Stevenson created and think that he’s a very strong writer. The descriptions were very vivid and the writing really pulled me into this strange world that he created and the mysteries that lie in it. I thought Viola and Wilmur were fantastic protagonists and loved Chase, but there are at least twenty-side characters too many which makes it hard to remember who is who sometimes. Viola also gets a lot more interesting plot-time than Wilmur. At one point I thought Stevenson was abandoning Wilmur altogether and was shocked but happy to see that he had returned.
The story itself is a lot of fun, and very intriguing. I liked the mystery, but there is A LOT of plot that happens. I almost feel like this book could have been split up into three smaller ones. I also liked the darker elements of the story and think some young yet more mature readers will like it as well, but therein lies the main problem with this book: the tone. While the book is marketed as middle grade and there are parts that certainly feel like it is for that age group, there are just as many parts that feel like this book is more suited to the YA crowd. I mean, our protagonists are fourteen and fifteen-years old respectively, older than your average middle grade protagonist. I think this story really could have shone if Stevenson had stuck with the middle grade genre and lowered the ages and tamed some of the plot for that age group. Unfortunately, I think a lot of younger readers who try this might give up because it’s a bit advanced for their age group.
Also, the book is illustrated by Stevenson, so it goes without saying that the book is simply stunning to look at!
It’s wonderful to see Stevenson spread their wings as a creator and writer with Scarlet Morning, I just wish an editor had helped him stick to a genre. While I enjoyed this book and hope it continues as a series, I think it will be a hard one for many middle grade readers to get into.
Publication: September 23 2025
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Pages: 427 pages (Hardcover)
Source: Library
Genre: Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasty
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤.5
Summary:
Viola and Wilmur have been waiting for their parents for fifteen boring years in the colorless town of Caveat. Their lives are a drudge of salt, trash, pirate stories, and what-ifs . . . until one very stormy night, when Captain Cadence Chase breaks down their door. They cut a deal with the Chase can take their most prized possession, a mysterious book, but only if she takes them, too. After all, if their parents aren’t coming, Viola and Wilmur might as well have a grand adventure to find them.
Setting sail into the treacherous and beautiful world beyond Caveat, the two inseparable friends must uncover the facts behind legend—and the key to saving all of Dickerson’s Sea from obliteration—before the truth tears them apart.
Sarah O'Connor 