Dow Amber has lived to his teenage years knowing only the high country, and the fact that he has been born to a life of logging, like his father and forefathers before him. But when a chance sighting of the open water and an immense sailing ship sparks an uncontrollable longing for the ocean, Dow turns his back on the life he knows. In desolate Stromner, on the edge of the Claw (a bay protected by twin peninsulas and twin towns), Dow learns to sail and fish, and hears stories of a terrible whirlpool that claimed two lives ten years ago. While the boat he sails is disappointingly small, and the fishing work distinctly unglamorous, Dow soon catches sight of the impressive sailing ships of the elite Ship Kings again, on their regular visit to the neighbouring city of Stone Port.

Australian Andrew McGahan is an award-winning writer for adults, so I was extremely excited to read his first young adult book, the first of a series. I can honestly say I’ve had no prior interest whatsoever in sailing or ships, yet I found myself reading this book greedily. The Coming of the Whirlpool reads like an instant classic. Its gentle pace, long chapters and beautiful descriptions may make it a slightly challenging read for some teens at first, but they are sure to find themselves sucked in by the vividly drawn characters and world.

McGahan skilfully fans a slow-burning suspense over Dow’s true family history; the role and modus operandi of the Ship Kings; an imminent natural disaster; and a malicious man-made event. My only disappointment was that I will have to wait until the next book for more information about the mysterious girl who sails with the Ship Kings. I get the feeling that McGahan is setting Dow Amber up for a troubled path to a great destiny, so I am looking forward already to reading subsequent books in the Ship Kings series.

Leanne Hall is a children’s bookseller at Readings Carlton, and a writer of young adult fiction. Her novel This Is Shyness won the Text Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Writing. She blogs at the longblinks.com and you can follow her on twitter - @lilymandarin.