The Wreck at Ada’s Reef (The Swallowtail Legacy)

By: Jamie Steinberg

Lark Heron-Finch is not a bird. She is a twelve-year-old girl who has recently lost her mother and is headed to Swallowtail Island for the summer with her sister Pip, her stepfather Thomas and her three stepbrothers. Lark is still grieving while also giving major teenage attitude. Lark’s mother’s family has owned a home on Swallowtail Island for centuries and it was left to her and her sister upon her passing. They’ve all returned with Thomas having a job prospect and the hope of a relaxing summer. Those ideas go to the wayside though when Lark pals up with her mother’s former best friend Nadine to help save the home of elderly Dinah Purdy from falling into the wealthy and manipulative hands of Reggie Cheever. Explore Lark and Nadine’s adventures as they attempt to find a will that could save Dinah and stop the Cheevers from taking over the island in The Wreck at Ada’s Reef (The Swallowtail Legacy).

Lark has had a rough go at it lately and this trip to Swallowtail Island seems like just the thing to help her get her mind off of grief. Upon arriving she reads an article in the newspaper that was written by her mother’s best friend about a tragic boat accident that happened years ago. Lark is immediately curious and jumps at the chance to team up with Nadine as her research assistant to aid in a book about being written about Dinah Purdy, the town’s oldest resident. However, Lark discovers something along the way that could save Dinah’s home from being taken away and torn down and maybe even prove what really happened in the boating accident at Ada’s Reef.

Author Michael D. Beil keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. You want Lark and Nadine to succeed, but you also want our young heroine to be brave and open up about her loss. Sadly, it feels like you only get one out of two resolutions. Plus, the ending of the book felt kind of rushed. Personally, I was hoping all themes and issues at hand would be neatly tied up in a bow and I regret to say that doesn’t happen. However, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend the read. Beil truly immerses the reader in Lark’s life and all the adventures she finds herself in upon setting up summer residence.

The Wreck at Ada’s Reef (The Swallowtail Legacy) is a sweet read for young adults. Lark is wise beyond her years and has sadly suffered so much loss at such a young age. Here is hoping there are many tales to tell about this young lady with a penchant for solving many a mystery.