The Inkberg Enigma
Jonathan King
Gecko Press
Pub. 2020

 

July 09, 2021

A mysterious iceberg made of ink, an age-old Antarctic mystery, a dangerous deep-sea monster, and a small fishing town with a big secret. The Inkberg Enigma by Jonathan King has it all.

Miro is a shy introvert of a boy who scavenges valuable items from his attic to sell to pay for his book habit. He only likes adventure in books, which he can enjoy from the comfort of his own home. He would never dream of going on a real adventure, especially not one like the one happening in his own town, right under his nose.

Zia is pretty much Miro’s exact opposite, an outgoing blue-haired girl who is never seen without her camera. From her perspective she’s living in an adventure and always will be. Why not photograph it? In fact, it’s Zia’s camera that starts everything.

Both Miro and Zia live in the town of Aurora. Aurora is eclipsed by the shadow of the giant Danforth Castle, and is dominated by its fishing industry. There wouldn’t be a town without the fishing works. On the day of an unlikely meeting, Zia and Miro watch as a man who has been in a horrible accident comes off a fishing boat. He is terribly injured, and it’s not just any injury. This sparks the suspicion that things are not as they seem in Aurora.

To find out more, the friends go into the fishing works (Zia’s decision; Miro just doesn’t want to get left behind). No questions are answered by this excursion; it only creates more. It is becoming apparent that someone doesn’t want them to know what is going on in Aurora’s inner workings, to be exact, the fishing works.

The Inkberg Enigma is a graphic adventure through a seemingly innocent little town that has some shady goings-on.

King has written and illustrated a thrilling graphic novel drawing attention to marine life, and the idea that there may be something we don’t know about and probably don’t want to know about down in the deep blue sea. I was on the edge of my seat while reading The Inkberg Enigma. I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next!

The art is striking and bold, saying things that words cannot. At some points, I would turn the page and the pictures would jump right out at me! The colours conveyed the personality of the town of Aurora well. A small place that at first glance may seem a bit dull, but is really anything but. The cover is incredibly well illustrated. Just looking at it, you can tell that the book is an adventure story, and you can also feel the characters personalities radiating off the page.

I definitely think that The Inkberg Enigma is well deserving of its place as a finalist in this year’s NZ Book Awards for Young Adults and Children. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I am sure to come back to it again and again.

This book is an exciting adventure story with mystery and hints of humour and scariness. I would recommend it to ages 12+, but I’m sure that anyone would enjoy reading this delightful book. Be careful not to get eaten by a giant sea monster while you’re at it!

– Nell is 12, homeschooled, and lives in Dunedin.