Radiant Shadows

Modern-day pirates, political intrigue, a cooking contest, a reality show, great characters and exotic locations – Wave Runners has got it all! And while a big part of me loved Jim and Erica’s latest adventure, an almost equally large part was distracted by some plausibility issues and the slightly drawn out plot.Jim has grown up a little since Paraglide, and his new-found maturity was a welcome change in Wave Runners. While we still got to see moments where he showed his younger age by making rash decisions, we also got to see him struggle with teenage angst – will he carve his own path and follow his dreams of attending Le Cordon Bleu, or will he make his father proud by joining the Agency? Does Reeno still care for him, or has she moved on to an attractive local Italian boy? His relationship with Erica was also a little different, with Jim being able to appreciate her unique skill set instead of only seeing her as his slightly-annoying younger sister. As for Erica, she was as adorable as ever, constantly thinking up new Crossword clues and badgering Jim with her encyclopedia-like memory that always seemed to prove why she was right!I really enjoyed the concept behind the plot – Jim’s cruise is overtaken by pirates and held hostage for ransom during an international cooking competition – but I found the execution lagged in places. While Jim and Erica were constantly getting themselves into sticky situations, by the halfway mark I was ready for the conclusion. Instead, Wave Runners introduced plot twist after plot twist after plot twist, further convoluting an already convoluted plot. While it wasn’t hard to keep up with, since I did find most of it quite predictable, it did become slightly tedious; there were several points where I thought the ending must be within reach, only for another twist to emerge.There were also certain plot elements in Wave Runners that I had a hard time believing in. After being overrun by pirates, the cruise ship and it’s occupants were allowed to resume their normal activities, as long as everyone adhered to the 9PM curfew; Jim even mentions that he rarely saw a pirate on board. How did they keep control of the ship? Jim’s mother didn’t seem overly concerned about her young son, and even younger daughter, looking into the identities of the pirates – even though it possibly landed her in the hospital! Once the pirates were gone from the cruise ship, it continued along it’s course – including the taping of the cooking contest – like nothing had happened. Wouldn’t there have been an investigation, with the cruise ships’ occupants needed for questioning in the hopes of identifying the pirates? The situation with Reeno…I can’t say a lot (spoilers) but I found that highly implausible.That being said, I was able to suspend a certain level of disbelief, considering this is centered around two youths who are able to outsmart every adult they encounter! And I don’t want to make it sound like I didn’t enjoy Wave Runners, because I did. There were moments where I was on the edge of my seat, worried that Jim and Erica had gotten themselves in too deep and wouldn’t be able to find their way back out. As with Paraglide, I loved the cooking elements that were often referenced, and the reality show bits reminded me a lot of Master Chef – which I’m a big fan of!For anyone who’s looking for a fun, slightly MG read, with a great sibling relationship, I would give Wave Runners (after reading Paraglide, of course) a shot! While there were certain things that I found slightly tedious or implausible, for the most part, I very much enjoyed Jim and Erica’s latest adventure. And that twist at the end? Didn’t see that one coming!