Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom by Allan Wolf

What worked:

Junius is a curious character, as he has a love for all kinds of waterbodies (not bodies of water) but fears being in them. He has a self-made notebook full of information about every waterbody he knows, but he dreads being in any body of water other than a bathtub or a pool. He has trouble reading facial expressions and emotions, but tries to remember advice given by his mom and stepdad. They send Junius to live with Uncle Spot in Louisiana for a couple of weeks while they work on their marriage. Baby Junius and his mother lived in Uncle Spot’s house, and Junius wants to learn why she left and has never returned. Everyone Junius meets has heard how he died (he didn’t, he’s only allergic to shellfish), but he manages to make friends with a couple of local girls. However, Aunt Boudreaux is definitely not one of them!

The book is narrated by Lake Peigneur, the book’s setting, with some chapters written from the lake’s first-person point of view. The lake is an appropriate narrator, since it has witnessed all of the past (1800s) and present (1980) history. Its chapters act as flashbacks to explain the origins of a curse and one-hundred-year-old events, and how they affect the life of the current Junius Leak. Most chapters are written from Junius’s point of view. Environmental issues are addressed, as salt mining and oil drilling are affecting the area. Victoria Vandee is Junius’s new friend, and she’s the only resident actively protesting the misuse of the lake. Many residents don’t appreciate her efforts, since those businesses provide sorely needed jobs.

An air of the supernatural underlies the story. Beginning in the flashbacks, the Siren’s Flute sits inside a rectangular, wooden box. Does it contain a valuable treasure, or will the flute lead to someone’s death? An ominous verse accompanies the Siren’s Flute. Along with it, two unsuspecting boys become nannies to the first Junius Leak, as do their ancestors. It’s never clear if a curse actually follows the Siren’s Flute, but generations of characters fear it is real. Two characters die with it in the salt mines, only to have it discovered a century later. On top of that, the pirate Lafitte’s treasure is buried somewhere along the lake, and an unassuming map emerges that shows its location. A century of nature has changed the scenery around the treasure, so will the characters be able to locate it by deciphering the ambiguous map?

What didn’t work as well:

The plot can be slow-developing, which may not appeal to many young readers. The flashbacks double the number of characters and subplots, which requires an extra amount of description and development. However, the climax and resolution focus on the real-life disaster and are dramatic and suspenseful.

The final verdict:

The book doesn’t prepare readers for the disaster, but the author has written other books on the subject. Junius’s story is captivating, but a lot is going on overall. Readers will be engrossed by the climax, and I recommend you give this book a shot.