Review of “Eye of the Turtle” by Gloria Barnett

Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)

Eye of the Turtle by Gloria Barnett marries lovable characters with a powerful, important message that's sure to resonate with readers of all ages!

Join Lucy Morgan, a young woman who has tragically lost her father and is searching for her place in the sun. Alongside her grieving mother, Sarah, Lucy leaves the United Kingdom to find some relief and escape on a Caribbean island called Pontius Island.

You never know how unexpected circumstances might positively impact your life and the world around you in the long run. You never know how unfortunate and tragic things can blossom into something meaningful and even beautiful. Lucy Morgan is the perfect example of this.

While on the beach one day, Lucy encounters a beached turtle, stranded with plastic stuck in its throat and with little hope of surviving. However, Lucy, who has developed a strong sense of compassion from her parents, commits to doing whatever she can to help the turtle. She first removes the plastic from its throat and concocts an ingenious way of getting the heavy turtle safely back to the ocean despite the meager physical strength of herself and her new friends.

It is during this harrowing encounter that Lucy glimpses the titular eye of the turtle, which seems to speak to her conscience, first thanking her for helping it and then giving her an epiphany: that there are other sea creatures just like the turtle who are struggling, suffering, and dying due to plastic pollution every day.

Lucy takes this to heart and, after some apprehension, takes up diving as a way of being able to better interact with the sea creatures and learn about the problem. Keep in mind: Lucy is not such an experienced swimmer, nor is she a diver. So, a lot of the tension of this book comes from Lucy (and company) learning the intricacies of diving—often at great peril and mortal risk. However, like driving a car (which is also dangerous), Lucy guts it out and is able to progress.

What's interesting is that the author, a diver herself, is able to use her own knowledge and experience to enrich this novel, providing a truly genuine and immersive experience.

There are a few instances in this book that actually had us gripped and at the edge of our seats, such as when Jack ran out of oxygen or when Lucy experienced a nose bleed due to an equipment malfunction/tampering. This book doesn't shy away from the dangers and risks of diving, but it doesn't shy away from its beauties and importance either. Just about everything great in our lives comes with a cost of some sort. When we are born, our mother's bodies experience trauma. When we exercise, we hurt a little and/or get short of breath. When we buy a car or a home, there's a financial cost. Well, Lucy is paying her dues in this book, which endears us even more to her.

We love to cheer for active protagonists who don't give up and try their best, especially when the odds and challenges are stacked against them.

Speaking of challenges, she has to deal with people like Bradley, a jealous, hateful, and malicious boy who does what he can to hold Lucy back while also polluting. Bradley, in a sense, is the primary antagonist of the novel, and there are a few times when he really got on our nerves!

However, Lucy's main challenge isn't diving or even Bradley, it's getting the evidence she needs and the message out that plastic pollution is effecting the sea life around Pontius Island and across the globe.

It can be heavy-handed and didactic at times, but that kinda comes with the territory. Spreading awareness of plastic pollution is clearly near and dear to the author's heart.

Really quickly, the back-and-forth banter between Lucy and Jack is very funny and cute. They also go through at least one life-or-death situation together, which really helps them to bond and helps their chemistry as characters. They may be considerations for “Best Couple” or “Best Dynamic Duo.”

This is an outstanding, feel-good story with a great message!

Check it out on Amazon!