MG Takes on Thursday

It’s time to show some love for Middlegrade books again! And boy, do I have a book for you!

MGTakesOnThursday is a weekly feature from Mary at BookCraic to celebrate the love for Middle Grade Books! The steps to take part are here.

The Fog Diver by Joel N. Ross

Below that, the raft itself was a weather-beaten deck of canvas, wooden floorboards and copper pipes.

Page 11 of The Fog Diver

Fog, Pirates, Scavengers

It’s been already a while that I have read this book but I remember enjoying it a lot and the story still stays with me.

A deadly white mist has cloaked the earth for hundreds of years. Humanity clings to the highest mountain peaks, where the wealthy Five Families rule over the teeming lower slopes and rambling junkyards. As the ruthless Lord Kodoc patrols the skies to enforce order, thirteen-year-old Chess and his crew scavenge in the Fog-shrouded ruins for anything they can sell to survive.
Hazel is the captain of their salvage raft: bold and daring. Swedish is the pilot: suspicious and strong. Bea is the mechanic: cheerful and brilliant. And Chess is the tetherboy: quiet and quick…and tougher than he looks. But Chess has a secret, one he’s kept hidden his whole life. One that Lord Kodoc is desperate to exploit for his own evil plans. And even as Chess unearths the crew’s biggest treasure ever, they are running out of time…

The one thing I truely, utterly enjoyed about this book is the world building. The author has created a dystopian time that feels just like the fog that is so prominent in the book. Dense and all encompassing but also light and atmospheric.
In the middle of this world is the main character Chess and the crew of young scavengers he is part of. A little found family surrounded by death and trash and gangs and violence. The characters are a colouful bunch and I liked getting to know them with all their strenghs and weaknesses and quirks (which, as we all know, can be both.)

I feel like I cannot describe properly why I loved this books so much. It was full of adventure but also full of dread and fear, danger and pirates. I loved the pirates, I loved the steampunk feel this book gives off, the pop culture easter eggs and the whole darn plot.

I know it’s one of the lesser known books but I highly recommend to give it a try and see for yourself.