War of the Wind

'A thought-provoking, contemporary, utterly fabulous story with a brave protagonist.'

-- Clare Fulton

‘The book was brilliant! My 13-year-old daughter and I both really enjoyed reading it. The story was thrilling and a real page turner.'

-- Rebecca Mansell

‘A powerful eco-adventure driven by four teenagers who have additional support needs.’

-- Joanne Owen

‘Showing we should never make prejudiced assumptions about what people are capable of, Victoria Williamson’s War of the Wind is a page-turning, inclusive eco-thriller for our times.’

-- Joanne Owen

‘The book that absolutely needed to be written: children with additional support needs see themselves reflected in the characters of a contemporary story...a fast-paced adventure with real heart which does not gloss over the challenges faced by young people who are different. Empathetic, honest and compelling.’

-- Barbara Henderson, twice winner of the Young Quills Award and author of The Reluctant Rebel and The Chessmen Thief.

‘What a pacy, engaging read! This exciting eco-thriller held me from first line to last: young teen characters realised with such warmth and insight; a threat to their island community that starts insidious, turns sinister and then terrifying. This is a writer handling her material – not least the characters with special needs – with confidence, care and skill. Strongly recommend.’

-- Beverley Birch, founder of Children’s Writers & Illustrators for Stories & Literacy, and author of Song Beneath the Tides and Rift.

‘An exciting environmental thriller with an empathy-fuelled inclusive twist. Excellent positive representation … we can all learn a little something from this!’

-- Dan Smith, award-winning author for children and teens including Nisha’s War, Boy X, and Below Zero.

‘War of the Wind is an exciting adventure story with an important message about accepting differences.’

-- Lindsay Littleson, Kelpies Prize winner and Carnegie-nominated author of children’s books including The Rewilders and Guardians of the Wild Unicorns.

‘Places kids with different needs centre-stage. This book puts the turn in page turning. Go pre-order now!’

-- Justin Davies, Award-winning author of children’s books including Help! I Smell a Monster and Whoa! I Spy a Werewolf.

‘Excuse the pun, but Victoria Williamson’s fantastic environmental thriller with a great cast of inclusive characters has blown me away!’

-- Kate Wiseman, Award-winning author of children’s books including Gangster School and Icarus and Velvet.

‘Max struggles with the sudden loss of his hearing. When wind turbines appear in the bay, events turn sinister. Victoria Williamson cranks up the tension perfectly until the book’s thrilling ending. We are reminded not to underestimate those different from ourselves. Bravo, Victoria!’

-- Juliette Forrest, Award-winning author of children’s books including The Mountain Rescue Dog and Twister.

‘An environmental thriller for a teen audience with positive representation of children with additional support needs, this book needs to be in every school!’ ’

-- Veronica Price, Clinical Outreach Librarian and blook blogger at www.vsviewfromthebookshelves

"After losing his hearing, 14-year-old Max is disgruntled to be schooled alongside pupils with special needs. An influx of the military on their remote Scottish island, and a bizarre change in the islanders’ behaviour linked to the new offshore wind farm, catapults Max and his new cohort into a gripping eco-adventure."

-- Suzi Faey * Financial Times *

"When Scottish island dweller Max loses his hearing in an accident, he thinks that life can't get any stranger. Then the wind farm appears... Teens with additional needs star in this eco thriller.”

-- Marianne Levy * iNews *

‘Full of empathy & rich relationships. An incredibly nuanced YA book!’

“The depiction of deaf and disabled characters is convincing, honest and nuanced, and Max’s fury with his hearing aids is almost tangible. Themes of loss, dyslexia and bullying are also woven neatly in. A page-turning adventure with a great cast of characters, powerful food for thought around disability language and preconceptions, plus a timely environmental theme.”

-- BookT