Parents need to know that A Crack in the Sea by H. M. Bouwman is a surprising mix of historical fiction and fantasy that braids strands from a slave ship, a Vietnamese refugee boat, and a "second world" that opens up via a portal in the ocean. There's grim violence on the slave ship, including a slave who's attacked by sharks when he's lowered into the ocean as punishment, and the chilling murder of slaves thrown overboard for profit. Though there's no sex, there's the threat of rape -- on the slave boat and later, when pirates plunder the refugee boat. But because the second world is a place where people care for one another and try to get along, the book carries messages of tolerance and peace. This book will captivate readers who like their fantasy spiced with real-life drama.
