KOTUKU

A romantic suspense with a combination of eerie occurrences, an ancient relative, and horses—making for a complex and demanding narrative that both intrigues and confuses. Fleeting glimpses of a strangely tattooed man lead Wim to look and see things around her she might have otherwise missed. Seventeen-year-old Wim works for and practically lives at the stable where owners Tammy and Evelyn rely on her and share her grief for best friend Jilly. That death has made Wim turn away from new people, resisting change of all kinds. Satisfied to observe, Wim sticks with her habit of rescuing animals, including the vicious Kid, a horse no one can come near. Then three newcomers appear. A Maori academic, David, with his rebellious niece, Tangi, and Great Aunt Kia, whose befuddled senility dissipates whenever Wim is left with her. Drawn to and equally resisting each of the newcomers to her life, Wim’s budding romance with the older man, David, the possible friendship with Tangi and her obligations to Kia pull her reluctantly into life. Savage (Summer Hawk, 1999, etc.) both lulls and prepares readers for her revelations with odd plotting and emotional outbursts. At 15, Wim is wise and yet still a child. Her actions seldom make any sense but are understandable in an odd way. The connections between this old shipping family of Provincetown, Massachusetts, and the visitors from New Zealand are rooted in the Maori culture and historical facts essential to unraveling the puzzle. The climactic events are painful, but it’s clear that young Wim has reached a resolution. An unfocused but surprisingly satisfying romantic puzzler. (Fiction. YA)