11-07-2025
‘Cruise Ship Kid' by Emma Swan: A Book Review
The UK's warm, dry summer is playing havoc with my reviewing schedule. It's almost too hot to read, which is a very sad state of affairs! I'm still playing catch-up, but what better way to enjoy the summer than reading a novel set on a cruise ship? Cruise Ship Kid: Thief at Sea takes in the Mediterranean and offers up a kids' mystery caper. It's a perfect summer read!
Cruise Ship Kid follows Silver, the daughter of a ship employee, as she tries to make friends with other children on the boat before finding herself pulled into the mystery of two missing expensive watches.
Author Emma Swan grew up on a cruise ship, and she brings her experiences to the page in Cruise Ship Kid. There are echoes here of previously reviewed Mysteries at Sea books, though I think this book will work for younger ages (around 8 upwards). It has a neat device for enticing reluctant readers to engage with the story, and every completed copy will be unique to the reader!
The book is presented as Silver's diary and as a conversation between her and the reader. She has a varied life, moving from port to port, with her mother, who is in charge of 'passenger experience.' As such, Silver can rarely say out loud what she thinks, which makes her diary an invaluable tool for venting. She has a fun troupe of elderly friends, who are perennial crusiers, but she rarely finds anybody her own age to spend time with. When she does meet a friend, they quickly return to their own lives after their cruise is over.
Silver's life is a fun life but a lonely one.
In Cruise Ship Kid, she is trying to make friends and perhaps thinks she has found one in Yana. Readers can see that Yana may not be as good a friend as she could be, and that Silver is being used for access to unusual areas of the ship. Yana and Silver are thrown closer together when Yana's guardians' expensive watches go missing. Together, the two try to work out where they ended up.
If you're looking for a pure kids' detective story, there are probably better options out there. Alice Eclair or Peril on the Atlantic , for example, but what neither of those books have, is Silver's unique narrative voice.
The diary format gives Emma Swan great license to interact with her readers, with Katie Saunders' excellent illustrations affording further opportunities to extend the book's interactivity. Not only does Silver tell us what's going on, but she also asks for our opinions throughout the book. She wants our input to work out what is going on. Through her eyes, we see the spitefulness of some of the passangers, the selfishness of others, but also many characters with good intentions, enjoying their holiday. Silver also shows us that first impressions are not always accurate.
Silver's diary entries are arranged with space for readers to write in the book too, making a great interactive experience. We're positively encouraged to write and draw in the book, meaning, children finishing the book will have a copy unique to themselves, which is a nice touch. Silver asks questions of her readers, and we can tell her a little bit about ourselves.
Threaded through the book is a gentle self-esteem storyline, and through her diary and observations, Silver encourages readers to be happy with the way they are. At the start of the book, she is hoping to change herself to win Yana's friendship, but by the end, she is more comfortable in her own skin, and she invites her readers to join her on that journey. It's gentle but affecting stuff and a neat idea.
What I enjoyed most about the book is Silver's individuality and her verve for life. The ensemble cast is also great fun, with Swan's host of aging cruisegoers providing not only wisdom and comfort for Silver, but also plenty of laughs, too.
All in all, Cruise Ship Kid: Thief at Sea is a great summer read for younger children who can read confidently. With its sections open for the readers' thoughts and pictures, it's ideal for those who love to create, especially during the long dusty, and occasionally boring hours of the school summer vacation.
If you would like to pick up a copy of Cruise Ship Kid, here. (Affiliate Link)
If you enjoyed this review, check out my other book reviews, here.
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