Ingo [Hardcover]

Helen Dunmore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 8, 2006 | Age Level: 10 and up

A spellbinding magical adventure. Master storyteller Helen Dunmore writes the story of Sapphire and her brother Conor, and their discovery of INGO, a powerful and exciting world under the sea. You'll find the mermaid of Zennor inside Zennor church. She fell in love with a human, but she was a Mer creature and so she couldn't come to live with him up in the dry air. She swam up the stream to hear him sing, then one day he swam down it and was never seen again. He became one of the Mer people! Sapphire's father told her that story when she was little. When he is lost at sea she can't help but think of that old myth; she's convinced he's still alive. The following summer her brother Conor keeps disappearing for hours on end. She goes to the cove to find him, but instead meets Faro, an enigmatic and intriguing Merman. He takes her to Ingo and introduces her to a world she never knew existed. She must let go of all her Air thoughts and embrace the sea and all things Mer. After her first visit she is entranced -- merely the sound of running water makes her yearn to be in Ingo once more. Ingo blood runs strongly in Sapphy and Conor fears she will leave the Air world for good. He pleads with her to ignore her craving for the sea and stay safely in their cottage up on the cliff. But not only is Sapphy intoxicated by the Mer world, she longs to see her father once more. And she's sure she can hear him singing across the water! "I wish I was away in Ingo Far across the briny sea!"

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9–A family living on the coast of Cornwall gets caught up in the undersea kingdom of the Mer people. After their father mysteriously disappears, Sapphy and her brother, Conor, visit Ingo and find themselves yearning to return to the ocean world. Conor resists, but Sapphy has a stronger affinity with the watery kingdom. While she struggles with its temptation, she also clashes with her mother, who seems too ready to forget the children's father. These elements come together in an exciting climax in which the siblings risk traveling to Ingo to save the life of the human diver their mother is dating. Sapphy's present-tense narration brings readers right into her world. Through her eyes, they see the beauty of Ingo, the comfort of her earthbound home, and the confusing muddle of thoughts and emotions that her experiences inspire. The undersea world seems equal parts menacing and alluring, which builds suspense and keeps everything pleasingly unpredictable. Relationships are especially well drawn. Sapphy is dedicated to Conor, despite some jealousy; she loves her mother, though she's keenly aware of how different they are; and she is not sure how to feel about Faro, the charming, sometimes angry young Mer man who serves as her undersea guide. Strong character development combines with an engaging plot and magical elements to make this a fine choice for fantasy readers, who will look forward to the next installments in this planned trilogy.–Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Why does Dad get a dreamy look when he croons the old song about the magical sea world called Ingo? Then one misty morning Dad vanishes, and Sapphire and her brother, Conor, believe that the Mer people of Ingo have something to do with his disappearance. Legend has it that a young man with Mer sensibilities fell in love with a mermaid and abandoned his pregnant fiancee, paving the way for Mer traits to be passed down to others. If the legend explains Dad's disappearance, then the kids have some of the Mer traits themselves. Drawn almost irresistibly to the sea, they encounter Mer people and find themselves struggling to balance life on land with the secret delights and wonders offered in the water. Dunmore's narrative skims expertly across the pages as it chronicles the kids' thrilling adventures (the dolphin-riding scenes are grand) and deftly weaves in an ecological message about protecting the sea. Readers will eagerly await the next title in the planned trilogy from this talented British writer, who is as adept at writing books for children as she is at writing adult fiction and poetry. Anne O'Malley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (August 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060818522
• ISBN-13: 978-0060818524
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,634,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ellie's book reveiw, January 27, 2011

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Ingo (Hardcover)

Ingo is my third favorite book ever (now leaning towards the second)!!! You will fall in love with the main character, Sapphire. In the beginning, Sapphire's father disappears, but Sapphire and her brother, Connor, believe that he is still alive. After Sapphire's father's disappearance, Sapphy and Connor, find a new place to spend their days, in Ingo. Ingo is the underwater world full of people called the Mer. Sapphire and Connor have a special gift of breathing underwater. Their new friends, Faro and Elvira (the Mer), take them on journeys out far into the sea. If you enjoy this book, go ahead and keep on reading the rest of the series!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars falling in love with the ocean, October 7, 2010

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ingo (Kindle Edition)

this series has me hooked. i originaly started on ingo for a book report but soon was craving for more of the wild desciptive way the author writes. every time it starts to talk about the ocean i almost feel like im in it. drifting with tendrils of seaweed brushing my fingers and a warm ocean current streaming over me. i have gills and i am sapphire. it captivates you and is amazng. a must read for sure. im 12 and this is awesome

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, July 15, 2008

By 

Mary A. (shrevport,LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ingo (Paperback)

I loved this book. I picked it up in Barnes and Noble because the cover was so pretty and started reading it. I ended up buying it that day. It's true that it's prbably not the best for a young kid, but I think it would be ok for a little more mature kids, maybe 9 and up. It shows a really goo brother-sister connection, also.