Review Detail

War of the Wind was listed as a YA mystery, the main character is 14, however I would say it is definitely more middle grade than anything. It's also a great diversity advocacy read!

On an island in Scotland, a small group of kids are facing off against a power far greater than themselves, combining mystery and adventure.
Each character in this story is struggling with their own challenges, ranging from deafness to down syndrome and other physical disabilities, but they really shine when they learn to lean on one another and tackle the menace that is ruining their families. War of the Wind addresses special needs from a flipped narrative broadening the readers compassion and understanding alongside the main character's.

The plot is a good one. There is a lot of learning about oneself and others, as well as a decent mystery. Strange little things happen on the island, some nearly imperceptible. It was fun trying to figure out why things were happening a certain way and how things were being done.
However, the ending is what did me in. My family and I have this thing with ends that wrap up too quickly, we call them 'Netflix Endings' (watch a Netflix original and you'll see why). While War of the Wind did wrap up nicely for the most part, there was just no big battle scene. Max and his friends were able to save the day with little to no "fan fare."
The lead scientist does escape, I'm interested to know if he will resurface in another Williamson novel.

There is little to no romance in War of the Wind, but there is mention of animal death and questionable parenting. There is also ablism type speech.

If you like scientific experiments, embracing differences, daring adventures, and wonderful characters, this book is a must read!!