ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Gone with the Penguins by Hazel Prior

Gone with the Penguins by Hazel Prior is published by Penguin Bantam and is available now in paperback, eBook and audiobook. My thanks to the publishers for the proof copy.

This is the third in the penguin trilogy and you can read my reviews of Away with the Penguins and Call of the Penguins by clicking on the titles.

“Emperor penguins defy the odds, and I shall too.”

Still fiery and feisty at eighty-seven, Veronica McCreedy, the very first Penguin Ambassador, is determined to prove that nothing is impossible when you put your mind to it.

Eileen, Veronica’s ever-patient assistant, is content taking care of other people. But when a new adventure calls, it makes her question everything…

Ten-year-old, penguin-obsessed Daisy can’t wait to be reunited with Mrs McCreedy in her huge house by the sea for the school holidays.

When they discover that the local Sea Life Centre is under threat, the unlikely trio are determined to save it and the penguins that live there.

Inspired by the penguins and fuelled by Darjeeling tea and finger sandwiches, they embark on an epic fundraising walk. But soon, their mission becomes so much more and it might just lead each of them to a new beginning…

I couldn’t have been more pleased when I heard that Hazel Prior had written a third book in the penguin trilogy. I loved reading Away with the Penguins and Call of the Penguins.

This book sees the return of all my favourite characters. Veronica McCreedy is a brilliant creation, she’s determined and feisty, and her attitude to people and life always makes me smile. She’s about to become the first Penguin Ambassador and alongside her hard-working helper, Eileen, and young Daisy, they pledge to try and save penguins at the local sea life centre. This takes them on their own march of the penguins, from the Galapagos Islands to the Falklands to Antarctica.

Gone with the Penguins was an absolute joy to read from start to finish. The characters are perfect, loveable but flawed, and the penguins are just gorgeous. I loved the journey that Veronica went on, not only her physical trek but also the developments in her personal life (which I cheered at and which made for a perfect finale).

I particularly enjoyed the settings and how the characters adapted to heat and extreme cold, how they all pulled together and supported each other, and Veronica’s willingness to do whatever it took to save those Scottish penguins. It’s such an uplifting read with lots of friendship and humour, and I enjoyed it very much indeed.

HAZEL PRIOR lives on Exmoor with her husband and a huge ginger cat. As well as writing, she works as a freelance harpist. Hazel is the author of Ellie and the Harp-Maker, the #1 ebook and audiobook bestseller Away with the Penguins and its follow-up, Call of the Penguins. Life and Otter Miracles is her fourth novel.