Shark Wars - by E.J. Altbacker

I had seen these books on the shelves, but had resisted picking up the shiny-covered series because it looked kind of ridiculous. Now that I've read the first book, though, I am hooked!

This is the story of the world's oceans - from under the water!  It turns out that shark rule the seas, through groups known as "shivers".  Each shiver has a leader, who is supported by a "line," the next five strongest sharks in the shiver.  You won't be surprised to learn that the sharks in the story behave like you would expect: Sneaky and violent.  Not all of them, though...

Meet Gray, a reef shark who, with his best friend dogfish, leaves his shiver to go off and explore the big blue.  Before long, they are swept up in one new shiver, then another, and their world is turned on its head.  These peace-loving but sharp-toothed fish want nothing more than a good meal and an adventure, but they find themselves in the middle of a battle for control of all the world's oceans.  As you might have expected, Gray turns out to be a pretty important shark.

This is not only a great adventure story, but it is a strong and touching tale of friendship and loyalty.  I loved looking at the world from a shark's point-of-view, and the characters, good and bad, were portrayed so clearly that I felt like swimming along at their side.  This is one excellent story for sailors and landlubbers alike.