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Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom
Part mystery, part fantasy-adventure, part riveting real-life disaster, this deft tale-within-a-tale blends the history of the 1980 Lake Peigneur drilling accident with a fateful quest for pirate treasure.
When thirteen-year-old Junius Leak—expert on waterbodies and creator of the encyclopedic Amazing Waterbodies of the World—steps foot on Uncle Spot’s rickety dock on Lake Peigneur, the truth assails he may love waterbodies, but that doesn’t mean they love him back. The latest in a long line of Junius Leaks, he’s the first to be doomed to ten days of awkwardness and boredom on a houseboat with a relative he doesn’t know while his parents “work on” their marriage. Delcambre, Louisiana, where Junius was born, is awash with unwelcome surprises. He determines to learn why his mom left town when he was a baby—and to conquer his fear of water at the same time. But the lake has other plans for him, plans tied to a hundred-year-old family feud and a swashbuckling mystery. When disaster strikes, Junius must dive deep within to emerge an unlikely hero. Alternating viewpoints spin the perceptions of a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)—and the wry voice of a lake with a long memory—into an inventive tale of sunken treasure and buried secrets anchored by a dramatic true event.
When thirteen-year-old Junius Leak—expert on waterbodies and creator of the encyclopedic Amazing Waterbodies of the World—steps foot on Uncle Spot’s rickety dock on Lake Peigneur, the truth assails he may love waterbodies, but that doesn’t mean they love him back. The latest in a long line of Junius Leaks, he’s the first to be doomed to ten days of awkwardness and boredom on a houseboat with a relative he doesn’t know while his parents “work on” their marriage. Delcambre, Louisiana, where Junius was born, is awash with unwelcome surprises. He determines to learn why his mom left town when he was a baby—and to conquer his fear of water at the same time. But the lake has other plans for him, plans tied to a hundred-year-old family feud and a swashbuckling mystery. When disaster strikes, Junius must dive deep within to emerge an unlikely hero. Alternating viewpoints spin the perceptions of a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)—and the wry voice of a lake with a long memory—into an inventive tale of sunken treasure and buried secrets anchored by a dramatic true event.
528 pages, Hardcover
Published July 1, 2025
5 people are currently reading
2927 people want to read
About the author
Allan Wolf
24 books131 followersA versatile writer, Allan Wolf's picture books, poetry collections, young adult novels, and nonfiction celebrate his love of research, history, science, and poetry. He is a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, two-time winner of the North Carolina Young Adult Book Award, and recipient of New York’s Bank Street College Claudia Lewis Award for Poetry. Booklist placed Allan’s The Watch That Ends the Night, on its list of the 50 Best YA Books of All Time.
Wolf believes in the healing powers of poetry recitation and has committed to memory nearly a thousand poems.
His newest titles include: a historical novel, (Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom); a picture book (The Blanket Where Violet Sits); a poetry collection (The Gift of the Broken Teacup); and a graphic novel (The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur).
Wolf believes in the healing powers of poetry recitation and has committed to memory nearly a thousand poems.
His newest titles include: a historical novel, (Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom); a picture book (The Blanket Where Violet Sits); a poetry collection (The Gift of the Broken Teacup); and a graphic novel (The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 30, 2025
A duel narrative tale of pirates, treasure, and extreme anxiety.
Junius Leak has been exiled to Louisiana for the summer. For a kid on the spectrum obsessed with Water Bodies, surrounded by such variety of said Water Bodies should be a dream come true, but that is not the way Junius sees it. He will spend the twelve days with his, previously unknown, Uncle Spot who lives by a lake and spend his days on that particular WaterBody. Junius loves to talk about and study Water Bodies but is terrified out of his head to personally encounter one.
There is so much going on in this book, and I think the author handled it fairly well, but I kept getting lost with all the family connections and the various factions at work. I liked the narrator of the audio book, but I think it might have been easier to follow in print. It will be a lot for most younger readers to tackle. I hope I can find readers for it.
Junius Leak has been exiled to Louisiana for the summer. For a kid on the spectrum obsessed with Water Bodies, surrounded by such variety of said Water Bodies should be a dream come true, but that is not the way Junius sees it. He will spend the twelve days with his, previously unknown, Uncle Spot who lives by a lake and spend his days on that particular WaterBody. Junius loves to talk about and study Water Bodies but is terrified out of his head to personally encounter one.
There is so much going on in this book, and I think the author handled it fairly well, but I kept getting lost with all the family connections and the various factions at work. I liked the narrator of the audio book, but I think it might have been easier to follow in print. It will be a lot for most younger readers to tackle. I hope I can find readers for it.
June 28, 2025
Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom by Allan Wolf is part wild adventure, part eco-disaster, part pirate mystery.and 100% heart. In Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom, we follow 12-year-old Junius, a water-obsessed, highly sensitive kid spending the summer in Louisiana. He’s hoping to figure out some family stuff but then the lake literally swallows a drilling rig, and things go from awkward to apocalyptic.
Told through Junius’s hilarious and thoughtful voice and the lake itself, yep, it narrates too, this story dives into real history based on the 1980 Lake Peigneur disaster and mixes in family secrets, Cajun culture, and even a dash of pirate lore.
It’s fast-paced, funny, smart, and surprisingly emotional. Junius’s journey of facing fears and finding his place in the world will stick with you long after the final chapter. Perfect for middle grade readers who love adventure with a side of heart and a sprinkle of weird.
⚡️Thank you Candlewick and Allan Wolf for sharing this book with me!
Told through Junius’s hilarious and thoughtful voice and the lake itself, yep, it narrates too, this story dives into real history based on the 1980 Lake Peigneur disaster and mixes in family secrets, Cajun culture, and even a dash of pirate lore.
It’s fast-paced, funny, smart, and surprisingly emotional. Junius’s journey of facing fears and finding his place in the world will stick with you long after the final chapter. Perfect for middle grade readers who love adventure with a side of heart and a sprinkle of weird.
⚡️Thank you Candlewick and Allan Wolf for sharing this book with me!
August 7, 2025
Reminds me a bit of Holes by Louis Sachar.
August 24, 2025
4.5 stars
September 19, 2025
A Cajun adventure, coming of age story with an epic real life disaster. I was rooting for nerdy Junius from the start, overcoming his fears, finding out what he’s made of. Clever pets, pirates and treasure maps, pitcher plants and friendships, beignets. Lots to enjoy!
July 6, 2025
Well crafted story with amazing neurodivergeht representation without having to label any character. They are accepted for whom they are. Two plots developing. One focused on young Junius and his relationship with others during summer with his parents dealing with issues far away and a historical adventure that adds depth to the fantastical adventure. The book is long, but the plot and characters captivate us.
July 14, 2025
What worked:
Junius is a curious character, as he has a love for all kinds of waterbodies (not bodies of water) but fears being in them. He has a self-made notebook full of information about every waterbody he knows, but he dreads being in any body of water other than a bathtub or a pool. He has trouble reading facial expressions and emotions, but tries to remember advice given by his mom and stepdad. They send Junius to live with Uncle Spot in Louisiana for a couple of weeks while they work on their marriage. Baby Junius and his mother lived in Uncle Spot’s house, and Junius wants to learn why she left and has never returned. Everyone Junius meets has heard how he died (he didn’t, he’s only allergic to shellfish), but he manages to make friends with a couple of local girls. However, Aunt Boudreaux is definitely not one of them!
The book is narrated by Lake Peigneur, the book’s setting, with some chapters written from the lake’s first-person point of view. The lake is an appropriate narrator, since it has witnessed all of the past (1800s) and present (1980) history. Its chapters act as flashbacks to explain the origins of a curse and one-hundred-year-old events, and how they affect the life of the current Junius Leak. Most chapters are written from Junius’s point of view. Environmental issues are addressed, as salt mining and oil drilling are affecting the area. Victoria Vandee is Junius’s new friend, and she’s the only resident actively protesting the misuse of the lake. Many residents don’t appreciate her efforts, since those businesses provide sorely needed jobs.
An air of the supernatural underlies the story. Beginning in the flashbacks, the Siren’s Flute sits inside a rectangular, wooden box. Does it contain a valuable treasure, or will the flute lead to someone’s death? An ominous verse accompanies the Siren’s Flute. Along with it, two unsuspecting boys become nannies to the first Junius Leak, as do their ancestors. It’s never clear if a curse actually follows the Siren’s Flute, but generations of characters fear it is real. Two characters die with it in the salt mines, only to have it discovered a century later. On top of that, the pirate Lafitte’s treasure is buried somewhere along the lake, and an unassuming map emerges that shows its location. A century of nature has changed the scenery around the treasure, so will the characters be able to locate it by deciphering the ambiguous map?
What didn’t work as well:
The plot can be slow-developing, which may not appeal to many young readers. The flashbacks double the number of characters and subplots, which requires an extra amount of description and development. However, the climax and resolution focus on the real-life disaster and are dramatic and suspenseful.
The final verdict:
The book doesn’t prepare readers for the disaster, but the author has written other books on the subject. Junius’s story is captivating, but a lot is going on overall. Readers will be engrossed by the climax, and I recommend you give this book a shot.
Junius is a curious character, as he has a love for all kinds of waterbodies (not bodies of water) but fears being in them. He has a self-made notebook full of information about every waterbody he knows, but he dreads being in any body of water other than a bathtub or a pool. He has trouble reading facial expressions and emotions, but tries to remember advice given by his mom and stepdad. They send Junius to live with Uncle Spot in Louisiana for a couple of weeks while they work on their marriage. Baby Junius and his mother lived in Uncle Spot’s house, and Junius wants to learn why she left and has never returned. Everyone Junius meets has heard how he died (he didn’t, he’s only allergic to shellfish), but he manages to make friends with a couple of local girls. However, Aunt Boudreaux is definitely not one of them!
The book is narrated by Lake Peigneur, the book’s setting, with some chapters written from the lake’s first-person point of view. The lake is an appropriate narrator, since it has witnessed all of the past (1800s) and present (1980) history. Its chapters act as flashbacks to explain the origins of a curse and one-hundred-year-old events, and how they affect the life of the current Junius Leak. Most chapters are written from Junius’s point of view. Environmental issues are addressed, as salt mining and oil drilling are affecting the area. Victoria Vandee is Junius’s new friend, and she’s the only resident actively protesting the misuse of the lake. Many residents don’t appreciate her efforts, since those businesses provide sorely needed jobs.
An air of the supernatural underlies the story. Beginning in the flashbacks, the Siren’s Flute sits inside a rectangular, wooden box. Does it contain a valuable treasure, or will the flute lead to someone’s death? An ominous verse accompanies the Siren’s Flute. Along with it, two unsuspecting boys become nannies to the first Junius Leak, as do their ancestors. It’s never clear if a curse actually follows the Siren’s Flute, but generations of characters fear it is real. Two characters die with it in the salt mines, only to have it discovered a century later. On top of that, the pirate Lafitte’s treasure is buried somewhere along the lake, and an unassuming map emerges that shows its location. A century of nature has changed the scenery around the treasure, so will the characters be able to locate it by deciphering the ambiguous map?
What didn’t work as well:
The plot can be slow-developing, which may not appeal to many young readers. The flashbacks double the number of characters and subplots, which requires an extra amount of description and development. However, the climax and resolution focus on the real-life disaster and are dramatic and suspenseful.
The final verdict:
The book doesn’t prepare readers for the disaster, but the author has written other books on the subject. Junius’s story is captivating, but a lot is going on overall. Readers will be engrossed by the climax, and I recommend you give this book a shot.
October 26, 2025
My biggest pull toward reading Allan Wolf's Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom was the real-life Lake Peigneur disaster of 1980 that it’s based around. But once I began, I was all in with city tween Junius, feeling his anxieties as he's dropped off into his mother's childhood community on the bayou for two weeks while his parents “work things out.” Junius may be a waterbody-loving kid who's afraid of being in the water, but he's soon having the time of his life - and then fighting for his life - in this multi-layered tale.
The poet Wolf, in his first all-prose novel, skillfully weaves history with fantasy as he immerses his readers in the Louisiana setting and captures youthful perspective - from old window glass that "looks like it has melted a little in the sun" to Junius describing the sound of his uncle starting his makeshift motorboat as a "cross between a bedsheet being torn in half and a six-hundred-pound bear farting into an empty metal drum." And, like the iceberg in Wolf's 2011 masterpiece The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic, the lake itself shares narrator duties with Junius, filling us in with layers of entertaining and intriguing history and characters (including pirates) that predate our hero's visit and set up what's to come.
Mystery, comedy, a salt mine, heartbreak, shrimp, family history, summer friends, a destructive cat, an oil rig, boats, French slang and so much more, Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom is an adventure that’s worth diving into. Some may consider the page count a lengthy read, but Cajun country stories take time to tell, and I found it engaging from beginning to end.
The poet Wolf, in his first all-prose novel, skillfully weaves history with fantasy as he immerses his readers in the Louisiana setting and captures youthful perspective - from old window glass that "looks like it has melted a little in the sun" to Junius describing the sound of his uncle starting his makeshift motorboat as a "cross between a bedsheet being torn in half and a six-hundred-pound bear farting into an empty metal drum." And, like the iceberg in Wolf's 2011 masterpiece The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic, the lake itself shares narrator duties with Junius, filling us in with layers of entertaining and intriguing history and characters (including pirates) that predate our hero's visit and set up what's to come.
Mystery, comedy, a salt mine, heartbreak, shrimp, family history, summer friends, a destructive cat, an oil rig, boats, French slang and so much more, Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom is an adventure that’s worth diving into. Some may consider the page count a lengthy read, but Cajun country stories take time to tell, and I found it engaging from beginning to end.
October 12, 2025
Junius Leak is almost 13 and knows very little about his family history. All he knows at the moment is that life at home is very hard, with lots of changes, and Junius doesn't do well with changes. He learns he is going to be exiled for 12 days to a small town on the shores of Lake Peigneur in Lousiana, to live with an uncle he's never met while his parents go to marriage boot camp. Junius loves all waterbodies, talk about waterbodies to anyone who will listen, and adds entries to the book he is typing about waterbodies. However, Junius is afraid to go into any water other than a bathtub or pool. His uncle Spot begins a series of lessons designed to help Junius overcome his distrust of being on a waterbody. Along the way, Junius learns surprising information about his family history and survives the disaster caused by the Diamond Crystal Salt Mine and the Texaco oil drilling rig on the lake. Told from alternate perspectives--the lake's and Junius's--Wolf brings some creativity to the disaster of Lake Peigneur. I can't wait to read his nonfiction book about the disaster as well!
August 12, 2025
Narrated by Lake Peigneur, this is the story of pirates and buried treasure and the drilling accident on Lake Peigneur in Louisiana in 1980. Junius is shipped off to stay with his Uncle Spot on a houseboat on lake Peigneur. His parents are headed to a retreat to work on their marriage. Junius suffers from what his mom calls “leaks” which are noises he makes when he gets anxious. He also loves water of all types – lakes, rivers, ponds – and has written a book about waterbodies but ironically he is afraid of being in the water or in a boat on the water. It turns out that the lake and the town have a lot of mysteries and Junius is able to uncover some big secrets.
June 24, 2025
Junius Leak (almost 13) is taken to spend 10 days with his Uncle Spot, one he never heard of, while his parents work on their marriage. He is taken to Delacambre, Louisiana in 1980 to live on a houseboat on Lake Peigneur with his Uncle and Aunt Bordeaux, a sassy cat that is spunky and sometimes a terror. Junius learns his is not the first Junius Leak, with the first Junius born in 1820 - but only Lake Peigneur knows that. The book is told from the lake's persepective following the history of pirates, buried treasure, curses, broken deal and friendships, and knowing the truth of everything. The lake's perspective paints Junius' love of waterbodies and his fear of them, his being a 'highly sensitive person' as coined by his mother, and the techniques he uses to fight his neurodiversity and anxiety. Junius makes friends, discovers some serious truths about himself and his family, and survives with the lake ( a true event) where the lake turns into a whirlpool, is completely drained, and then gradually refills due to oil drilling and salt mining. The book pulls in the history, the interesting perspective of the lake, and is filled with blessings and curses that make Junius a stronger, and heartfelt character to learn from.
July 28, 2025
besides everything being just a little too long (the title, the story), i thought it was great. i did not see, nor expect, the twists coming. that was awesome. i really like the characters of junius and uncle spot. besides them, the other characters were a little shallow. the world-development was great so any reader that enjoys a fully flushed out setting and world will enjoy this one.
October 28, 2025
Part mystery, part fantasy-adventure, part riveting real-life disaster, this deft tale-within-a-tale blends the history of the 1980 Lake Peigneur drilling accident with a fateful quest for pirate treasure.
August 28, 2025
A fantastic YA novel about a boy, a lake, discovering family and oneself. There's pirates, treasure, mystery, and plenty of water bodies. This original book is a great addition to any kid's bookshelf.
September 28, 2025
A fun middle grade that reminded me of Holes - great for those middle schoolers looking for a joyful suspense story.
August 29, 2025
This middle grade book was very interesting. It had two POV's, one being Junius Leak and the other being The Lake. I thought it was well written and captured me into the story. I loved the back and forth with the timeline, especially learning about the past and how things came to be. I honestly laughed out loud a few times, especially with the transitions between Junius's POVs to the Lake's POV in the past. Overall, this was a great book with good character development. I enjoyed how Junius Leak was able to get over his fear with the water. There was also some twists that I wasn't expecting, which is always great when reading a book. I will say that it was a little long for what it was and it could have been a little shorter. However, the book was a solid read and is great for middle grade readers and adults.
I received this book for free which in no way impacts my review.
I received this book for free which in no way impacts my review.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews