Wendy's Reviews > The Water War

“The Water War” third book in the “Milligan Creek” series opens when Matt Taylor’s brother Chad, and their friends Andrew and Dean make a beeline for the local pool because like other boys in town they're smitten by the beauty of town newcomer Fiona Pickelberrybush. Exasperated by all the adulation, fearing his summer is wrecked and wanting a distraction for his friends, Matt proposes a game of “Assassin” where every player is both hunter and prey. With the inducement of a cash prize and a date with the new girl, the game heats up especially when Fiona dreading a boring summer joins in, her presence threatening the boys’ close friendship.

Set in the community of Milligan Creek that’s looking forward to their annual summer days festival and the crowning of a Miss Milligan Creek, twelve-year-old Matt Taylor disgusted that his plans for the holidays with his friends and brother are being ruined by the new girl in town, proposes a game to bring them back on track only to have his scheme go awry when Fiona joins in. The fun and humor quickly build as events unfold that have Dean’s mother, the formidable Mrs. Muller getting involved and training one of the first of the game’s casualties to be part of her team.

Well-developed and wonderfully absorbing for pre-teens the story twists and turns near the end as events ignite that have Matt disguised as an old woman, a debate over the competition for Miss Milligan Creek heating up the chambers of the local council, and even setting one Taylor brother against the other. Fast-paced, the action never slows as casualties mount and the competition grows fierce as the Milligan Creek Daze festivities approach.

Like all of Kevin Miller’s Milligan Creek series the characters are realistic and compelling, breathing life into this captivating plot with their unique personalities. Heading the cast is twelve-year old Matt Taylor who is clever, competitive and very resourceful, irritated that his friends are smitten with the lovely, self-absorbed, wily but enigmatic Fiona Pickleberrybush.

I loved “The Water War”, a story that will intrigue and bring laughter to the younger patrons of my local library.