Steve Young

"Steve Young; or, The Voyage of the 'Hvalross' to the Icy Seas" by George Manville Fenn is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story revolves around the adventures of a young orphan named Steve Young, who embarks on a perilous voyage to the Arctic in search of his missing uncle, Captain Young. Accompanied by a diverse crew, Steve encounters the brutal realities of the icy wilderness and learns valuable life lessons amid thrilling encounters with polar bears and severe Arctic conditions. The opening of the novel introduces Steve as a sixteen-year-old boy struggling with the challenges of becoming a sailor. Following his uncle’s mysterious disappearance during a voyage to Spitzbergen, a group of the captain's friends charters a Norwegian vessel to search for him, much to the doctor's dismay about the dangers of bringing a young boy. As the ship, named "Hvalross," sets sail, the narrative lays out the dynamic between Steve and his companions, hinting at the challenges ahead. The reader is drawn into Steve's excitement and apprehension as he prepares for a thrilling journey through the unpredictable and harsh Arctic landscape, where survival will depend on courage, skills, and perhaps a little luck. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

George Manville Fenn was a prolific English novelist, journalist, editor and educationalist. Many of his novels were written with young adults in mind. His final book was his biography of a fellow writer for juveniles, George Alfred Henty.