The Girl the Sea Gave Back
Author: Adrienne Young
Series: Sky in the Deep
Genre: Fantasy, YA, historical fiction
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The new gut-wrenching epic from the New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep. For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse. For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.
my review
I received a free copy for an honest review. The Girl Who Gave the Sea Back was quite slow-paced for a YA adventure/fantasy YA book. It’s not like it was slow only at the beginning of the book either, the entire book is progressing so slowly I feel everything was going in slow motion. The fact that this book had so many different time jumps COMBINED with all the different alternative perspectives made this slow pace even worst, and it really ruined the reading experience and making this book almost intolerable to read. Even at over half of the book, when so much was "at stake" and how dire the story-line is, I feel completely disconnected from the storyline and characters. That was when I realized that I could care less and this book and how much the book truly bored me. I understand that the different time jumps and the alternative perspectives are there to make the writing style less "flat" and more ambiguous, as well as strengthening the layer of suspense and revelation to initially unanswered questions. But when it's done too much (in my opinion that's exactly what happened with this book), you completely lose the audience. This is why you shouldn't "switch around" too much during the process of telling a story - connections, involvement, and "care" can't stick like that. It's a shame that this book was such a disappointment, it's like I can see the effort but truly cannot connect with it.
about the author
YA fantasy author, SKY IN THE DEEP, THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK (9/3/19) & the upcoming FABLE duology from Wednesday Books. Agent: Barbara Poelle, IGLA Adrienne Young is a born and bred Texan turned California girl. She is a foodie with a deep love of history and travel and a shameless addiction to coffee. When she’s not writing, you can find her on her yoga mat, scouring antique fairs for old books, sipping wine over long dinners, or disappearing into her favorite art museums. She lives with her documentary filmmaker husband and their four little wildlings beneath the West Coast sun. For information on release, appearances, ARCs, giveaways, and exclusive content, sign up for the newsletter at https://adrienneyoungbooks.com/ Instagram: @adrienneyoungbooks Twitter: @adriennebooks
