Reviews with content warning for Bullying - La chica del mar

Super, super cute!! I loved Keltie; she's so funny and sweet. Definitely the best character alongside the brother (I'm not sure why I like him so much, but I do!!)

I didnt quite like the ending

i wanted their "true love" happily ever after, dammit!!

I wasn't a fan of Morgan's friends (I really dislike Serena LMAO) and I wish we got to see more of her familial issues, but otherwise this is a cute, cozy sapphic read!!

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the_eclectic_shelf's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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bookishlybecca's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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reading_leaf's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Charming read with some intense moments that keep you guessing.

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this_book_girl's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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itsmeyseniab's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Sometimes you have to let your life get messy. That's how you get to the good parts.

I absolutely adored the art style and color palette, but was shocked to discover that this story was not as lighthearted as I thought that it would be. Mental health and coming to terms with sexuality were at the forefront of this one, along with strained familial relationships (a recently divorced mother and a younger brother who outed his older sister/our main character Morgan... yuck).

My main "issue" with this is that I wish that Keltie's subplot wasn't included - it felt thrown in and I would've much rather kept 100% of my focus on Morgan's journey. Their romance was cute though, and felt super realistic (sans the fact that

Keltie was a selkie (aka seal-folk)

. I also didn't really understand why Morgan was friends with the girls she was friends with - there didn't seem to be much chemistry and the dynamic was just off (beyond having a "leader" of the group).

Ultimately I enjoyed this more than The Witch Boy, but I don't think Ostertag's stories are for me.

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