Scan barcode
A review by simonlorden
Eelgrass by Tori Curtis
4.0
This book was November's Sapphic Book Club read hosted by @sapphicliterature.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Efa and her friend Bettan are both selkies, and after Bettan's seal skin is taken, Efa sets out on a journey to find her friend and rescue her.
I have to admit, I didn't enjoy this book too much. It certainly had its positives - the almost all-female cast and the parts about the sirens were great, but the second half of the book was physically painful to read at some points.
Thing is, this book is supposed to be a calling out for rape culture by using the selkies as a metaphor, but 1) that makes it much heavier and frustrating read than I expected, 2) I don't actually think that it's doing a very good job at calling out rape culture and heteronormativity. The main character is horrified at her friend being taken and nobody else taking it seriously, but even she still holds many heteronormative and ignorant views that are not properly challenged in the book.
I am slightly more forgiving to its faults because it's a first book in a planned series, which means both the main character and the main f/f relationship have time to grow, and hopefully they will. But as a standalone book, Eelgrass wouldn't have received more than 3 stars from me.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Efa and her friend Bettan are both selkies, and after Bettan's seal skin is taken, Efa sets out on a journey to find her friend and rescue her.
I have to admit, I didn't enjoy this book too much. It certainly had its positives - the almost all-female cast and the parts about the sirens were great, but the second half of the book was physically painful to read at some points.
Thing is, this book is supposed to be a calling out for rape culture by using the selkies as a metaphor, but 1) that makes it much heavier and frustrating read than I expected, 2) I don't actually think that it's doing a very good job at calling out rape culture and heteronormativity. The main character is horrified at her friend being taken and nobody else taking it seriously, but even she still holds many heteronormative and ignorant views that are not properly challenged in the book.
I am slightly more forgiving to its faults because it's a first book in a planned series, which means both the main character and the main f/f relationship have time to grow, and hopefully they will. But as a standalone book, Eelgrass wouldn't have received more than 3 stars from me.