A review by itsmeyseniab
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

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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