A review by mythicaltrilogy
Eelgrass by Tori Curtis

4.0

This book was November's Sapphic Book Club read hosted by @sapphicliterature

Overall I really enjoyed reading Eelgrass! I found the writing style easy to read and the story kept me interested. I think the book was an interesting look at rape culture and patriarchy set in a fantasy world to make a point. So while everyone but Efa's indifference to Bettan's disappearance was frustrating, I think it was a good reflection on some real-world situations that women face. I found Efa's struggle to get people to take her concerns seriously very relatable. And that made the climax all the more satisfying!

I also appreciated that Efa never once lost sight of her care for Bettan, even among the drama with the sirens and her budding feelings for Ninka. It was nice to see her trying to balance her care for both girls, and not wanting to compromise her ideals for her love interest.

Spoiler

I found the ending of the book to fall a bit flat, sadly, but I think I've heard other people saying there are plans for a sequel? If so I'm excited to see the resolution to some of the problems presented. If not, I think the book would have greatly benefitted from being a bit longer, since leaving on a note of Bettan being miserable and pregnant with her abuser's child and Ninka and Efa's relationship still on an unsure foot isn't the tone I had been hoping for the end.