The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

Adrienne has done it again. As you know from my previous post, I’d held out on reading Sky In The Deep until a snowy day this last winter, and it instantly captured my heart. I was overjoyed to have been given the opportunity to read The Girl The Sea Gave Back as an ARC.

⁠Halvard and Tova’s story lines are beautifully crafted, and you are once again pulled into the absolute all encompassing world that Adrienne writes. This book moved me so much that I ended up ugly crying on the airplane on my way back from vacation.⁠

I was so excited to see Halvard all grown up. The little boy we’d fallen in love with in Sky In The Deep, by no means has disappeared. Adrienne preserved the heart and soul of a character, even as he grew into a young man. I was so proud to see him, and overjoyed when I got to see snippets of how the community has changed in the last few years, along with moments with characters from SITD.

However, this isn’t just Halvard’s story. It’s Tova’s. Her circumstances and life story were heart breaking. I found I loved her just as much as I loved Halvard and seeing how their story lines circled around one another was fascinating. I fully believe that one of Adrienne’s strengths is how much she understands character, and the fragility and resilience of the human spirit. She deals with loss and let down as well as she handles joy and tradition.

I also just stand in awe of the fight scenes that she writes. It’s masterful, beautiful, and compelling. You feel pulled into what is the frantic energy and slow motion capture of a battle scene. It’s another astounding part of how the world of Halvard and Tova comes into place.

Adrienne cemented herself as one of my dearly beloved authors with Sky In The Deep, and The Girl The Sea Gave Back is a heart rending sophomore novel that will keep you looking for the specific kind of pain, and joy that Adrienne creates. I would highly recommend this stunning novel.

Additionally, this beautiful book is out TODAY so go make sure that you grab a copy. The first editions have a special surprise under the cover and it will ONLY be for the first editions!⁠

Thank you to Adrienne Young, NetGalley, and Wednesday Books that provided me this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

You can get The Girl the Sea Gave Back here at Bookshop.org, which supports local independent bookstores!

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