The Girl the Sea Gave Back
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sky in the Deep companion has rich detail, Viking violence.
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What's the Story?
In THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK, Tova has read the runes for the Svell people since she washed up on their shore at the age of 6. The local holy man who found her and raised her thought she was a gift from the gods. With black tattoos all over her body, it's clear she's of the Kyrr people -- and with the eye tattoo at the center of her chest, she is also a Truthtongue who can cast rune stones to read their fates. One night she's summoned to the Svell's council, where there are calls for war against the weakened Nadhir clan. The rune is clear to her: Hagalaz, or complete destruction. The chieftan Bekan is concerned and decides to forge peace to save his clan. His brother, Vigdis, has other ideas about what the rune means. He's already raided a Nadhir village and wants complete destruction for them at all costs, even if he has to betray his brother. Meanwhile, Halvard, the chieftan-in-waiting, sets out to meet the Svell people with other important clan members. When he spots Tova among the Svell, both sense an immediate connection -- something that ties their fates together. This feeling is interrupted when swords are drawn all around them and the killing starts.
Is It Any Good?
Though a much smaller story in scope than the author's last Viking-set fantasy, this companion novel still resonates, with thoughtful characters and a deep sense of place. Sky in the Deep brought two clans and two people together and explored prejudice and empathy. The Girl the Sea Gave Back gives readers a skirmish, a cry for war, and a big battle with far too many flashbacks in between. The goals are simply survival and peace. Secondary to that, Tova would like to know more about where she came from and what her real purpose is. Readers knows long before she does and may wonder why she doesn't escape from the Svell as soon as possible. When she makes the connection with Halvard, it's a long time before anything real can come of it.
While readers are waiting for Tova to come around, there's much to enjoy in The Girl the Sea Gave Back. The setting and the details of this world and the cultures that inhabit it will draw you in. The mystical Kyrr fascinate, even from afar. Author Adrienne Young pulls in close to the Viking-style beards and braids and armor -- and to the hearths where warriors stitch each other's wounds. Time slows in front of a funeral pyre as loved ones are laid to rest. The whole story may keep to a simple plot, but it hones in on its depths quite well.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the oft-repeated phrase "war is easy" in The Girl the Sea Gave Back. How hard is it to forge peace in this world? What gets in the way?
The violence is bloody here, but the consequences are clearly shown: the funeral pyres, the mourning, the remembered loss. Does it change the way you experience the battles as you read?
Is there more to be explored in this Viking world after The Girl the Sea Gave Back and Sky in the Deep? Would you want to read more about the Kyrr next? Or another clan or character?
Book Details
- Author: Adrienne Young
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Wednesday Books
- Publication date: September 3, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 18
- Number of pages: 336
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: September 16, 2019
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