Review: The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young (Spoiler-Free)

★★★★-4

Sep 10, 2019

~ Thank you to Edelweiss and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. ~ The hailstorm never left the earth unbruised even if it did bring water to a thirsty land. This book was far from perfect, but the beautiful writing within saved it from being a complete mess. The story itself was somewhat basic, but the way the author fleshed out the characters and their values is what made it interesting. As someone who hates studying history, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was fascinated with the differing cultures of the viking tribes. If each culture had not been written with so much detail and consistency, this aspect, the strongest of the book, would have been lost. This alone is what got the book 4 stars from me. While the rich culture and characters were huge positives of the book, the rest was either unimpressive or lacking. The plot was plain, the romance was dry and rushed, and the pacing was very uneven. Then why, you might ask, am I giving this book 4 stars? I am giving this book 4 stars because it was incredibly well-written and, for the most part, it kept me engaged. Was I surprised by anything that happened? No. Did I still enjoy it? Yes. Overall, I was happy to be back in the world of Sky In the Deep, and I'm excited to see what Adrienne Young will bring to the table in the future.