Title: The Girl from the SeaAuthor: Molly Knox Ostertag
First Published: June 1, 2021
Publisher: Graphix
Pages: 256
Genre: Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Rating:
Synopsis:
Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can't wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She's desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends...who don't understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan's biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl.Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn't seem so stifling anymore.But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they're each trying to hide will find its way to the surface...whether Morgan is ready or not.
Buy the Book: AmazonReview
The Girl from the Sea is a sapphic love story between a still closeted queer girl and a selkie that saves her life. Morgan is having a hard time, her parents are getting divorced, her brother has been acting out, and she’s a lesbian in a small town. She counts down the days until she can graduate and move away to live and love the way she wants to.
The romantic aspects of this graphic novel fell a little flat for me. Keltie has watched over Morgan since she was a child, and came to love her over time, a destined love right out of a fairy tale. The missing part of the fantasy romance was Morgan, whose immediate reaction to Keltie is instant lust. It’s understandable because Morgan is still figuring things out, but it made their relationship feels forced. Morgan is still trying her best to navigate the drama of her teenage years which I really liked about her, which in turn made me less keen on the fantasy aspect of the story.
There is some good messaging here about identity and how much of ourselves we are ready to share with others, whether it’s family or friends, and how we unintentionally push people away when we’re wrapped up in love. Morgan’s immediate friends and family are all pleasant characters, particularly her family.
I was satisfied with the ending, the book had that special touch of fantasy that made it memorable and I liked that it spotlighted selkie folklore. It’s just a shame that the central relationship didn’t click and felt weak to me. Even the promise of the future feels odd like things are all but decided but Morgan hasn’t had the chance to really grow up, to live, and to explore. It just felt like an odd choice that didn’t work for me.
Quote
“I’m always myself, no matter what skin I wear. But you… The girl I saved from the water was different from the girl with her friends. You’re the true shapeshifter.”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Molly Knox Ostertag
Molly Ostertag is an Igntaz- and Prism-Award winning graphic novelist, 30 Under 30 Forbes scholar, and a writer for children’s TV animation. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she writes for animation. Notably, she wrote the GLAAD-nominated and Peabody Award Winning episode Enchanting Grom Fright for the Owl House.
Her middle-grade graphic novel debut, The Witch Boy, came out in 2017 from Scholastic, and is being adapted into a feature film by Netflix. It’s followed by the sequel The Hidden Witch in 2018 and NY Times bestseller The Midwinter Witch in 2019. Her latest book, The Girl From The Sea, debuted as a #1 YA Bestseller on June 1, 2021. She is currently serializing a new YA graphic novel, Darkest Night, on her newsletter.
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