AWESOME COMPANION NOVEL! ~ The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

TITLE: The Girl the Sea Gave Back
AUTHOR: Adrienne Young

RELEASED: September 3, 2019
PUBLISHER: Wednesday Books
FORMAT: eBook [AD]

GENRE: YA Fantasy, Historical Fiction
GOODREADS RATING: 3.71

TRIGGERS: Child death (start of book), murder
REPS: 

SYNOPSIS
For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.

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As you might’ve seen, I posted my review for Sky in the Deep the day before yesterday. So, what better review to follow up with then its companion novel – The Girl the Sea Gave Back? Right! Nothing better than that! Especially since I know you guys are eager to read more reviews before deciding to definitely buy both the books if you haven’t yet, haha! WARNING though: This review and book contain spoilers for Sky in the Deep!

Once again, I loved the writing and the setting. This book is set in the same world as Sky in the Deep but with more world-building. Or, better put, a “bigger” world and different settings! It added a lot to my reading experience since I already knew the world, was already familiar with it. That way Adrienne was able to put more depth into everything and go further than she had in the previous book. [Although it’s a companion novel, I still recommend reading Sky in the Deep first since The Girl the Sea Gave Back contains spoilers! It’s set ten years after the events in Sky in the Deep so.. yeah.]

It didn’t matter what the stones said. Nothing was sure until death came.

I absolutely loved the cast of characters Adrienne chose for this book. One of the main characters is one I was curious about at the ending of Sky in the Deep so I was very, very excited when I found out they’d be featured in this book. I just had to know how they turned out and what happened in their life afterwards! I also loved the presence – although sporadically – of other known and loved characters.

Although I do have some issues with this book – more about it in the next part of my review – I still liked the ending because it.. weirdly left me with questions and I didn’t mind? Not my usual thing, but apparantly it can be a thing of mine? Mindblowing, I know!

War is easy. It comes again and again, like waves to a shore.

An issue I had with this book, that I hadn’t with Sky in the Deep, is definitely predictability. There weren’t any twists or turns I didn’t see coming a mile off. There were one or two exceptions with smaller twists, but.. it’s the big ones I like being surprised with. It all felt a bit too.. easy, I guess?

He knew that I’d bring death since the moment he first laid eyes on me. And he was right.

And the main character, Tova.. Unfortunately I didn’t like her all that much and I think it’s due to her character not being as firm and fleshed-out as I expected and wanted it to be. I often felt like she did things out of character. Can you imagine not having murdered anyone before and then going on a full-on killing spree? Yeah, me neither.

I liked Sky in the Deep better, that’s for sure. But I didn’t dislike this one? I just didn’t overly love it either and since I gave the first one four cupcakes, I can’t give this one equally as much, right? In any case, the ending left me with some questions and I’m eager to.. find out more? I’d definitely read a third book if there’s one coming! No doubt about it!

After having read both my reviews on Adrienne Young’s books, would you read one of them? Both of them? Why would you? Or wouldn’t you?
I want to know!

Quotes used in this review were found in an unfinished copy and might differ from the finished copy.

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