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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Since hearing the Ballad this is drawn from sung by a folk singer friend way back in about 2003, I’ve wanted to hear more about the myth of the selkies. Consider my curiosity sated, this was brilliant. I plan on lending it around to folk singer friends too.
I lapped this book upppp omg
Written so beautifully and the illustrations just added the best touch to the book. The read was soooo enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone!!
Most likely set in the Islands of Scotland (already a bonus for meeee) , the nuanced twist of lore was so well done. I wasn't particularly familiar with the legend of selkies and not overly familiar with the Child Ballads but I'm glad I didn't as everything came as a surprise. Such a page-turner that I read so quickly!!
Taking off a star because I perhaps didn't see as much character development or depth for others. It personally made me see the situation in a very black and white way. Perhaps with a bit more attention to that I would have found more grey areas?? But I genuinely loved this so much and do see myself going back through it at some point!!
Written so beautifully and the illustrations just added the best touch to the book. The read was soooo enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone!!
Most likely set in the Islands of Scotland (already a bonus for meeee) , the nuanced twist of lore was so well done. I wasn't particularly familiar with the legend of selkies and not overly familiar with the Child Ballads but I'm glad I didn't as everything came as a surprise. Such a page-turner that I read so quickly!!
Taking off a star because I perhaps didn't see as much character development or depth for others. It personally made me see the situation in a very black and white way. Perhaps with a bit more attention to that I would have found more grey areas?? But I genuinely loved this so much and do see myself going back through it at some point!!
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Harris's tale of the Selkie has the descriptive beauty of her novel writing. The tale is haunting and it reads like a familiar fairy tale.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
i dont consider this a happy ending. i actually dont like the ending at all. i hate that the selkie is trapped with the folk forever. i hate that flora gets to have both her husband and her daughter, despite the fact she basically kidnapped him and was awful to him when he was alone and confused. i hate that the selkie never gets to go home, to see his mother, meet his friends. i think its absolutely fucking tragic to end that way. the writing was beautiful and i loved every aspect of the book until the end. but just because it wasnt my preferred ending, it doesnt mean its not an amazing read. because it is. i just wish for more justice for the selkie, who was the main victim in this. while yes, he wouldnt have been faithful and would have left - that’s the way of his people and he made no promises. flora took away his choice, his family, his home. and he never gets that back. his only solace is his daughter, who he gets to see only every other year. i fell so heart broken for the selkie, and i wish there was some justice for him like there was for the traveller in “pocket full of crows”. but i suppose folk tales rarely end happy, and selkie stories almost always end in tragedy. its very on brand for a selkie story i suppose.
I’ve been waiting for a good selkie retelling and this is it. It’s told in what I would call a fairytale style and the layers of the story are lovely though not totally unexpected. A quick and beautiful read.
This ended up being a much better read than I was expecting it to be!
I currently work at my local public library and, therefore, see and handle hundreds of books every week. Many don't overly appeal to me, but when this beautiful book passed through my hands, it caught my attention. Its cover is foiled and dustjacket-less, and the title instantly intrigued me too. So much so that I did something I very rarely do - I decided to read this book without really knowing anything about it. I merely skimmed the brief summary on the back before checking it out and taking it home with me. I started reading it that night, and though it took me a few pages to get used to the writing style and story, I was soon hooked and fully immersed within the intriguing world and mystery of the plot.
Thoughts:
1. This book is quite short and it's made an even quicker read by the fact that it's split into parts, which are then further split into several short chapters. I basically read it in two sittings and never found myself bored or wanting to put the book down. Joanne's writing is quite beautiful at times, but it's also fairly easy to read as well. All of this made for a super-fast reading experience, which I always find very satisfying.
2. The plot was both extremely interesting and entertaining for me. I always enjoy reading fairytales, but this one had a dark whimsy and mystery to it that had me particularly enthralled the entire way through. I thoroughly enjoyed where the story ended up and I didn't completely guess where it was going either, which I appreciated.
3. The characters didn't overly stand out to me, and I wouldn't say I overly liked any of them either. This definitely isn't a character-driven story. Joanne tended to focus on the plot and environment more than the characters themselves. We didn't learn all that much about any of them or dive overly deeply into any of their thought processes. I did enjoy the generational and familial aspects of the story though.
4. I can't not mention the absolutely gorgeous cover design, and the interior illustrations and endpapers! They really added to the story and helped me picture certain characters or scenes better. I'll definitely be checking out more of Bonnie Helen Hawkins work in the near future, as I adore her art style and the detail she puts into her drawings. <3
5. One final, small comment: This book reminded me both of how much I love animals (particularly sea life) and nature, and how devastating and cruel it is when any of that precious flora and fauna is destroyed or marred. Particularly when it's done purposefully, by us selfish humans. It honestly breaks my heart to think of how much damage we've done to this beautiful planet we live on, and I'm glad we're finally starting to try to make amends for all the damage that's been done over the last century or two. Whaling is a barbaric practice and I know I'm not the only one who's beyond happy that it's no longer a common occurrence in our modern society. <333Whales!
I currently work at my local public library and, therefore, see and handle hundreds of books every week. Many don't overly appeal to me, but when this beautiful book passed through my hands, it caught my attention. Its cover is foiled and dustjacket-less, and the title instantly intrigued me too. So much so that I did something I very rarely do - I decided to read this book without really knowing anything about it. I merely skimmed the brief summary on the back before checking it out and taking it home with me. I started reading it that night, and though it took me a few pages to get used to the writing style and story, I was soon hooked and fully immersed within the intriguing world and mystery of the plot.
Thoughts:
1. This book is quite short and it's made an even quicker read by the fact that it's split into parts, which are then further split into several short chapters. I basically read it in two sittings and never found myself bored or wanting to put the book down. Joanne's writing is quite beautiful at times, but it's also fairly easy to read as well. All of this made for a super-fast reading experience, which I always find very satisfying.
2. The plot was both extremely interesting and entertaining for me. I always enjoy reading fairytales, but this one had a dark whimsy and mystery to it that had me particularly enthralled the entire way through. I thoroughly enjoyed where the story ended up and I didn't completely guess where it was going either, which I appreciated.
3. The characters didn't overly stand out to me, and I wouldn't say I overly liked any of them either. This definitely isn't a character-driven story. Joanne tended to focus on the plot and environment more than the characters themselves. We didn't learn all that much about any of them or dive overly deeply into any of their thought processes. I did enjoy the generational and familial aspects of the story though.
4. I can't not mention the absolutely gorgeous cover design, and the interior illustrations and endpapers! They really added to the story and helped me picture certain characters or scenes better. I'll definitely be checking out more of Bonnie Helen Hawkins work in the near future, as I adore her art style and the detail she puts into her drawings. <3
5. One final, small comment: This book reminded me both of how much I love animals (particularly sea life) and nature, and how devastating and cruel it is when any of that precious flora and fauna is destroyed or marred. Particularly when it's done purposefully, by us selfish humans. It honestly breaks my heart to think of how much damage we've done to this beautiful planet we live on, and I'm glad we're finally starting to try to make amends for all the damage that's been done over the last century or two. Whaling is a barbaric practice and I know I'm not the only one who's beyond happy that it's no longer a common occurrence in our modern society. <333Whales!
This reads like a classic fairy tale. A seal creature visits the land as a man, meets a girl, gets her pregnant, she erases his memory and forces him to marry her. I enjoyed the first half more than the second. Once the main character knew something was up and tried to become his old self again, I kind of lost interest.