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karen_hallam's review against another edition
4.0
Sixteen-year-old, Skylar Rousseau walks up the beach and into school like nothing’s happened. When everyone jumps out of his or her skins upon seeing her—because they watched her pulled limp out of the ocean, and buried in the ground, three months ago. She thinks they’re nuts. Sky was just with her two besties, Bo and Cam, the last she remembers. But piece-by-piece, people she doesn’t know, and places she’s never been, creep in until she, too, begins to wonder where she was.
The start of this book begins with a spirited weathervane with a view, and a voice, lulling you into the world that is Blackfin, a town where everyone is a little different, or flat out strange. As pieces of the last three months return to Sky, she wrestles with her part in it. Where did she go the night of her birthday after she ran from Sean’s kiss?
Sky begins to tie things together after a trip to a big top circus, which in present day has burned to the ground. Clues surface, about her family, and about herself. About her talents, and how she can move through timelines. She winds up meeting her real father, and discovers where her gift as a Pathfinder came from. But she’s not safe. There are those from that past who want to destroy Sky and her family.
I really enjoyed the pace of this book, the twists, and the characters, the mysterious tone, and visual detail, and hey—a creepy circus. I cannot resist a freaky-creepy circus.
I can’t go on too, much more, or I’ll kill the suspense. I enjoyed Kat Ellis’ writing style very much. It’s riveting till the end of the last paragraph. My only regret is I didn’t finish this as quickly as I could have–because of “life”. There were a few things I wanted explained, or drawn out, but I suspect Skylar Rousseau has more to tell us. Or at least, I think those around her have big secrets to share. I do hope there’s another book about Blackfin in the works.
Overall, this is my kind of sordid, twisty tale, with a bit of magic, mystery, and a lot of timeline jumping. It was a heck of a lot of fun to read. Good work, Kat. Plus, I particularly enjoyed the fact that the MC has my very same birthday.
The start of this book begins with a spirited weathervane with a view, and a voice, lulling you into the world that is Blackfin, a town where everyone is a little different, or flat out strange. As pieces of the last three months return to Sky, she wrestles with her part in it. Where did she go the night of her birthday after she ran from Sean’s kiss?
Sky begins to tie things together after a trip to a big top circus, which in present day has burned to the ground. Clues surface, about her family, and about herself. About her talents, and how she can move through timelines. She winds up meeting her real father, and discovers where her gift as a Pathfinder came from. But she’s not safe. There are those from that past who want to destroy Sky and her family.
I really enjoyed the pace of this book, the twists, and the characters, the mysterious tone, and visual detail, and hey—a creepy circus. I cannot resist a freaky-creepy circus.
I can’t go on too, much more, or I’ll kill the suspense. I enjoyed Kat Ellis’ writing style very much. It’s riveting till the end of the last paragraph. My only regret is I didn’t finish this as quickly as I could have–because of “life”. There were a few things I wanted explained, or drawn out, but I suspect Skylar Rousseau has more to tell us. Or at least, I think those around her have big secrets to share. I do hope there’s another book about Blackfin in the works.
Overall, this is my kind of sordid, twisty tale, with a bit of magic, mystery, and a lot of timeline jumping. It was a heck of a lot of fun to read. Good work, Kat. Plus, I particularly enjoyed the fact that the MC has my very same birthday.
jeslyncat's review against another edition
5.0
I won this book from the author, and I loved it. Original, fun, and exciting.
pantsreads's review against another edition
4.0
halcyon_rising's review against another edition
5.0
Blackfin Sky is the first and only book I read of Kat Ellis, and yes, I’m ashamed of that.
michellesantiago's review against another edition
5.0
More like 4.5/5 stars.
I loved this one! The beginning was a bit slow and some parts were somewhat confusing but I really, thoroughly enjoyed it. There were flashes of The Night Circus , so the publisher was spot on comparing the two. It was whimsical, twisty and unpredictable.
I didn't quite know where it was going to go and I liked that. The mystery of Sky's death really had me going trying to figure it out along with her.
There was element in it was was not expecting at all--I didn't know it was a time-travel book and I was pleasantly surprise to find that was.
I enjoyed the characters. Sky was fantastic. I love her dad. I really like Sean--he's the kind of love interest you want by your side when fighting with a baddie. I liked that it was in 3rd person POV--it was refreshing in that sense.
The writing and the whimsy put in me in mind of Sarah Beth Durst's novels. Highly recommended.
Full review to come.
I loved this one! The beginning was a bit slow and some parts were somewhat confusing but I really, thoroughly enjoyed it. There were flashes of The Night Circus , so the publisher was spot on comparing the two. It was whimsical, twisty and unpredictable.
I didn't quite know where it was going to go and I liked that. The mystery of Sky's death really had me going trying to figure it out along with her.
There was element in it was was not expecting at all--I didn't know it was a time-travel book and I was pleasantly surprise to find that was.
I enjoyed the characters. Sky was fantastic. I love her dad. I really like Sean--he's the kind of love interest you want by your side when fighting with a baddie. I liked that it was in 3rd person POV--it was refreshing in that sense.
The writing and the whimsy put in me in mind of Sarah Beth Durst's novels. Highly recommended.
Full review to come.
laurisshnazzy's review against another edition
3.0
It took me about 180 pages to get into Blackfin Sky. While I realize the main character is a high school-aged girl, I wasn't expecting the narration to be quite so juvenile as well. It made it difficult for me to relate to the characters. I also felt like the author felt the need to explain every major clue to her audience, which broke away from the flow. The plot was engaging, and the last hundred pages were really fast-paced and interesting (although the final dramatic scene felt a little rushed). The prologue and epilogue from Silas' perspective didn't really add anything to the story. Overall, solid 3/5 because it was entertaining but not excellent.
missprint_'s review against another edition
5.0
"You can't be remarkable without being remarked upon."
Three months ago, on the night of her sixteenth birthday, Skylar Rousseau fell from the pier and drowned in Blackfin.
But she also didn't.
Three months later, Sky mysteriously returns to Blackfin with no memory of having died. Someone was pulled from the water. Someone was buried. No one, least of all Sky, is sure how that someone is not her.
No one knows exactly what happened to Sky and no one except Sean, her friend and long-time crush, wants to help her find answers. When impossibly real dreams begin to draw Sky to a strange circus in the woods, Sky knows the truth must be lurking there too.
Secrets are buried and waiting to be uncovered in the strange town of Blackfin including truths about Sky and her past that could change everything in Blackfin Sky (2014) by Kat Ellis.
Blackfin Sky is Ellis' first novel.
Blackfin is a strange town where the weather vane follows people instead of the breeze and church bells chime every hour even though the town has no church. Strange things are always happening in Blackfin. But a girl has never died and returned. Even in Blackfin.
Blackfin Sky begins with this impossible premise and strings it along into a well-realized fantasy filled with marvelously quirky things and not a fair bit of wonder. Sky's understanding of her place in Blackfin begins to expand and change after her death when she finally realizes she might be more than a fascinating outsider to Blackfin's locals.
Ellis populates this novel with a myriad cast of well-realized characters including supportive parents for Sky and an admirable sidekick in Sean. Excellent pacing and an action-packed plot move this story from one revelation to the next as Sky begins to uncover long-hidden secrets and learn more about her mysterious death.
Blackfin Sky offers the perfect blend of mystery and the supernatural (with just a bit of humor and romance) to create a story that is as satisfying as it is entertaining. Readers can only hope that Ellis will return to Sky and Blackfin in future novels.
Possible Pairings: Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby, Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough, The Boneshaker by Kate Milford, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, The Archived by Victoria Schwab, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
Three months ago, on the night of her sixteenth birthday, Skylar Rousseau fell from the pier and drowned in Blackfin.
But she also didn't.
Three months later, Sky mysteriously returns to Blackfin with no memory of having died. Someone was pulled from the water. Someone was buried. No one, least of all Sky, is sure how that someone is not her.
No one knows exactly what happened to Sky and no one except Sean, her friend and long-time crush, wants to help her find answers. When impossibly real dreams begin to draw Sky to a strange circus in the woods, Sky knows the truth must be lurking there too.
Secrets are buried and waiting to be uncovered in the strange town of Blackfin including truths about Sky and her past that could change everything in Blackfin Sky (2014) by Kat Ellis.
Blackfin Sky is Ellis' first novel.
Blackfin is a strange town where the weather vane follows people instead of the breeze and church bells chime every hour even though the town has no church. Strange things are always happening in Blackfin. But a girl has never died and returned. Even in Blackfin.
Blackfin Sky begins with this impossible premise and strings it along into a well-realized fantasy filled with marvelously quirky things and not a fair bit of wonder. Sky's understanding of her place in Blackfin begins to expand and change after her death when she finally realizes she might be more than a fascinating outsider to Blackfin's locals.
Ellis populates this novel with a myriad cast of well-realized characters including supportive parents for Sky and an admirable sidekick in Sean. Excellent pacing and an action-packed plot move this story from one revelation to the next as Sky begins to uncover long-hidden secrets and learn more about her mysterious death.
Blackfin Sky offers the perfect blend of mystery and the supernatural (with just a bit of humor and romance) to create a story that is as satisfying as it is entertaining. Readers can only hope that Ellis will return to Sky and Blackfin in future novels.
Possible Pairings: Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby, Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough, The Boneshaker by Kate Milford, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, The Archived by Victoria Schwab, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
lunaabernathy's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
meallenreads's review against another edition
3.0
Titular character, Skylar, is a girl who seems to draw the attention of others quite accidentally. This propensity is multiplied 10-fold when the young woman, seemingly, returns from the dead. The problem is that Skylar doesn't actually remember being dead. In fact, she remembers life going on as it always has. This mystery--set in the odd and quirky town of Blackfin--is a fun and fast read. The plot is a bit predictable and the "big reveal" wasn't a very big surprise. However, Skylar's character is well-written and strong-willed which is a definite plus for a YA, female protagonist.
rosyhale's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0