Reviews

This was such a gripping, bingeable read full of strong, witty narration in an immersive Bajan setting! The culture is vividly depicted, through language (English and Bajan creole), delicious sounding-food (I started looking up cou-cou and flying fish recipes partway into the book!), lifeways and of course, the fascinating folklore. It was also cool to see how Bajan food and geography are similar/different to Guyana where Josephine's dad was raised.

This was a lot more tense/scary than I expected - though I am also listening to a horror audiobook, which might have something to do with it - and the way that the antagonist transitions from annoying to subtly menacing to flat-out terrifying is very impressive. There are numerous magical and folkloric elements/references that pop up, and I really enjoyed how seamlessly the fantasy starts soaking into the contemporary more and more. This book had a great array of emotions - at some points I laughed out loud, other times pressed my hand to my aching heart and still other times wanted to swear at my Kindle. There are some serious topics (e.g. grief, sexism, attempted murder to name a few) but overall this book was so heartwarming and uplifting.

bts jungkook smiling
Softly smiling with hands on cheeks

I loved the characters; they felt so real and distinct, especially Josephine and I really enjoyed watching her arc develop. Both Josephine and her father must come to terms with the devastating loss of her mother, the fear of getting hurt and it was really satisfying to see how their arcs parallel each other sometimes. The side characters all had clear voices and personalities too, with standout figures being Josephine's best friend Akhai, his mother Miss Mo, their teacher Miss Alleyne (gosh I loved her so much) and the librarian Mrs Edgecombe, whose reading style I can totally relate to! There is casual diversity too: Josephine's dad has a bad knee, her cricket coach is fat (and not written to diminish his athletic capability) and her best friend Akhai is autistic. Even the antagonist turned out pretty complex too.

"Every coin has two sides! Like all powerful creatures, they are as dangerous as they are generous."

That said, I did get a little confused as to their motives near the end...I can't specify for spoilery reasons but I would have loved to get a little more closure on that.

Overall an excellent contemporary fantasy - my first introduction to Caribbean folklore and Bourne's work, and certainly won't be my last!

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours, Shakirah Bourne and Edelweiss for an ARC for an honest review.

after_hours_reader's review

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

dominicangirl's review

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lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

kalaha1's review

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adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

ngreader's review

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4.0

4.5 stars
An absolute BANGER of a book! I loved the exploration of different cultural folklore as well as the exploration of grief over the loss of a parent and how all the members of a family react to it. Love, love, LOVED this book!

Spoiler

contains mentions of magic and adults kissing

callme_tippy's review

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this!
Such a cute read with great themes about loss, grief, and healing while still being uplifting and funny!

mrs_bookdragon's review

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5.0

Wow! I DEVOURED this book! Thank you to Scholastic and Shakirah for sharing this middle grade fantasy with the LitReviewCrew. Of course, I was immediately drawn to the cover-the vibrant colors, the beautiful and fierce black girl, the hidden face in the sea foam. But the words were even more captivating! Folklore, mermaids, themes of finding yourself, acceptance, and grief. I had so many emotions the entire time and that ENDING WAS SUSPENSEFUL! I could not put this book down and recommend to all readers, especially those who love a good dark fantasy.

I hope you love it too!

bookofcinz's review

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4.0

A thoroughly enjoyable read that I wanted way more of, what an amazing read!

In Josephine Against The Sea we are transported to Barbados and we meet eleven-year-old Josephine who lives with her father who is a fisherman. Since the death of her mother its just been Josephine and her Dad… yes, there’s been women who want to date her dad…but Josephine manage to nudge them along. Josephine’s seem to be no match for Mariss… she will not leave and something is “off” about her.

Get ready for adventure, for laughter and super cute moments that will melt your heart. This book is perfect for middle graders and adults alike. I read it and was blown away by the writing and how the writer pulls you in and teaches you about Barbados’s culture, history and mythology.

It perfectly captures Father-Daughter relationship, we don't see a lot of that and I wanted more. It is truly a beautiful read.

I want more people reading this beautiful book.

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