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bookofcinz's review against another edition
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.
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.
microhierax's review against another edition
5.0
I WROTE OUT A WHOLE REVIEW AND THEN ACCIDENTALLY SWIPED OUT AND LOST IT … sigh. oh well. attempt #2, here we go!
i was about halfway through this book when i went WOW, i definitely have to give this book a five star review. Josephine Against The Sea was a deeply enjoyable read, and i can’t wait to recommend it to others! i’ve always been a fan of this genre, but this story in particular stuck out to me in a way not many do. characters, plot, and fantastic writing kept me hooked from beginning to end.
josephine was such a lovely protagonist, her and her antics amused and entertained me throughout my read. she has such a bold, fun personality; she’s sporty and spunky and also loves her daddy (and playing cricket) quite a lot. the whole cast of this book was so interesting and cool; including superstitious old miss mo and casper, the quiet yet hilariously smart and entertaining ahkai (i remember having to stop for a second when he was introduced because i was so excited to see an autistic character!), the sweet miss alleyne, josephine’s fisherman daddy, even our fantastic fishy antagonist mariss.
i’d never read about carribean mythology prior to this book, and now i definitely plan to do some reading on the internet about it after this! all the myths and legends mentioned in this were super interesting to me.
i’d love to ramble on for ages about how much i loved this book, but alas, it is getting late for me. Josephine Against the Sea was an amazing book and incredibly fun read- i’ve declared it as a must read for any fans of fiction or fantasy, regardless of whether you’re 12 or 50. i can’t WAIT to read more of shakirah bourne’s writing in the future.
i was about halfway through this book when i went WOW, i definitely have to give this book a five star review. Josephine Against The Sea was a deeply enjoyable read, and i can’t wait to recommend it to others! i’ve always been a fan of this genre, but this story in particular stuck out to me in a way not many do. characters, plot, and fantastic writing kept me hooked from beginning to end.
josephine was such a lovely protagonist, her and her antics amused and entertained me throughout my read. she has such a bold, fun personality; she’s sporty and spunky and also loves her daddy (and playing cricket) quite a lot. the whole cast of this book was so interesting and cool; including superstitious old miss mo and casper, the quiet yet hilariously smart and entertaining ahkai (i remember having to stop for a second when he was introduced because i was so excited to see an autistic character!), the sweet miss alleyne, josephine’s fisherman daddy, even our fantastic fishy antagonist mariss.
i’d never read about carribean mythology prior to this book, and now i definitely plan to do some reading on the internet about it after this! all the myths and legends mentioned in this were super interesting to me.
i’d love to ramble on for ages about how much i loved this book, but alas, it is getting late for me. Josephine Against the Sea was an amazing book and incredibly fun read- i’ve declared it as a must read for any fans of fiction or fantasy, regardless of whether you’re 12 or 50. i can’t WAIT to read more of shakirah bourne’s writing in the future.
mstolz's review against another edition
3.0
Fantasy, starts slow, but once get in the middle the action and the edge of your seat action begins. Great for young readers and adults that like action packed fantasy.
starfish912's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
3.25
lilacs4b's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
carmenhartjensen's review against another edition
3.0
It took me about a third of the book to get into this one but I was glad I stuck with it.
lala_tour's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
lavendermarch's review against another edition
4.0
This was a quick, entertaining read in a vibrant, new-to-me setting with likable characters and a fun story. The writing was engaging and descriptive and the fantasy/fairytale (or horror?) aspect of the story was exciting and a bit scary towards the end, not going to lie. I don't like snakes! Anyway, I'd definitely recommend this one. It made for a nice escapist library read and had nice messaging about grieving and growing up. 4 stars.
maycho's review against another edition
3.0
A fun little book, with pages of mischief and magic set against the backbones of Carribean folklore.
Very on the fence about this one because while I enjoyed all the separate components of the book – the exploration of grief, parenting, cricket, sea monsters, the Carribean, mischief – I felt that Bourne wasn't able to fully meld these elements into one coherent, seamless story. Very disjointed pacing which was distracting and not v emotionally fulfilling because of it.
Very on the fence about this one because while I enjoyed all the separate components of the book – the exploration of grief, parenting, cricket, sea monsters, the Carribean, mischief – I felt that Bourne wasn't able to fully meld these elements into one coherent, seamless story. Very disjointed pacing which was distracting and not v emotionally fulfilling because of it.
curlyheadedone's review against another edition
4.0
Josephine loves her Daddy more than she loves playing cricket. So when her daddy brings home a new girlfriend it’s Josephine’s mission to scare them away. That all changes when her Daddy meets Mariss. Josephine soon learns that Mariss isn’t going anywhere. Something isn’t right with her Daddy’s new girlfriend and Josephine soon learns that Mariss might not even been human.
This book was so much fun to read! I love Josephine and her spunky mischievous self. I love that she plays cricket. It’s a sport I don’t know much about but I felt like I learned a lot about it because of this story. I loved Josephine’s friendship with Ahkai and how she accepted him for who he is…even though he’s a little different. I just loved the story and how as a reader I learned more about the culture in Barbados and mythology.
This book reminded me a lot of The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste. Which also features a spunky main character who gets into a little bit of trouble with a mystical creatures. I think Josephine and Corinne would 100% be friends.
Josephine Against the Sea is a book that is full of friendship, love, adventure and plenty of magic and any kid or adult will absolutely love this story!
Thank you to the publisher and Books Forwards PR for sending me a copy of this book!
I received an advance readers copy in exchange for a honest review.
This book was so much fun to read! I love Josephine and her spunky mischievous self. I love that she plays cricket. It’s a sport I don’t know much about but I felt like I learned a lot about it because of this story. I loved Josephine’s friendship with Ahkai and how she accepted him for who he is…even though he’s a little different. I just loved the story and how as a reader I learned more about the culture in Barbados and mythology.
This book reminded me a lot of The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste. Which also features a spunky main character who gets into a little bit of trouble with a mystical creatures. I think Josephine and Corinne would 100% be friends.
Josephine Against the Sea is a book that is full of friendship, love, adventure and plenty of magic and any kid or adult will absolutely love this story!
Thank you to the publisher and Books Forwards PR for sending me a copy of this book!
I received an advance readers copy in exchange for a honest review.