Name: Rica Lelina's review of The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young
Item: The Girl the Sea Gave Back
Rating: 3.5
Author: Rica Lelina

Adrienne Young

From Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep, comes her new gut-wrenching epic The Girl the Sea Gave Back. 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.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back

Valora

From Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep, comes her new gut-wrenching epic The Girl the Sea Gave Back. 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.

A Novel

Rica Lelina

Macy Johnson

This book interested me because it sounded like a cool premise and the cover was simply gorgeous. The beginning was intriguing, but I quickly found myself losing interest, although some of the themes were cool. I didn't hate this book, but it lacked substance and depth within the plot even though some of the writing was very nice. And the ending was not at all clean either. It wasn't a satisfying finish. 

Overall, I think it was a nicely imagined book but the reality didn't satisfy. I was disappointed.

Sophia Taylor

I liked that this was a continuation of her first book but the focus was on other characters, but unfortunately I just wasn't a huge fan of it overall. I wasn't really invested and I didn't really care much for the characters. The ending also felt pretty rushed but long at the same time, and I didn't really buy into the romance at all.

Thank you to Wednesday books for providing the arc of this book! Absolutely wonderful! Adrienne Young’s historical details are amazing. I love how she connects myths with her stories. Bad ass character as always. Looking forward to more of her books! It was great to see a little bit more of sky in the deep with this companion novel!

Sheena

Let's be honest, I was pretty much conflicted on how to rate this rate. It was good enough to be rated over 3 stars but not enough to be 3.5 in which case I would normally round up but it was pretty much borderline... so 3 solid stars it is! I came into this novel not realising it was part of the series and luckily for me this novel could be considered a standalone. 1+ points there my friend. Nevertheless, one of the biggest problems I had with "The Girl the Sea Gave Back" was the pacing and the boring ass ending. The whole lead up to the climax left me with anticipation and when it finally came, I was far more than disappointed. Like what the pho (speaking of pho, I should go get some)? It should've been epic. It should've beat out everything else that happened in the book but it didn't and everything just seemed rushed, which is how you never want to end a book. Ever. Besides those negative factors, the novel was fairly enjoyable, the fight scenes were brutal and well written, and I would definitely consider reading from author again in the future.

I really love the world from Sky in the Deep and was really excited to read this book. It was interesting to see the future after Sky in the Deep, with Halverd as an adult and an independent character. Yet, I didn’t find myself as attached to the story in this sequel as in the previous book. Perhaps that is because of the slower-ish pace of this book. However, I love the 

that Young writes and so I still thoroughly enjoyed this read and would recommend it for an easy, comfort read! 

I would definitely say taking a long-ish break between the two is not recommended as I found myself having to go back to Sky in the Deep to remind myself of all the original characters given the increased age of many! 

Tace

I really love the world from Sky in the Deep and was really excited to read this book. It was interesting to see the future after Sky in the Deep, with Halverd as an adult and an independent character. Yet, I didn’t find myself as attached to the story in this sequel as in the previous book. Perhaps that is because of the slower-ish pace of this book. However, I love the way that Young writes and so I still thoroughly enjoyed this read and would recommend it for an easy, comfort read! 

I would definitely say taking a long-ish break between the two is not recommended as I found myself having to go back to Sky in the Deep to remind myself of all the original characters given the increased age of many! 

Nicole Lambert

This book confused me. Way more than it should have confused me. To the point where I didn't realize it took place in the same universe as Sky in the Deep until way, way later into the book.

And I feel like that shouldn't have happened. The styles of the books differ too much to have been put into the same universe. But by the same token everything in this book should have been expanded upon, and also maybe should have taken place in a different universe and just let Sky in the Deep belong in its own bubble.

Instead we were launched right into the heart of the book without that expansion, and for a moment I felt like Tova, drowning in a sea of unanswered questions, and not the good kind of unanswered questions.

But oh well, I suppose.

stephanie archer 

Samantha Hamburger

Disappointment has taken over when I finished this book.

I went into the "duology" without reading any reviews. So I had an open mind. I absolutely LOVED Sky In The Deep but I just really disliked this one.

My first note is that, you don't really NEED to read Sky before reading The Girl the Sea Gave Back however I do recommend it. The book takes place 5 years after Sky In The Deep and is set in the same world. Some characters from Sky are mentioned and appear but they're brief. This book has a new lead and side characters that the focused is placed on.

There is no romance and that saddens me. Its not that romance is required to make a book good, but I do enjoy a good slow burn. 

I disliked the dual perspective, it was kind of confusing at points as to who I was reading. I understand why it was written as such but I think reading from just one perspective would have been fine.

The beginning doesn't start you off with a bang like Sky. There is a good battle in the second half of the book however.

The ending happened at a halt. There definitely could have been more added to explain things because it is a bit confusing.

juliana

i won the goodreads giveaway for the girl the sea gave back and i’m so incredibly happy i did. :)

i was so excited when Adrienne first announced she was working on another book set in the world of sky in the deep. I was pleasantly surprised to have a whole new story of young Halvard but also still have appearances and mentions of Eelyn and Fiske. Tova is an amazing new character and i really enjoyed getting to know her and her journey. The world building continues from sky in the deep and was done very well. I absolutely love Adrienne’s books and am very excited to read more of her stories in the future!

Daniela Urbizo 

It was okay. The plot was interesting but I think because it’s the second book in the world that I would’ve enjoyed more if I read the first. Seemed kinda rushed at the end. All this tension was building when nothing really happened.

Sheila Goicea

See my full review along with others on my blog at foalsfictionandfiligree.com

I received an ARC of this book via Edelweiss and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!



All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication. 



Content Warning: Death, War, Murder

I’ll start this review off with saying that this won’t be supporting a popular opinion. The Girl The Sea Gave Back was such a let-down, in my opinion. While I enjoyed Young’s Sky In The Deep despite some issues that it had, this book was so dull in comparison. Everything in this book is transparent. Meaning, there is no surprise--and in my opinion, has very little purpose. 

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

The story is told through the alternating perspective of two characters, Tova and Halvard. Tova is a Truthseer, and reads stones to predict the future. She and Halvard are parts of warring clans. While Tova has an interesting backstory, her character, along with Halvard’s, were unimpressive and don’t have much emotional impact. (view spoiler)[Even the inevitable budding relationship was just flat. (hide spoiler)] The last biggest issue I had with this book was, yet again, the world building. Scenes would shift and I had absolutely no idea where I was supposed to be. Nothing was elaborated on, except for maybe the shoreline where Tova was found.

Unfortunately, that’s really all I have to say about this book. It impacted me that little that I just have nothing further to say. This is a far cry to it’s “companion” read, Sky In The Deep, even though it also had it’s issue. 

Vulgarity: None that I recall.
Sexual content: None.
Violence: Quite a bit.

My Rating: ★1/2

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Jessica Williamson

3.75

You know, they say "Comparision is the thief of joy" and it is so true for this book. Had this been the first book, I would have LOVED IT. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still really liked it, but in comparison to Sky in the Deep? It was a little lackluster. 

Let's get the most important thing out in the front here, THIS BOOKS FOLLOWS SWEET BABY HALVARD!!!! Yep, that's mainly what you need to know. Oh, and it's set 10-13 years in the future (the timeline jumps a lot giving flashbacks so I can't remember exact numbers) so our baby boy is now a man!

I really enjoyed Tova's character and getting to see bits and pieces of our friends from the first book. That was all great. The characters are really well done and I think that's definitely one of Young's strong suits. 

For me, where this one fell off track is the pacing and the plot. I felt like I was a third of the way through the book before I ever really got to a plot starting to form, but also at that point, I already had figured out how everything was going to end so??? It was just strange pacing and the plot was pretty basic. 

And you know, for a book with a lot of blood and death and fighting, the end was pretty anti-climactic. I don't feel like there were any surprises or big reveals or any "wow" moments.

That all being said, I think if you enjoyed Sky In The Deep, you'll also enjoy this one. It's not a bad book by any means, it just pales in comparison to its predecessor.

Cover - 5; Characters - 5; Pace - 3; Plot - 3; Writing - 4; Enjoyment 3.

** Side note, I did get a review ARC of this book but didn't read it until after it's release and I'd already purchased my own copy. =)

Tova lives amongst the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue, but when two neighboring clans bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

Kath Lau

The writing and setting were definitely my favorite. I wish there were more interaction between Tova and Halvard because as much as I wanted to root for them, the lack of scenes between them made the romance feel instant and force.

Samantha Seeman

I feel like I should have reread Sky in the Deep before opening this. While it isn't a sequel, this story thoroughly embeds itself within that world, and having the events of Sky in the Deep fresh in my mind may have helped in my understanding of specific things and people.
I liked it? It was extremely atmospheric as Sky in the Deep was, and the two characters at the center really interested me but I still felt like it was missing something the entire time. Like the story was not complete (especially the ending). 
Young's books take a while to get into. There are a lot of names; of gods, villages, clans and people, and they all feel like they blend together, at least in the beginning. I almost wished I had made myself a "map." Either way, I ended up enjoying it. I feel like I could read like 3 more books like this that take place in this world. All the characters are so interesting, their ties to the gods, their clan, its all very intriguing.

Emily

~ Thank you to Edelweiss and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. ~

The hailstorm never left the earth unbruised even if it did bring water to a thirsty land.

This book was far from perfect, but the beautiful writing within saved it from being a complete mess. The story itself was somewhat basic, but the way the author fleshed out the characters and their values is what made it interesting. As someone who hates studying history, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was fascinated with the differing cultures of the viking tribes. If each culture had not been written with so much detail and consistency, this aspect, the strongest of the book, would have been lost. This alone is what got the book 4 stars from me. 

While the rich culture and characters were huge positives of the book, the rest was either unimpressive or lacking. The plot was plain, the romance was dry and rushed, and the pacing was very uneven. Then why, you might ask, am I giving this book 4 stars? I am giving this book 4 stars because it was incredibly well-written and, for the most part, it kept me engaged. Was I surprised by anything that happened? No. Did I still enjoy it? Yes. 

Overall, I was happy to be back in the world of Sky In the Deep, and I'm excited to see what Adrienne Young will bring to the table in the future.

Alexis 

I feel bad because I honestly couldn't even tell you what this book was about. I for whatever reason was just not into this book. I didn't connect or care about the characters. I really enjoyed her Adrienne young's first book, this just wasn't for me. It's all just personal, however, I can see why people would enjoy this book. If anything I say at least give it a try.

Alexia Cambaling

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley!

I haven’t read the author’s previous book set in the same world- Sky in the Deep- but this book can be read as a standalone and I did not feel lost at any point reading this book. I don’t think it’s necessary to read it in order to enjoy this book but it seemed to be well-received so I will be checking it out at some point.

The Girl The Sea Gave Back is a solid book and I did like it well enough. I didn’t love it but it was a good book for nights when I’m unable to sleep and only a book can help. I finished it in around four hours of reading in bed. It’s fast-paced and action-packed so it makes for a pretty quick read. It’s also well-written- especially the many fight scenes in this book.

The main character, Tova isn’t really a fighter herself, which I appreciated. She’s more of a soothsayer or a Truthtongue who sees the threads of fate and from there, tell the future. She lives among a tribe called the Svell where she doesn’t really fit in because of her markings which mark her as one of the Kyrr, a mysterious tribe who never leave their lands. This makes her alienated and hated, especially when she cast stones predicting terrible things happening to the tribe.

So this book had a lot of good ideas and both Tova and Halvard had interesting backstories. Unfortunately, it falls flat in its character development and world-building. The world felt like a backdrop for the characters, instead of a living, breathing world. It’s not very well-developed in this book and I wanted to know more about the kind of world that this characters inhabit, instead of it being a setpiece.

As for the characters, a lot of them were very one-dimensional and not very interesting. The build-up to Tova and Halvard meeting and maybe having this budding relationship wasn’t very convincing and just made me roll my eyes. Fate here was used like a deus ex machina and it made for a terribly predictable plot. Normally, predictability isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but in a book where everything seemed to be predictable, it could use a twist to shake it up.

Overall, I wasn’t very impressed with The Girl The Sea Gave Back. I was a little disappointed because the gorgeous cover and the description did make me feel hyped, only to find it didn’t live up to my expectations.

Anya Poppy Hartwig

In my opinion this book was not as enjoyable as “Sky in the deep”, and I found it difficult to keep reading. I did not finish it because I thought I was wasting my time rereading the same line when I could be reading something I was more interested in. 

Megan Leprich

*Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the complimentary copy for my honest review*

This was my first book by Adrienne Young and I was glad to know I didn't have to read Sky In The Deep before diving into this one. The writing style was good, the world-building was great, but I just felt like I was constantly waiting for something, anything to happen. It basically is all tied up until the ending which is great in some books but I didn't enjoy it in this one.

Taylor McNeely

When I started reading this book, I kept having to go back to the synopsis of Sky in the Deep because I read it so long ago and I couldn’t remember the characters they were mentioning in this book. Once I got passed that point though, I loved all the action and family love happening 10 years after the first book occurred. 
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I loved Tova and how even though she was treated poorly and knew she was just being used by her village, she did whatever she could to survive. Also, when she found out she caused something horrific to happen, she did whatever she could do to fix her mistake even if that meant joining the people she learned her whole life was the enemy. I really liked that Halvard was the other main character because I loved him in Sky in the Deep even though he had a small part. I’m glad we got to see how he grew up and what a great leader he became. 
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I love Young’s work, because I’m the kind of person if I think there’s a romance and the book doesn’t show enough of it, I don’t like it as much. I thought it was weird that Tova and Halvard didn’t technically really talk to each other until the end of the book, but Young did a good job of showing how they can still care for each other even though they never really “met”. I was actually okay that the romance wasn’t as prominent since the action and chaos kept me so enthralled that it distracted me throughout the book.

Heather

2,5 stars 

I need more !!! 
A bit disappointed by this installment as I could feel the potential of Harvard and Tova storie, but it felt rushed and lacking of hundred more pages.

Firstly, I did not enjoyed the repetition of scene from both character POV. It made most chapter beginnings tedious and boring.

The plot was much predictable, missing some depths.

Secondly, I couldn’t buy the romance. Nothing happens between Harvard and Tova for the majority of the book to justify their feelings for each other. Finally, when they are in the same camp, their affinity is resumed to tingles and visions. It feel like such a let down compared to the romance development made in  Sky in the deep, never going farther than chaste kisses.

Overall, disappointment but looking forward to future  Adrienne Young  books as she possesses talent to create strong , attaching characters and great atmosphere.

K.J. Haakenson

This was absolutely atmospheric and beautiful. Much more thoughtful than Sky in the Deep but just as stunning. I absolutely adored seeing Halvard all grown up and Tova was just wonderful. Do yourself a favor and pickup up the paperback copy so you can read the bonus chapter because ahhhhhh so perfect 😭❤️

Jolie

I was excited to read The Girl the Sea Gave Back. Every review I read about this book painted it as a fantastic read. So, I went into this book with high expectations. I am happy to say that The Girl the Sea Gave Back lived up to those expectations. It was a fantastic read!!

The plotline for The Girl the Sea Gave Back was interesting. Tova was found in the wreckage of a funeral boat by a Svell holy man. Recognized as a Truthtongue by she is taken to the nearby Svell village. There, she is used to read runes for the leader of the Svell. Things change for her when two rival clans merge into one. Forced to read the runes, what Tova sees will change her life. People will die, and Tova will realize that she can have the one thing that she wants the most: a home.

The plotline for The Girl the Sea Gave Back was fast-paced and well written. I have a love/hate relationship with fast-paced books. I love them because the book zips along. I don’t like them because sometimes, there are plotlines that get overlooked. Which didn’t happen here.

I loved how the author had the tribes modeled after the Vikings. The tribes weren’t exactly like the Vikings, but there were enough similarities that I had pause at points and tell myself, “This is a fantasy book. Not real life.” The two essential things that stood out to me were the Tova reading the runes and the funeral boat in the prologue.

I liked Tova and man, did I feel bad for her at points in the book. What she went through was awful. The Svell hated her because she was a Kyrr Truthtongue, but they used her too. I couldn’t even imagine growing up under that type of hatred. She read the stones that told the Svell that they needed to battle Nadhir, which sets her on course to meet with Halvard. I also liked that Tova was conflicted about her rune reading. She wanted to please the leader, but at the same time, she didn’t want to cause death. I found her connection to Halvard to be interesting. I do wish that more had been explained about why she was connected to him. Something other than he was her destiny. Because I’ll tell you, it did confuse me.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is a bloody book. There are quite a few battles between the Svell and the Nadhir. I liked that the author didn’t hold anything back when it came to describing the battles. I am not at all affected by blood and violence in a book. But some people are.

There is no romance in The Girl the Sea Gave Back. I can’t tell you all the last time I read a young adult book that didn’t have a romance. I loved it!! There was a hint of it between Tova and Halvard but it didn’t get beyond a hint.

I do wish that Tova’s background had been released sooner. I would have understood certain parts of the book better. I didn’t put two and two together until the middle of the book. And even then, it took me a while to realize who Tova was.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is not a stand-alone book. I read it as one and was left wondering about several things mentioned in the book. Relationships and how the Nadhir were brought together were the main ones. Read Sky in the Deep before reading The Girl the Sea Gave Back.

The end of The Girl the Sea Gave Back was interesting. The way individual storylines were ended made me wonder if there will be another book in this world. I hope so because I enjoyed it. I hope that there will be more focus on the Kyrr if there is.

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The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

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