Jeremy's Reviews > The Girl from the Sea

I begged scholastic for an ARC of this book, because: (A) I'm a big fan of Ostertag's middle grade "Witch Boy" series (coming to Netflix!), and (B) I am obsessed with selkie stories. We are a coastal, oceanic people out here in the Maritimes, and so folktales of shapeshifting seal-folk have always captivated me.

Overall, I really enjoyed "The Girl From the Sea". This adorable, sapphic story puts a delightful LGBT twist on the usual selkie folk tale: Morgan is a gay teen living in the small port town of Lunenberg, and while she isn't out of the closet yet, she is constantly planning her escape for when she can become herself. However after being saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie, the two begin to fall in love, and Morgan's secret becomes increasingly difficult to hide.

I was so happy that the story centred around a gay teen living in small town Nova Scotia! I love Atlantic Canada, but we're not always the most progressive with LGBT stuff. It's not uncommon in Saint John for queer folk to either flee the East Coast entirely to become yourself, or to move to the "big city" of Halifax. Manyreturn home, once they feel secure in their identity, but it seems like just as many leave their homes behind forever, much like how selkies leave the sea to be with a human they love.

As a bookseller living in New Brunswick, I am very excited to try and get this heartwarming graphic novel into the hands of queer youths (or any youths!). The transportive nature of books can be a powerful thing--especially for teens who feel trapped in a small community that doesn't make space for their identity.