Book Type: Novel Author:Laura Williams McCaffrey Pages: 224 Summary(goodreads.com): Margot is the daughter of a king, but she is beloved by neither his court nor his kingdom. She has “water in her blood,” a trait associated with magic and looked upon with distaste and suspicion. When she meets Orrin, a foreign king who is respectful, not scornful, of her affinity for water, she flees with him to his castle by the sea, though she soon realizes he is not as benevolent as she first thought. Intertwined with Margot’s story is that of Bird, a storyteller who must tell stories for Orrin, though he can barely stand him. When Orrin steals the Book of the Sea, a magical gift given to Margot by her mother, Margot knows she must run away once again, and the threads of the two stories begin to intertwine.
My Review: When I first saw that this book involved selkies, I was so excited. It's sometimes hard to find good selkie books, especially in the YA genre. When I delved into the first chapter, I immediately fell in love with the medieval historical vibe. ...But that's pretty much all I enjoyed. Half way through the book, and I was still waiting for something to happen. About three quarters of the book lacked energy, and I didn't feel any excitement while reading this. I also did not enjoy Margot, the main character. She lacks strength, and constantly feels the need to impress Orrin. Although this book says it involves selkies, it took forever to get to the selkie part! The ending really made me say, "That's it?" I unfortunately did not like this book at all, and I don't recommend reading it. It was confusing, boring and lacked the selkie elements that it promises. I give this book (**) 2 stars. -Sirenita The Selkie