The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young releasing September 3. This is a stand alone YA fantasy title. Essentially a girl is found and brought into a clan, even though everyone despises her because of her seers abilities. She uses her abilities to help her adopted clan, even though they treat her terribly, until the use of her abilities turns into her clan trying to take over and destroy all other clans. She has visions of a boy, and when she finally meets him, she sees that all is not right in her adopted clan and she finds a way to help the other clans. Does that sound right? Eh, I hate writing descriptions, lol.

*I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own*
I was super excited to get this book! I fell in love with Sky in the Deep instantly and just knew I needed more of that world.
This book follows Halvard about 10 years after the events of Sky in the Deep. His people are trying rebuild after the Herja attacked them. They want peace, but war is brewing with a neighboring clan, the Svell, who just seem to was war. Introduce Tova, a girl from the Kyrr clan (they aren’t from the fjord). She’s found in a boat at the age of 6 and lives among the Svell (they don’t like her very much though).
The concept was very interesting, but confusing at the same time. We know from the very beginning that Tova is the girl from the beginning and that Jorrund found her. And we know that he’s kept things from her. I also kinda pieced together the end a little bit just by some of the details from the end of the book, so it was pretty predictable.
They characters were well developed, Tova and Halvard at least. Benkan’s brother (I can’t remember his name right now) has some series anger/revenge issues he needs to figure out (if he lives long enough).
We do get to see some of our favorite characters from Sky in the Deep (Fiske and Eelyn), but not much. Just in the very end.
It was definitely a good book and a good look into what’s going on in the world, but I feel it could use more. Another book maybe? I want to see what happens with The Kyrr and Halavard’s people. (And Halvard and Tova!)

Solid 4.5 stars. Different from the last several YA books I've read, which was refreshing. The writing style made it an easy read. The only problem I had with it was remembering which group was which and jumping between narrators and time frames didn't make that any easier. All in all I really enjoyed this one!

I went into The Girl the Sea Gave Back with trepidation because I honestly did not enjoy her first book Sky in the Deep. But I thought with time Adrienne would grow as a writer and this would hopefully appeal to me more. Unfortunately that was not the case and I actually ended up DNF this book and I don't know if I will continue reading Adrienne's books at this time.

Now, that's not to say that this isn't a good story. A lot of people loved Sky in the Deep while I thought it was shallow and had no depth to the story or characters. Plus it had a slight case of insta love which absolutely ruins a story for me. I was hoping this one would be better but to me it almost read the same as Sky in the Deep. I just can't get behind this type of writing style at this time. So just because I didn't like it that doesn't mean that you won't!

I do want to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me the opportunity to early read and review The Girl the Sea Gave Back!

🌊Book Review🌊
The Girl The Sea Gave Back
by Adrienne Young
Sass-o-meter 💜💜💜💜💜
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"The mark of a Truthtongue . One who could cast the rune stones and see the web of fate."
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What this book is about:
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.
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My thoughts:
This was a great book, thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy!
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It took me a couple of chapters to re familiarize myself with the story and how it continues from the first book. This book follows two main characters Tova and Halvard.
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I read this book fairly quickly as it flowed so well! If your looking for a good story that includes intrigue, love, and finding home. This book is for you!
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•My favorite character who was the sassiest one: Halvard
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Qotd: Who are your go to people you go to for advise? Help? Wing woman/man?
Aotd:

I really enjoyed The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young but in my defense, I will read anything by her. I enjoyed the book but I felt it was kind of an intermission, it was missing something I can’t quite put my finger on. Full of action, as always, and not focused on love but on family. To read for every Viking fan and for every Adrienne Young fan. Thank you NetGalley for the ebook.

If I hadn’t already been familiar with Adrienne Young’s first book, this book would have been a lot tougher to read and review.

Pros: The prose is beautiful. World building is fantastic and unique compared to most books in this genre. Strong female characters abound. And we get to see glimpses of Eelyn’s story and what happened to characters after the first book ended.

Cons: The pov jumped between characters and sometimes repeated their thoughts on what just happened without really providing new details. The chapters also jumped around in time which got a little confusing. Or maybe I just prefer things to be more streamlined?

All in all, this was fun read and I will be back for more! Seriously, I have to see what happens to the connection between Tova and Halvard.

I loved Sky In The Deep and was very excited to be approved for The Girl The Sea Gave Back. This title was good, but I feel like it could have been better. I personally had a hard time connecting to these characters. And sometimes the time jumps lost me and I had to re read parts to figure them out. I enjoyed the fact that it took place in the same world as Sky In The Deep, just 10 years later. It was nice to see what was happening years later. If you enjoyed the first book, I'd say give this one a shot to. I think many Sky fans will enjoy this book as well.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is a stand-alone novel in the same world as Sky in the Deep though years later. The world building is as beautiful as before. The characters develop a bit slowly but they grow on you. It reads from two characters pov’s but never loses its pace. I loved the back stories mixed with the current story. The politics of the different clans, blood feuds and war keep you entranced and turning the pages. I love that Adrienne Young is sticking to Norse mythology and I hope she continues to write more inside this world she has built.

* I was provided an arc by NetGalley in exchange for a review*

I am slightly sad giving this book 3.5 stars as there is so much excitement in the book community for this one to be published, but this book just didn’t hit full marks for me.

This book is a standalone, which is a huge plus for me. With there being so many duologies and trilogies, I love a good standalone. I found the story to be really interesting, and I loved the concept.

Where this book lost me was that the characters were hard for me to connect with as I can’t say their connection with each other was necessarily strong. Also, as much as I appreciate the going back and forth per chapter for a different characters pov, also having timeline jumps in there made it all feel a bit disjointed.

I’d love to see what else this author has written and give another one a try.

*Thank you so much to the publisher for provided me with a free advance copy in exchange for my honest review.*

I'll be honest, I was a little disappointed with this book, because I went into it with fairly high expectations. Sky in the Deep wasn't a super complex novel, but it was a compelling story with characters I bonded with. This one felt almost like the sort of early draft I would write for a book: the main plot points or bare bones were there, but it was missing the meat of the story where more character development happens. If it weren't for Sky in the Deep, I'm not sure I would have connected at all to the characters or world. As it was, I mostly connected with Halvard...because of Sky in the Deep.

The characters weren't bad, the writing style was all right (there was a point I felt a little confused during a battle scene, but those rough patches were, I believe, the uncorrected parts of the ARC I was reading and nothing more), and I still enjoyed the world building and how Young continues to develop the world of Sky in the Deep. But I wanted MORE. More character development, more chances to see the relationships develop between characters (especially the romantic relationship), and more suspense. The plot didn't grip me like I wanted it to because there just wasn't that much suspense. I don't mind being able to predict some things in books (which characters will end up together, etc.) but I need some unpredictability to keep me really invested. Additionally, the romance was...barely-there. Which is OK, except that I didn't really see the point in having one at all. The hint of romance that did happen had the "fated to be" trope of two people feeling a mysterious connection even though they barely know one another. If there is going to be a romance in a book, I like to see it develop a little and give me a few chances to swoon. I want a couple I can root for!

I also wanted to see Tova developed more. I liked her character, but again, I just didn't feel like I knew her as well as I should have. And I certainly didn't feel like I had enough for that abrupt ending when she was finally reunited with her people. It was the mystery of her origins and what had happened to her early on that compelled me to keep reading the book, more than anything else.

All of that said, Young still has a way with words. There were still moments I could see the heart of the story. I just needed MORE. It could have taken this story from "All right, but I may never read it again" to "I MUST have a copy to reread someday!" It mostly just made me want to reread Sky in Deep...

WOW WOW WOW! I want more. This book was so good. I enjoyed to getting to know the characters and their complexities. I wanted an explanation of what happened after the roll of the stones. I can’t wait to share this book with my students. Adrienne Young hit the ball out of the park with this book. Tova is a sweet young girl that doesn't know her purpose in the world. She united with Halvard in an unconventional manner. There was a strong connection from the beginning. Hold on to your seat to see what happens.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back pulled me right in from the start. Another great book from Adrienne Young.

I really wanted to love this book. I am a huge fan of Adrienne Young's book Sky in the Deep and was hoping this would be just like that one. I had a really hard time getting into this one, maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this type of story at the time. I will be giving this one a try at a later date.

Huge Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this opportunity!!!

Well I’m going to be honest, this did not compare to Sky in The Deep for me. I think there were a couple of reasons, first the dual narration and the switching between past and present just did not do it for me. I didn’t feel connected to Tova or even Halvard, who I loved in Sky in the Deep.

This book was much more focused on story, and the story was an interesting one, however, because I wasn't connected to the characters, I wasn’t as into the story. Tova and Halvard had just a few scenes together making it difficult to understand what was between them. That coupled with the fact that I had no background information on these tribes left me wanting more. Even the characters from Sky and the Deep, Fiske and Eelyn seemed to be shadows of themselves in this book.

I wanted to love this book, but I just didn’t

Adrienne did it again. This is a beautiful story about a girl with power absolutely killing it. She didn't require a man to save her, there was no insta-love and she made up for the mistakes she made. I really enjoy this world that the author is building. Only dinged it one star because it can be a little slow to build up to the action but is well worth it.

I absolutely loved this book! Although I have a copy of Sky in the Deep, I have not yet read it but heard so many good things about the author Adrienne Young. When I saw the synopsis of this story it grabbed my attention from the get go. I fell in love with Tova and felt for her so much. This story defiantly pulls at the heart strings and has you rooting for her through out the story. The other main character Halvard was great as well and his journey to who he becomes is quite amazing. Although I wished there had been more interaction between the two characters, I also understand why they were apart for most of it. I'm usually not a fan of switching point of views (let's be honest, set the book down for a day or two and you forget who was doing what and where) but this book had me so hooked that I stayed up till 4am finishing it! I will have to pick up my copy of Sky in the Deep now, and I look forward to more books from Adrienne Young.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this! I really enjoyed Adrienne Young's Sky In The Deep and it made it into one of my fave books of 2018. This however, was EVEN better. The characters and plot meshed so well I couldn't put this book down. The fantasy elements were great, and I can't wait for everyone to read this!!

HOLY CRAP. Please tell me there’s gonna be a sequel?! Someone please reassure me that wasn’t the end!?! Because I’m seriously gonna cry. I. Will. Cry.

“But the future wasn’t fixed. It was a thread that changed color with the shifting of the present and the past. A wave that rippled out to the vast, open sea.”

The Girl the Sea Gave Back was everything I hoped it to be. Gorgeous cover, beautiful, addictive writing, brilliant, solid world-building and lovable characters- it had all the makings of a great YA fantasy and I loved every page. Devoured this in one sitting and I have no regrets.

I fell in love with the author’s debut but I am nothing short of obsessed with this one. Love, love, love Halvard and Tova. I honestly can’t tell you that I remember much about Halvard from Sky in the Deep. But dammit if I didn’t fall in love with him in this one. And Tova is just as incredible! She’s my favorite kind of badass heroine. I absolutely enjoyed the cameos too. Seeing Fiske, Eelyn and the others was great and so much fun!

‘Maybe death would just feel like going home.’

For anyone looking for romance, there was barely any in this one. But what it lacks in that department, it more than makes up for in action, excitement and brutality. I love how unforgiving and unrelenting the writing is when it comes to blood and gore. (That sounds psychotic I know but still.)

‘…it was only a different kind of pain. One that was a little easier to live with.’

My only disappointment is that the book felt rushed by the end. I wanted, no, NEEDED ten more chapters with Halvard, Tova, the Kyrrs and this beautiful, mesmerizing world.

Highly recommended! This one’s not to be missed!

I received an e-arc to read and review. Quotes cited may change in the final print.

This book was really well done. I have been waiting for a sequel to Sky in the Deep and The Girl Athens Sea Gave Back did not disappoint. The characters were well thought out, the story was entertaining and action packed. The author does a really good job at showing us the scene instead of just telling us about it. Overall, I would definitely re-read this series as I know I’ll find more and different things about it that that I’ll like a second time around.