3.7 Stars
One Liner: A fast-paced read

Brigit is half-selkie, half-human. Her mother is a selkie. Everyone in the little village suspects it. Naturally, Brigit has to deal with bullies at school. However, that seems to be the least of her concerns.
Someone in the village is killing young seals, though they know it’s forbidden. The selkie folk are furious and vow revenge. Brigit and her family are stuck in the middle. She had to find a way to save the young seals, expose the criminals, and face the Great Selkie. But can she succeed?
The story comes in Brigit’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
I knew I had to read this when I saw the title. I recently wrote a short story with a half-selkie girl as the protagonist. I also wrote another story with the Celtic Brigit (goddess) as the main lead. Seeing the book seemed like the universe sending me a message (yet to figure out what it is).
The book is short, just 200+ pages, and a quick read. Set in Nova Scotia (a Canadian province in the Atlantic), the story takes place over a few days, giving us a glimpse into the lives of locals and Brigit’s family.
The starting is solid, even if it could be painful/ scary for young readers. There isn’t much character development, and most of them are surface level. Yet, Margaret and Peter stand out.
I love how each chapter starts with a verse about traditional Celtic personalities (and sometimes selkies). They help create the mood and the atmosphere. In fact, the atmosphere is spot-on and much better than the characterization. I could visualize every scene and become a part of the landscape.
The book deals with various themes like family, friendship, community, bullying, greed, sacrifice, choices, etc. None of it is in detail, so it doesn’t overwhelm the readers. However, the contents are darkish and may not suit all young readers (check the trigger warnings at the end).
The fantasy elements are woven into the plot and are present just as much as required. It is seamless and uses the selkie mythology well. That said, I wouldn’t have minded if it was more prominent.
The climax is also fast-paced, which adds to the tension. However, it is over too soon. We see only a glimpse of Brigit’s bravery.
This could easily be a bigger book with more detailing and an in-depth character arc. Of course, that might make it suitable for adult readers. The premise calls for some intense darkness and drama.

To summarize, The Selkie's Daughter is a good attempt at introducing mythical creatures to young readers. It’s an engaging read and should keep them hooked.
Thank you, NetGalley and Holiday House, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This review was made possible via an ARC through NetGalley.

The Selkie’s Daughter by Linda Crotta Brennan is a historical fantasy Middle Grade featuring Celtic folklore in Nova Scotia. Brigit is the daughter of Neve, a selkie, and a fisherman. Her village distrusts her due to the webbing on her hands, a sign of her selkie heritage, which her younger brother does not share. Brigit’s two friends are her cousin, Margaret, and Peter, a new boy in town who is the nephew of the local priest and loves science.

Seal pups are being killed, leading the selkie leader, Neve’s father and Brigit’s grandfather, curses their town, leading to a plague and storms that make it harder to fish, further dooming the town. Brigit’s father goes fishing and he’s stranded far from home. Brigit, Margaret and Peter take a boat to try to find him and Brigit embraces both parts of herself.

The Selkie’s Daughter is a story of grief, embracing being between two worlds, and friendship between children with different viewpoints. The book does feature a priest and several references to Christianity, Catholicism specifically, I believe as well as pieces of folk songs about Sive and Tír na nÓg, two important stories in Celtic folklore. The folk songs and broader representation of selkies are a great way to introduce younger readers to Celtic stories.

This book launched straight into the action from the first visceral scene. It told us so much about the main character and her interactions with her family and the outside world. It was sadder that I thought it would be in parts but very much worth the time spent in its pages.

This was such a great middle great novel! I don’t read them often because I find them so hit and miss but the premise sounded so good I just had to take the chance and I’m glad I did.

This gave me big The Thorns Remain vibes, but for children.

I loved Brigit, our main character. She’s half-selkie and half-human and she’s such a fierce, brave, lively character. I loved her journey towards self love and acceptance and not worrying as much about what the villagers think, and I loved that doing that allowed her to open her heart to them more and realise that not everyone is against their family.

I loved her friendships with both Margaret and Peter, too. Margaret in particular just captured my heart. She was Brigit’s biggest champion and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy every time.

I would have loved to spend more time with the selkie’s, though. I feel like we barely scratched the surface of their lives and history and what it means to be kin.

The plot is quite simple, but this story is magical and full of gorgeous Celtic mythology. Such a cosy read and definitely one to add to your tbr.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Seller's Daughter is a beautifully crafted coming-of-age story set on the coast of Nova Scotia. The book follows a half-human, half-selkie girl who lives by the cliffs of Finn's point and we watch her navigate the uncertainities of young-adult-hood as she grapples with her identity and struggles to find a sense of belonging.

This is a story that took me a little by surprise because of how...fresh it felt. I'm not stranger when it comes to the genre of coming-of-age stories, and whole The Selkie's Daughter does hit the beats, it does have an atmosphere that makes the experience of reading this book unique! Like, the book literally opens with a scene where the main character — Brigit — is getting the webbing in between her fingers cut off to protect herself from the scorn of the villagers, and it's such a jarring, intense scene that it plunges you right into the story.

The prose is lush, and beautiful, but most impressive of all, it's immersive. Sensory. Reading it felt like standing atop the cliffs at Finn's point, feeling the unforgiving bite of the storm winds, the salt of the ocean spray on your skin. I took a few breaks while I was reading this book, and I still felt myself falling back into the atmosphere with ease. I'm someone who, generally, does give more weight to writing and prose, and this book just did something to tick all the boxes on that front for me.

The story emphasizes on the loneliness of Brigit in the beginning. We see this with how she seems to not have any close relationships with those around her (except her family), and how she's, if not terrified, then wary of letting herself open up on account of who she is. Over the course of this story, Brigit experiences grief, and sorrow, and so much pain, but she also learns to lean on the people around her and finds a place where she truly feels a sense of belonging.

I truly adored the characters of Peter and Margaret. They're your standard build for Best Friends™ in books like these, but they work for a REASON! Also there's this adorable dog called Tolly and I would give anything for him. Ngl, I did not expect the story to get as sad as it does in the middle there, but this is a story that is about bearing that grief, and learning to move past it and live with it. So. Yeah.

I'm not very familiar with Celtic mythology, but the book mentions a few myths that it borrows from. And then there are the selkies, of course. There's references to the seven tears summoning them, and the seven years they'd have to spend in the waters when they don their seal skin again, etc., All this added another fantastical layer to the story. There's also a touch of environmentalist messaging in there, which is always fun for me personally!

My only gripe with this book is the ending. While I loved watching Brigit spend some time with the selkies in her seal skin, I also felt like there was just something lacking. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but there's just... something missing. A part of me thinks the resolution felt a little rushed, but I also don't know how else it could have gone.

Overall, this was a fun little wintry read! Perfect book to curl up with on a cold afternoon with a cuppa!

A sweet and heartfelt story about friendship, family and overcoming obstacles.
I think Brigit is an excellent protagonist for middle graders to read about. She faces a great deal of adversity, from struggling to fit in at school, to facing fear and suspicion from her fellow townspeople due to her being half-selkie. However, she remains determined and never gives up, even when she faces terrible odds.
I also enjoyed reading about selkie folklore! I came into this with pretty basic knowledge about selkies, and without knowing much (or anything) about the Irish culture surrounding it, so I can't speak for the book's accuracy in this regard, but I feel I came away more knowledgable and cultured.
One thing I think could be added was a pronunciation guide; I am not familiar with the Irish language, so I had no idea how some of the names and places should be pronounced, and many readers may not know how to pronounce them either.
Also a content warning for kids: there is a significant character death, and while I feel that the book treats it with care and respect, it is better to be warned and prepared, and I think parents could take the opportunity to discuss it with their child.

What a fascinating, mystical, exhilarating story! The Selkie’s Daughter brings to life the mythical selkie, a creature who can shift between a seal in water and a human on land. Selkies are found primarily in Celtic mythology. Selkies can be friendly and helpful to humans or vengeful and frightening. In this story, the reader sees both aspects of their personality. The book tells of a young girl whose mother is a selkie and who shows some selkie characteristics herself. The novel has several themes – family, friendship, fishermen, bullies, community, and of course, the mystical selkies. I loved the book because it contains many natural storylines, always underscored by the beautiful myth. Each chapter begins with a song or poem verse about Celtic traditional figures of lore or about selkies. Linda Crotta Brennan’s writing is quite simple yet magnificent in its storytelling. The Selkie’s Daughter is a lovely story, suitable for young people or adults.
Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the opportunity to read the ARC of this novel.

Thank you to Holiday House for the digital ARC!

Rich in Celtic mythology, THE SELKIE'S DAUGHTER is a beautifully written middle grade novel, perfect for kids who love The Little Mermaid, marine biology, and animals. The poems/songs woven into the narrative are brilliant, and the themes of Brigit grappling with her identity as both a human and a selkie will be poignant for readers who are also learning what it means to live an authentic life.

A beautiful short novel about a girl growing up in a place with judgement and prejudice, this was a sweet story following our main character Brigit as she struggles with her human and selkie side, this was a breath of fresh air and I think the world building felt so fleshed out I could really picture it! Thankyou to Netgalley for an arc of this book!

"The Selkie's Daughter" by Linda Crotta Brennan is a captivating YA fantasy novel that delves into the rich and mysterious world of selkies - mythical creatures who can transform from seal to human form. The protagonist, Brigit, is a young woman who becomes embroiled in the feud between the Selkie clan and the humans who hunt them for their valuable pelts. The writing is evocative and lyrical, bringing the rugged and wild landscapes of the selkies' world to vivid life. The plot is full of adventure, intrigue, and romance as Brigit navigates the dangerous politics of the Selkie kingdom and discovers the truth about her identity. A must-read for fans of fantasy and selkie lore! It's also pretty short at 208 pages, so it might be a good title for kids ready to leap from shorter chapter books.

Folklore is a big interest of mine, and I like stories about selkies so that was initially draw me into wanting to read this book. Now, I’m a fair bit older than the intended audience but I enjoyed the story and could relate to the main character. I feel middle-grade books are often very good at portraying emotions and characters that its easy to relate to even as an adult.

This story takes place in Nova Scotia, and we follow a young girl, Brigit, and her struggles to fit into society and how to accept herself. You see, Brigit is a selkie – a person with a seal phantom. She has to keep this a secret.

The people of her town anger the selkie king and the sea, and Brigit has to save her father who is stuck out at sea. This makes this into quite the adventure story, in a way, and Brigit’s struggles to save her family is easily transferable to other suchs situations where a child understands more than we adults give them credit for.

I enjoyed this story and the setting the author painted for us.

A beautiful, but also heart wrenching, story of a young girls search for her identity and where she fits in.

ARC Copy...I liked it. Found the narrative (other then short) more slice of life of Maritime Canada life, which is not bad and very has the Celtic culture fused in akin to culture of that area of Canada.

First of all, I would like to thank the author, publishers and NetGalley for writing, publishing and giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book!
Rating: 4.8/5

I don't even know where to start for this review.. I just finished this book and I'm stunned by how mesmerizing this book was. It just made my standards went higher!

I love how it portrayed the historical era
The realism of the village life and fishing
And a mix of mythology and fantasy in it!

The writing was so beautiful, The tales that are in the start of every chapters, The lyrics of the songs, they took me back to the historical times
And of course Peter! He's like those people who ONLY believe in science
I loved to see how his character developed

And how Brigit comes to accept that She's a Selkie's daughter
And how she endured those mocking and taunting from the others
And Margaret she's really strong and her father it was a perfect portray of a toxic home (personally I think the father is toxic)

All the characters' personality and everything was well written and executed properly

At first I was very skeptical of this but the deeper I goes the more attached I become to this book.

It might be hard for people who are not into this kind of genres to get into it but with it's unique plot, storyline and writing I think most people might be able to do so!

I recommend this book to everyone who wants to feel a wave of emotions and go for an adventure together with the characters!

The story was so beautiful and intricate. I liked all the folklore elements weaved in throughout the story. A solid magical read that made me spend an enjoyable moment curled up in my cozy spot.