When my friend, Kat Ellis,
asked if I was interested in reviewing her debut novel, Blackfin Sky I jumped
at the chance, despite the fact that I really struggle to write reviews. If I
like a book I usually gush about it with a severe lack of substance to my
review. So I’ll try really hard not to do that this time.
Review
I wasn’t sure that to expect
after reading the back cover of Blackfin Sky.
When Sky falls from
Blackfin Pier and drowns on her sixteenth birthday, the whole town goes into
mourning – until she shows up three months later like nothing happened.
Unravelling the mystery of those missing months takes Sky to the burned-out circus in the woods, where whispers of murder... but she’s not the only one digging up the past.
Unravelling the mystery of those missing months takes Sky to the burned-out circus in the woods, where whispers of murder... but she’s not the only one digging up the past.
Nothing stays buried in
Blackfin, a town that no one visits and no one ever leaves…
It has a very unique
speculative fiction feel, like paranormal and magical realism with a dash of
science fiction. And one thing I love about a story is when I don’t guess the
twist. I sure didn’t with this one. But it was still a believable twist that
you could have guessed from the clues Kat leaves us.
I very quickly fell in love
with Skylar very quickly. She had this mysterious quality, an X-Factor that
made you believe she didn’t understand why there was so much fuss over her. She
is adamant that she hasn’t been anywhere, despite everyone being in mourning
for her and the fact that there is a gravestone with her name on it. Her voice
is so authentic and gripping.
Then there is Sean *drools*.
He is the perfect amount of quirkiness to match Skylar. He is solid, dependable
and fun. The two of them have this great chemistry that leaves you dying for
them to finally get together.
The opening is set so well
with the introduction of Silas, the spirit that inhabits the local weathervane.
Creepy with his indifference, and even creepier with his interest in Skylar’s
return, and the fact he’s not the only one who is watching her.
It was so intriguing to see
Skylar interacting with everyone, so sure in her memories of the past three
months when everyone else has seen her dead body pulled from the pier. This
creates a mystery I so desperately wanted to solve and didn’t. Yet I was still
so satisfied.
I don’t want to add spoilers
for people, but the mystery only deepens once we learn the truth about why
Skylar can remember the last three months differently to everyone else. It’s a
plot so masterfully crafted that you want to keep turning the pages (I even
took the book to my son’s football game so I could keep reading while he wasn’t
on the field).
Kat crafts such a wonderful
tale with amazing use of language that is poetic, setting it apart from so many
modern YA stories. It has a classic feel, rich in word choice and plot weaving.
It’s important to take note the
characters, as many of them have roles to play that you won’t see coming.
My only criticism is the
early portrayal of Skylar’s mother. It doesn’t align for me with the person I
saw at the end of the story. She came across as too shallow and distant then
quickly shifted.
But that isn’t enough to drop
my rating of Five Stars! This story haunted me for days after I read it. I can’t
wait to read what happens next for the residents of Blackfin.
Bio:
Kat Ellis is a young adult writer from North
Wales. You'll usually find Kat up to no good on Twitter, taking
photographs in cemeteries, or watching scary films with her husband and feral
cat. BLACKFIN SKY is her first novel, out now in the UK/Aus/Commonwealth
(coming 2nd September in the US).
Quotes:
‘Enthralling
and dreamlike... A wonderful, compulsive read.’ Yangsze
Choo, Author of The Ghost Bride
‘An
engaging, richly detailed fantasy, full of magic and mystery…’ Debbie Moon, Creator
of CBBC’s Wolfblood
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