Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada, May 25th, 2021

Format: Paperback

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Music, myth, and horror blend in this romantic, atmospheric fantasy debut about a teen girl who must fight a powerful evil that’s invaded her Prince Edward Island home—perfect for fans of An Enchantment of Ravens.

There’s a certain wild magic in the salt air and the thrum of the sea. Beet MacNeill has known this all her life. It added spice to her childhood adventures with her older cousin, Gerry, the two of them thick as thieves as they explored their Prince Edward Island home. So when Gerry comes up the path one early spring morning, Beet thinks nothing of it at first. But he is soaking wet and silent, and he plays a haunting tune on his fiddle that chills Beet to the bone. Something is very, very wrong.

Things only get worse when Marina Shaw saunters into town and takes an unsettling interest in Gerry’s new baby. Local lore is filled with tales of a vicious shape-shifting sea creature and the cold, beautiful woman who controls him—a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Marina. Beet is determined to find out what happened to her beloved cousin, and to prevent the same fate from befalling the handsome new boy in town who is winning her heart, whether she wants him to or not. Yet the sea always exacts a price…

My Review:

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for the copy of this book.
–
Read if you like: historical fiction for younger audiences, YA fantasy.
–
This book takes place on PEI and I am going to try to describe it without giving away spoilers, because this book is fun to figure out as you read. The Second World War is over and the novel focuses on Beet and her family. When Beet’s cousin Gerry appears before her, Beet begins to explore some odd activity that is happening on the island, and learns that this odd activity might have been happening for a long time.
–
I really loved the paranormal/fantasy elements. It made it fun to read and I wanted to keep reading to know what would happen. I also thought that the characters were fun, and Beet was a great protagonist. I also loved the flashbacks that went further back into the past on the island so that the reader could piece together the mystery with Beet.
–
CW: death of a loved one, murder, drowning, monsters/mythological creatures.