Blog Tour | Girl. Boy. Sea

Hello everyone, welcome to my stop on the Girl. Boy. Sea Blog Tour. Thanks to Jade and Zephyr Books for inviting me to be a part of the tour! Check out my review of the novel below!

Title: Girl. Boy. Sea

Author: Chris Vick

Published: 8th August 2019

Pages: 320

Genre: Children’s, Adventure, Ocean-adventure

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Storm, shipwreck, survival. Chris Vick’s novel delves deep into the might and majesty of the unpredictable ocean, the strength of an unlikely friendship between a British boy and a Berber girl and their will to survive against all the odds.

A young British boy called Bill narrowly survives the sinking of his yacht in a huge storm off the coast of Morocco. After many days alone at sea in a small boat he rescues another survivor, clinging for her life to a barrel. She is a girl called Aya, from the nomadic Berber tribe, whose migrant ship was destroyed by the same storm. Through endless days, a mere speck on the vast, empty sea – hungry, sunburned, and with no idea what will happen next – Aya recounts the tales of Shahrazad of the Arabian Nights, who told 1000 stories to quell the murderous desire of the Persian King. As hope of rescue begins to fade, from Aya’s tales of magic, brave heroes, wily thieves, greedy kings and cruel sultans, they find the strength they need to stay alive.

When they land on a desert island they’re confronted by a strange young man who is not what he seems… and back out on the waves once more in the dark deep, a shadow follows and waits… -Goodreads

Thanks to Zephyr for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved this book! It’s a wonderful and thrilling middle grade/children’s novel about Bill who is shipwrecked at sea during a storm and winds up sailing alone in a small boat when he rescues Aya from the top of a barrel. What follows is a heartwarming story of resistance and strength and ultimately human hope.

The message this novel sends about perseverance and acceptance is a very special one, and weaving it through a thrilling adventure story like this makes it accessible for children and is easily absorbed. That being said, I think children and adults alike could read and enjoy this novel. It deals with some important and relative topics including human trafficking and refugees.

The novel itself is fast-paced and action packed. The plot doesn’t slow down until the very last page, and it’s very difficult to put it down! The author has done a fantastic job of writing such a fast-paced page-turner, I read it in one afternoon, I couldn’t wait to see what happens next.

Bill is an excellent character and narrator of the novel. He is brave and caring, and he and Aya make an excellent team to battle the dangers they face on their adventure. Aya is also a great character. She is outgoing and strong and faces down the challenges with strength and good humour.

The story of Bill and Aya and their struggles to find land and survive at sea is cleverly interwoven with tales from One Thousand and One Nights which Aya is telling Bill as they battle to survive. These interweaving tales are very cleverly used by Vick to allow the narrative to continue without becoming tired and to remind the reader of the power and importance of stories and the hope they can provide.

Thank you again to Jade and Zephyr for inviting me to be a part of the blog tour!!