The Art of Reading

Summary (from Goodreads):

“Orphans Ellie and Seth have crossed an endless ocean in search of freedom and peace. Arriving on the shores of a colourful tropical island ruled by a mysterious queen, it seems they might just have found the perfect new home. But there is trouble brewing in paradise and soon Ellie and Seth find themselves caught up in a dangerous struggle for power – and forced to confront terrible truths from their past . . .”

My Thoughts:

I read the first book in this series, Orphans of the Tide,  two plus years ago and loved it! I thought it was so wise and there are still days now where I think back fondly to it. I don’t know why I’d put off reading the sequel for so long but the good news is that it definitely lives up to the first one! This honestly ended up being such a comfort read for me. The writing is SO good and and felt like a breath of fresh air. The story was raw and dark at times but the characters brought a life and energy that expertly balanced this out.

There were a lot of familiar themes and characters from book one but some new topics were explored too like how hard it can be to start over in a new place as well as the disappointment that comes when it turns out it’s not quite what you were expecting. Then of course there’s the star of the book, Ellie, who is my soulmate. I just saw so much of myself in her, especially in looking back on the past year of my life. If you are looking for a new middle grade series with a great story that also goes a bit deeper than most of the ones being published nowadays, this will become your newest obsession!! Finale here I come 🥳