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Selkie Girl
ELIN JEAN HAS always known she was different from the others on their remote island home. She is a gentle soul, and can’t stand the annual tradition of killing seal babies to thin the population. Even Tam McCodron, the gypsy boy to whom she is strangely drawn, seems to belong more than she does.
It’s just a matter of time until Elin Jean discovers the secret of her her mother, Margaret, is a selkie, held captive by her smitten father, who has kept Margaret’s precious seal pelt hostage for 16 years. Soon Elin Jean faces a choice about whether to free her mother from her island prison. And, as the child of this unusual union, she must make another decision. Part land, part sea, she must explore both worlds and dig deep inside herself to figure out where she belongs, and where her future lies.
Poignant, meaningful, and romantic, Selkie Girl is a lyrical debut about a mesmerizing legend.
It’s just a matter of time until Elin Jean discovers the secret of her her mother, Margaret, is a selkie, held captive by her smitten father, who has kept Margaret’s precious seal pelt hostage for 16 years. Soon Elin Jean faces a choice about whether to free her mother from her island prison. And, as the child of this unusual union, she must make another decision. Part land, part sea, she must explore both worlds and dig deep inside herself to figure out where she belongs, and where her future lies.
Poignant, meaningful, and romantic, Selkie Girl is a lyrical debut about a mesmerizing legend.
262 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2008
16 people are currently reading
998 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Brooks
19 books13 followersLaurie Brooks is an award-winning playwright and YA fiction author.
Awards and grants include TCG's National Theatre Artists Residency Program, AT&T Firststage award, three Distinguished Play Awards and the Charlotte Chorpenning Cup from AATE, NY Foundation for the Arts, and Irish Arts Council Commissioning Grant (with Graffiti Theatre Company, Cork, Ireland).
Brooks' Lies and Deceptions Quartet for young adults includes The Wrestling Season, commissioned by The Coterie Theatre, Kansas City, MO, featured at The Kennedy Center's One Theatre World, printed in the Playscript Series, November 2000, American Theatre magazine, and winner of "Best of" awards in Seattle, Kansas City and Dallas.
Additional award-winning plays include Deadly Weapons, The Tangled Web, Everyday Heroes.
Selkie, Devon's Hurt, The Match Girl's Gift, Franklin's Apprentice, The Lost Ones and Brave No World, commissioned and premiered at The Kennedy Center in 2006.
Brooks has worked extensively in Ireland and has been Professor and Playwright in Residence at New York University. She has served as playwright in residence for the HYPE Institute at the ALLEY Theatre in Houston and has been guest lecturer at University of Missouri Kansas City (2005), The University of Texas at Austin (2006), and as Artist in Residence at Arizona State University in 2007-08. Her article, "Put A Little Boal in Your Theatre: A New Model for Talkbacks" appeared in American Theatre magazine and she was a featured artist at the 2007 TCG National Conference at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.
Brooks' book for young adults, Selkie Girl, is available in fine bookstores from Knopf—in hardcover and also as an ebook!
Awards and grants include TCG's National Theatre Artists Residency Program, AT&T Firststage award, three Distinguished Play Awards and the Charlotte Chorpenning Cup from AATE, NY Foundation for the Arts, and Irish Arts Council Commissioning Grant (with Graffiti Theatre Company, Cork, Ireland).
Brooks' Lies and Deceptions Quartet for young adults includes The Wrestling Season, commissioned by The Coterie Theatre, Kansas City, MO, featured at The Kennedy Center's One Theatre World, printed in the Playscript Series, November 2000, American Theatre magazine, and winner of "Best of" awards in Seattle, Kansas City and Dallas.
Additional award-winning plays include Deadly Weapons, The Tangled Web, Everyday Heroes.
Selkie, Devon's Hurt, The Match Girl's Gift, Franklin's Apprentice, The Lost Ones and Brave No World, commissioned and premiered at The Kennedy Center in 2006.
Brooks has worked extensively in Ireland and has been Professor and Playwright in Residence at New York University. She has served as playwright in residence for the HYPE Institute at the ALLEY Theatre in Houston and has been guest lecturer at University of Missouri Kansas City (2005), The University of Texas at Austin (2006), and as Artist in Residence at Arizona State University in 2007-08. Her article, "Put A Little Boal in Your Theatre: A New Model for Talkbacks" appeared in American Theatre magazine and she was a featured artist at the 2007 TCG National Conference at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.
Brooks' book for young adults, Selkie Girl, is available in fine bookstores from Knopf—in hardcover and also as an ebook!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
August 7, 2020
Interesting read, love the underwater visuals.
September 4, 2014
I agree with other reviewers that the cover is misleading. This is a dark, poetic tale, not a cheerful comedy. The cover didn't affect my opinion of the book though.
The prose is beautiful, and at first, I was taken in by its promise to reveal a mysterious world. But that's all it did: reveal a world. I searched and searched for a story to emerge from the depths of the prose, but I had to weed through endless narratives and descriptions to find it. The first truly interesting thing that happens in the book doesn't occur until almost a third of the way in, and events don't move much more quickly afterwards. The tale itself is melancholy and lovely, a real fairy tale, but it wasn't enough to fill the whole book.
The first page enchanted me, but the book bored me.
If you're in the mood for a long, poetic narrative whose main focus is the prose, not the action, this could be a good book for you.
The prose is beautiful, and at first, I was taken in by its promise to reveal a mysterious world. But that's all it did: reveal a world. I searched and searched for a story to emerge from the depths of the prose, but I had to weed through endless narratives and descriptions to find it. The first truly interesting thing that happens in the book doesn't occur until almost a third of the way in, and events don't move much more quickly afterwards. The tale itself is melancholy and lovely, a real fairy tale, but it wasn't enough to fill the whole book.
The first page enchanted me, but the book bored me.
If you're in the mood for a long, poetic narrative whose main focus is the prose, not the action, this could be a good book for you.
August 4, 2014
I really enjoyed this book, but the cover was a tad misleading. Based on the cover alone a reader would expect a rather fun, fluffy tale about selkies. This was not a fluffy story and deals with rape, being held involuntarily, death, and bullying. It's not light hearted reading, but I really loved the overall effect of the story. If you get triggered easily you may not want to read this. But I really enjoyed Ms. Brooks' take on the Scottish mythology of selkies. It's unlike any other selkie story I've read and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Brooks' work.
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April 13, 2015 A good lesson about what can happen if we take animal rights too far. Putting animals before humans reflects the way we treat our fellow man. Elin Jean started wishing the devil would drag them all to hell. I'm sure she could have found a place in her heart to wish the seals well without having such a burning hatred for everyone else in the world, webbed fingers or no. I'm glad she found her way with the selkies, despite and I hope she's still doing well to this day. (If she's still alive. I'm not certain when this book takes place.)
October 13, 2017
I stumbled across this book in my school's library The story of this book was okay, but the cover was SO misleading. When I first picked this up, I thought this was a teenage story in modern times. I was SO wrong. This is still a teenage story, but it takes place a long time ago in Ireland (or somewhere around there, I forgot). The story was good, it turns out Elin Jean's mother was a selkie and the Earl Teller, and Elin Jean's father nearly kills her after Elin Jean becomes a selkie. All in all, this was an okay book, I just wish the cover matched the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2009
A good concept, although quite predictable as far as plot. Mostly, the book's language (the odd dialect used by the characters) made it difficult to read.
July 12, 2009
I really enjoyed it. The language irritated me a little ("wee bonny lasses"), but I really enjoyed this creative story. The language and the plot were beautiful. The cover art could be better.
April 3, 2023
First things first: if you love animals and have a sensitive soul, this may not be the book for you. The cover seems like it portrays a light story, but it’s not consistently the case. Some parts were a little rough, specifically the event they call “the cull,” which involves clubbing baby seals. That was pretty heartbreaking. I will say I liked it overall but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I enjoyed the fresh take on Irish folklore…this just probably won’t be one I reread or widely recommend.
May 30, 2023
This is the best standalone book I've ever read. I couldn't recommend it enough. It's about the daughter of a human and a selkie. The setting is a remote island in Scotland where there are no phones or computers. It takes place partly on land and partly in the sea, and the scenery is described very vividly.
Warning: This book contains seal clubbing, and the term "gypsy" is used a LOT. If you are sensitive about those things, don't read this book.
Warning: This book contains seal clubbing, and the term "gypsy" is used a LOT. If you are sensitive about those things, don't read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2020
Not really my kind of book, but well written.
September 24, 2020
Brooks sets her fantasy in the Orkney Islands.
Narrated by sixteen year old Elin Jean, Brooks's plot addresses the cruel practice of hunting and slaughtering seals.
Narrated by sixteen year old Elin Jean, Brooks's plot addresses the cruel practice of hunting and slaughtering seals.
August 7, 2023
how many times can you say “selkie”
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January 2, 2024A wonderful and surprisingly impactful novel about finding oneself and staying true to your heart.
July 26, 2019
Had to stop at the 50% mark. Started off really great–fresh writing and original concept. But the halt starts at about the 30% mark and never quite picks up again.
August 31, 2016
Of course I thought this would be right up my alley. I first encountered this story as a one-act play years ago, and it was cool seeing it fleshed out into novel form. The story is about Ellen/Elin Jean, the thirteen/sixteen-year-old daughter of a selkie and a human crofter who lives in the Orkney Islands (in the novel it's narrowed down to Shapinsay Island), who doesn't know why she was born with webbed hands that the other island youth make fun of constantly. In the book, her father is much crueler and angrier about this condition, and barely lets Elin Jean leave the house, whereas in the play he's the one who wants her to dance at the Midsummer festival with him in front of their whole town. But that night she finds something that changes everything, and takes off on a journey to discover her heritage and her destiny (the novel turns this into a Chosen One story, similar to Isabel of the Whales).
Things I liked:
* The details of Elin Jean's life on Shapinsay, like the rock she calls Odin's Throne, where she sits and watches the sea; the way she says "Giddy God!" and prays to St. Magnus; and the way her mother calls her "Peedie Buddo."
* The selkies' folktale about Britta and Dane, which explains the origin of selkies.
* The way the story explains the origin of the legendary Clan McCodrun.
Things I didn't:
This section contains SPOILERS. The non-spoilery gist is that there's an unnecessary scene and several major character inconsistencies in the second half of the book.
This was an ok story. I liked its portrayal of selkie culture, and the way it explains the origin of selkies, but the issues in the second half of the book really threw off my groove.
. . . . . . . .
also posted to Postcards From La-La Land.
Things I liked:
* The details of Elin Jean's life on Shapinsay, like the rock she calls Odin's Throne, where she sits and watches the sea; the way she says "Giddy God!" and prays to St. Magnus; and the way her mother calls her "Peedie Buddo."
* The selkies' folktale about Britta and Dane, which explains the origin of selkies.
* The way the story explains the origin of the legendary Clan McCodrun.
Things I didn't:
This section contains SPOILERS. The non-spoilery gist is that there's an unnecessary scene and several major character inconsistencies in the second half of the book.
This was an ok story. I liked its portrayal of selkie culture, and the way it explains the origin of selkies, but the issues in the second half of the book really threw off my groove.
. . . . . . . .
also posted to Postcards From La-La Land.
November 17, 2015
Selkie Girl is a story set in Shapinsay Island which is one of the Orkney Islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. This story is inspired by Selkie legends where a Selkie is a creature that is half human and half Seal.
Elin Jean has always felt like an outcast in her village. She has fingers which are connected by thin webs that make her the object of ridicule in the village. She spends most of her time in isolation seeking solace from the Ocean. She lives with her parents and her grandfather. But no one has ever been open to her about why she is so different from the others.
She would come to know in time, yes, but it will change her life, turn it upside down and will lead her on a journey into the unknown. She will have to find a purpose and a place to belong.
Selkie Girl is a magical book. The setting is beautiful and mythical. Laurie Brooks writing creates an imagery so vivid that you can feel and imagine the vastness of the ocean, the horror of the seals fate, the beauty of the land and Elin Jean’s struggle to belong either on land or in the sea. The author has taken the Selkie legend and turned it into something else.
I could give you one example of the beautiful writing here:
"Here is a roaring power to be reckoned with, this channel where the North Sea meets the mighty Atlantic. At odds with each other, the two bodies collide, churning into waves that can rise to forty feet. As change-able as the weather that reigns over it, the channel rests, mild as a newborn lamb, until the wind shifts it into raging tides that can catch the most experienced sailor unawares. And in a storm, the waves stretch as tall as mountains, white peaks battling for domain over the waterway. Even the thought of these storms humbles the others. What the sea gives up, it must take away, they say. And the truth of those words is born of bitter experience. Each year families lose fishermen to the sea, gobbles up in the wild storms, bodies lost forever beneath the tides."
And although the writing is beautiful, it can be a bit too wordy at times.
"Grandpa blows rings of smoke, one inside the next. He sends the ovals toward the ceiling, and they follow willingly until they collide with the lingering haze from the cooking fire above and their perfect circles distort and disappear."
The first half was a bit slow for me but I raced through the second half not wanting to finish the book but also wanting to know what happens. Again a Young Adult book that can easily be a crossover.
Having said the above, I believe I have reasons for loving this book more than I expect others to. I LOVE the ocean and that’s probably why I could understand the endless pages describing Elin Jean’s pull to the ocean, her reasons being different than mine though. I love books set in lush, green surroundings, if it’s an island it’s a plus, if the island is in Scotland or Ireland, even better. And finally, I love books based on legends, myths or fairy tales. All I want to say is that these are also some of the factors that have lead me to like this book. That’s all.
Elin Jean has always felt like an outcast in her village. She has fingers which are connected by thin webs that make her the object of ridicule in the village. She spends most of her time in isolation seeking solace from the Ocean. She lives with her parents and her grandfather. But no one has ever been open to her about why she is so different from the others.
She would come to know in time, yes, but it will change her life, turn it upside down and will lead her on a journey into the unknown. She will have to find a purpose and a place to belong.
Selkie Girl is a magical book. The setting is beautiful and mythical. Laurie Brooks writing creates an imagery so vivid that you can feel and imagine the vastness of the ocean, the horror of the seals fate, the beauty of the land and Elin Jean’s struggle to belong either on land or in the sea. The author has taken the Selkie legend and turned it into something else.
I could give you one example of the beautiful writing here:
"Here is a roaring power to be reckoned with, this channel where the North Sea meets the mighty Atlantic. At odds with each other, the two bodies collide, churning into waves that can rise to forty feet. As change-able as the weather that reigns over it, the channel rests, mild as a newborn lamb, until the wind shifts it into raging tides that can catch the most experienced sailor unawares. And in a storm, the waves stretch as tall as mountains, white peaks battling for domain over the waterway. Even the thought of these storms humbles the others. What the sea gives up, it must take away, they say. And the truth of those words is born of bitter experience. Each year families lose fishermen to the sea, gobbles up in the wild storms, bodies lost forever beneath the tides."
And although the writing is beautiful, it can be a bit too wordy at times.
"Grandpa blows rings of smoke, one inside the next. He sends the ovals toward the ceiling, and they follow willingly until they collide with the lingering haze from the cooking fire above and their perfect circles distort and disappear."
The first half was a bit slow for me but I raced through the second half not wanting to finish the book but also wanting to know what happens. Again a Young Adult book that can easily be a crossover.
Having said the above, I believe I have reasons for loving this book more than I expect others to. I LOVE the ocean and that’s probably why I could understand the endless pages describing Elin Jean’s pull to the ocean, her reasons being different than mine though. I love books set in lush, green surroundings, if it’s an island it’s a plus, if the island is in Scotland or Ireland, even better. And finally, I love books based on legends, myths or fairy tales. All I want to say is that these are also some of the factors that have lead me to like this book. That’s all.
February 20, 2010
Elin Jean lives near the sea and has always felt drawn to it. She has never fit in with the other children in the village, a situation that is compounded by the fact that her fingers are webbed. So instead of people for friends, Elin Jean looks to the selkies, or seals. Every year the humans “cull” the selkie herd by killing the baby seals with clubs, a tradition which appalls Elin Jean. On a strange night in midsummer, Elin Jean has a chance encounter with a young man named Tam, tries once again to cut her webs from her fingers and learns that her mother actually IS a selkie, captured without her pelt by her father on the one night a year the selkies can transform into a human form. That’s a lot to handle for one night! Elin Jean frees her mother from the prison her father has created for her and then follows her mother into the sea to learn her own path in life.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. It takes place in Scotland and Elin Jean refers to her parents as “Mither” and “Fither.” This actually annoyed me a little bit after a while, rather than setting the scene of a foreign land. The story itself has an interesting plot and had several little twists that surprised me a few times. Elin Jean is a likable character and teens will relate to her being different and shunned for not being the same as the other kids her age. But seals? I don’t know if teen girls are going to be enchanted by them as they would if the magical creatures had been mermaids or even dolphins. The cover of the book even has an illustration that looks like a mermaid – not a seal girl, so perhaps the publishers were keen to this.
While I think the content of this book is appropriate for ages 12 and up, I think it is probably better suited to a more mature reader due to the strange language. Girls who seek out fantastical romance will enjoy this book, but I can’t picture any teen age boy choosing this one.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. It takes place in Scotland and Elin Jean refers to her parents as “Mither” and “Fither.” This actually annoyed me a little bit after a while, rather than setting the scene of a foreign land. The story itself has an interesting plot and had several little twists that surprised me a few times. Elin Jean is a likable character and teens will relate to her being different and shunned for not being the same as the other kids her age. But seals? I don’t know if teen girls are going to be enchanted by them as they would if the magical creatures had been mermaids or even dolphins. The cover of the book even has an illustration that looks like a mermaid – not a seal girl, so perhaps the publishers were keen to this.
While I think the content of this book is appropriate for ages 12 and up, I think it is probably better suited to a more mature reader due to the strange language. Girls who seek out fantastical romance will enjoy this book, but I can’t picture any teen age boy choosing this one.
November 13, 2014
Reviewed on Alexa Loves Books
I'm going to be honest here: when I first picked this book out of the ones Ashley (of What's Your Story) was selling, I had no idea what the story was about. It was the cover that drew me in, with its wonderful combination of colors and the beautiful illustration. It was the first book I read out of the ones I got from Ashley and I have to say that I enjoyed it.
CHARACTERS
Selkie Girl's main character Elin Jean is interesting, and the story is basically hers. She's different from everyone else on the island, with her webbed fingers, love for the seals and being intensely drawn to the sea. She's strong in the convictions that set her apart, but her longing to belong and fit in also haunts her. I sympathized with her when she was teased or mistreated by the island's people; but I admired her strength to stand up for what she believed in. It did drive me a little bit crazy how crazy her own emotions were and how she sometimes made the strangest (i.e. most unreasonable) choices in the situations she faced. But overall, I liked her well enough.
STORY
The prologue of the book was intriguing enough to make me want to read the rest. I thought the mythology was very well-written, including enough about the people and about the selkies. There were many instances that I was as frustrated as Elin Jean when I couldn't figure out what was going on or what would happen next, but I figure the author was just trying to build up the tension. The language the author used took a little getting used to, but at some point, it stopped bugging me.
IN CONCLUSION
It was a good read, with an intriguing main character and mythology. However, it wasn't particularly remarkable.
I'm going to be honest here: when I first picked this book out of the ones Ashley (of What's Your Story) was selling, I had no idea what the story was about. It was the cover that drew me in, with its wonderful combination of colors and the beautiful illustration. It was the first book I read out of the ones I got from Ashley and I have to say that I enjoyed it.
CHARACTERS
Selkie Girl's main character Elin Jean is interesting, and the story is basically hers. She's different from everyone else on the island, with her webbed fingers, love for the seals and being intensely drawn to the sea. She's strong in the convictions that set her apart, but her longing to belong and fit in also haunts her. I sympathized with her when she was teased or mistreated by the island's people; but I admired her strength to stand up for what she believed in. It did drive me a little bit crazy how crazy her own emotions were and how she sometimes made the strangest (i.e. most unreasonable) choices in the situations she faced. But overall, I liked her well enough.
STORY
The prologue of the book was intriguing enough to make me want to read the rest. I thought the mythology was very well-written, including enough about the people and about the selkies. There were many instances that I was as frustrated as Elin Jean when I couldn't figure out what was going on or what would happen next, but I figure the author was just trying to build up the tension. The language the author used took a little getting used to, but at some point, it stopped bugging me.
IN CONCLUSION
It was a good read, with an intriguing main character and mythology. However, it wasn't particularly remarkable.
June 8, 2011
While Selkie Girl did have a very original premise, and I was excited to read it at first, unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectation of it. I wanted to like it, but I just found it dull and lagging. The plot, to me, felt like it never went anywhere, and even though the writing was vivid and beautifully descriptive, the story itself fell flat. There were many scenes that I felt dragged the story down.
The mythology of the selkies was my favorite part of the novel, and what made it slightly interesting to read. Even though I didn’t feel a connection with the characters, I could relate the Elin Jean’s desire to join the sea, to be who, or what, she really is.
I’m a creature of the sea, so anything that has to do with the sea instantly attracts me. Mermaids, selkies, sirens, ect. Laurie Brook’s writing was wonderful, the scenery lush and so real. Neither of these two things were the problem. It was simply the plot. I feel that if something had been added to the plot to spice it up and create more suspense, I would have loved this book.
But even with an interesting premise, great writing, and a solid mythology behind it, I couldn’t enjoy this novel. On a slightly more positive note, the cover is very beautiful. It’s what initially drew me to the book, and I do love the cover. I just wish that the book had been better.
I’m sorry that this review is so short, but I don’t want to ramble on and on about something I didn’t like. I give this novel 2 out of 5 stars.
The mythology of the selkies was my favorite part of the novel, and what made it slightly interesting to read. Even though I didn’t feel a connection with the characters, I could relate the Elin Jean’s desire to join the sea, to be who, or what, she really is.
I’m a creature of the sea, so anything that has to do with the sea instantly attracts me. Mermaids, selkies, sirens, ect. Laurie Brook’s writing was wonderful, the scenery lush and so real. Neither of these two things were the problem. It was simply the plot. I feel that if something had been added to the plot to spice it up and create more suspense, I would have loved this book.
But even with an interesting premise, great writing, and a solid mythology behind it, I couldn’t enjoy this novel. On a slightly more positive note, the cover is very beautiful. It’s what initially drew me to the book, and I do love the cover. I just wish that the book had been better.
I’m sorry that this review is so short, but I don’t want to ramble on and on about something I didn’t like. I give this novel 2 out of 5 stars.
January 5, 2012
I really didn't like this book. I was originally drawn in by the lure of mermaids, as promised by the front cover. I got seals. Maybe I didn't read far enough (I gave up halfway through), but I didn't see a single mermaid. I had also never heard of her version of selkies. Witches that shed their skin once every seven years or something? Then again, this might be a part of the whole set-in-the-Irish-countryside thing.
Speaking of the Irish countryside, I question the logic of placing an American young adult novel in a tiny Irish town in the countryside. The Irish slang was abraisive to me, with Mither-ing and Fither-ing where I expected Mom-ing and Dad-ing, or at the very least Mother-ing and Father-ing.
Also, the town kids are really needlessly mean. I go to public high school as a socially awkward freshmen. I know mean kids. These mean kids fit in with nothing that I really recognize.
The love interest is also really not that attractive. Reminds me of Edward Cullen a bit, with the hot-and-cold flashes. I strongly dislike Eddie. I don't know why he likes the main character, I don't know why she likes him, and I don't know why we keep dragging it on.
To be honest, me not liking the book is probably a "me" problem rather than a "book" problem. I couldn't for the life of me get past the Irish slang and the lack of logic in social interaction.
IMHO, if you are looking for a romantic YA novel with mermaids, keep going.
Speaking of the Irish countryside, I question the logic of placing an American young adult novel in a tiny Irish town in the countryside. The Irish slang was abraisive to me, with Mither-ing and Fither-ing where I expected Mom-ing and Dad-ing, or at the very least Mother-ing and Father-ing.
Also, the town kids are really needlessly mean. I go to public high school as a socially awkward freshmen. I know mean kids. These mean kids fit in with nothing that I really recognize.
The love interest is also really not that attractive. Reminds me of Edward Cullen a bit, with the hot-and-cold flashes. I strongly dislike Eddie. I don't know why he likes the main character, I don't know why she likes him, and I don't know why we keep dragging it on.
To be honest, me not liking the book is probably a "me" problem rather than a "book" problem. I couldn't for the life of me get past the Irish slang and the lack of logic in social interaction.
IMHO, if you are looking for a romantic YA novel with mermaids, keep going.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2010
Selkie Girl
by Laurie Brooks
Personally i think this book was only intresting when we were told the story how the sekings happened.And the mystery of the story was small but you are wondering the answer till the end of the story.
i got really sucked in becasue the ending you/i would usually have figures it out but then there are the boring but necessary parts make you forget.
i also think there were parts that were not so necessary to be so long becasue i didnt like those so much they were really not makeing the story progress quickly it like slowed the story down. people who will read this book i think they will think the same.
My favorite part was the ending since i dont want to spoil it i just thosght it was a very intresting how everything ledup to this but the clues were small so it was hard to understand.
i think i would think maybe someone older would have understood this book better than me.but it was very intresting about the story told by the sekiies they lost me at first ii couldnt tell time moving it was the magical relism i think becsue no one but the selkie girl could hear them.it makes sense to me only in the end of the story.
by Laurie Brooks
Personally i think this book was only intresting when we were told the story how the sekings happened.And the mystery of the story was small but you are wondering the answer till the end of the story.
i got really sucked in becasue the ending you/i would usually have figures it out but then there are the boring but necessary parts make you forget.
i also think there were parts that were not so necessary to be so long becasue i didnt like those so much they were really not makeing the story progress quickly it like slowed the story down. people who will read this book i think they will think the same.
My favorite part was the ending since i dont want to spoil it i just thosght it was a very intresting how everything ledup to this but the clues were small so it was hard to understand.
i think i would think maybe someone older would have understood this book better than me.but it was very intresting about the story told by the sekiies they lost me at first ii couldnt tell time moving it was the magical relism i think becsue no one but the selkie girl could hear them.it makes sense to me only in the end of the story.
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May 11, 2009Shannon lent me this book, saying it was very emotional and meant for teenagers, but interesting because it explored the folk lore of the Orkney Islands. One of the best values it taught, imho, was the value of life, and the intelligence of marine life. The legends or folk tales have it that selkies are seals who can live either as humans or seals, and that on Midsummer Eve, what we would call the Summer Solstice, selkies come to dance with humankind in the celebration of Summer. The main character, a girl of 16, goes through a search for the "knowin'"--trying to understand her mission or purpose in life. The stories she learns as a human and as a selkie help her to understand her place in life, and to control her emotions, to be patient, and to let her fate play out. These are all very much the issues that young girls face, or young humans I should say, and its a well told story. Of course there is a love interest, but everything is very innocent, and I would say it would be the perfect gift for a girl 11-15 who likes to read, and who is reflective, seeking her place in the world.
July 9, 2013
Cute. I hate to say this one didn't leave a huge lasting impression on me, but I did enjoy reading it.
The writing style was probably my favorite part. The author used great imagery throughout the book. I could imagine the salty taste of the ocean spray as I read about Elin Jean's adventures. It was very realistic. The author also did a fantastic job of developing the setting. Selkies are part of the Scottish folklore, so it is only natural that this tale takes place somewhere near there. Although it doesn't come outright say where, you get the impression that you are on some tiny island near Scotland. The dialect is very distinct, so get your context clues strategies ready.
As far as the story goes, it's a fast read with straight forward action. Elin Jean has a few tough decisions to make, which lead to an interesting outcome. I can't say too much about it without giving away the story. What I can say, though, is that this is a coming of age story at its heart. It is all about Elin Jean finding herself and her place in the world. That theme makes it easy to relate to for middle grade readers-- whether they are part selkie themselves or not.
January 6, 2009
Basically an Irish folktale about the selkies and a particular girl who has webs between her fingers, which makes the rest of the villagers shun her. She keeps to her own family, and loves to swim in the sea, particularly on Midsummer's Eve, when two seals- the Red and the Black- come and swim with her. She discovers the secret- that her mother is a selkie and her father stole her pelt. She returns it to her mother and watches her disappear into the sea. Now she feels even more alone- doesn't fit in either world. She almost drowns and becomes a selkie herself, and is told that she must learn her own "knowin" which is a difficult coming-of-age tale with the selkie twist. Complex story, told in lyrical language, but only for more literate and patient readers. Author is sister to Terry Brooks, noted fantasy writer. Lots of violence, mostly clubbing seal pups- ugh...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2009
This book is amazingly touching! It is the story of a girl named Elin Jean who is half selkie(seal human)and half human. She has webbed fingers, and for her whole life has been taunted and made fun of. But now she finds her mother's pelt and her mother goes away to the ocean. Elin wants badly to go away to the ocean, so she does. There she is still under suspicion, because of the human part of her. However, she still tries to be a selkie, and eventually she becomes more accepted. Then she works to stop a horrible crime: every year selkies have their babies on the beach, and every year all of the human men come out and kill the baby selkies. Elin works hard with the people she trusts on land, and the ones in the sea to stop the killings. I loved this deeply moving story, and recommend it for grades 5-10.
May 19, 2010
I couldn't really place this book within other folklore I've encountered about Selkies, perhaps because it is set in the Orkney Islands, and I'm more familiar with the Irish versions. Despite descriptions of the the landscape and some folk traditions, I didn't really get a sense of place, at all. That added to the problem. The plot also seemed to drag a bit in places. Elin Jean's time with the selkies seems drawn out and largely pointless. I didn't get a feel for what their community was like. It was flat and uninteresting.
This is not to say that I disliked the book. It was fine. I just didn't enjoy it all that much. What's more, I think it is supposed to be a coming-of-age allegory, but how it would help real young adults come to grips with their identities escapes me.
This is not to say that I disliked the book. It was fine. I just didn't enjoy it all that much. What's more, I think it is supposed to be a coming-of-age allegory, but how it would help real young adults come to grips with their identities escapes me.
September 18, 2013
I thought this book was a really good exploration of growing up outside two worlds and not really fitting in to both as well as an exploration of the selkie myths. It was a continuation of one of the major selkie myths -- the one where the mother's skin is stolen, and she marries the farmer who stole her skin, and has a child or two, and then her skin is found and she goes back to the ocean, sometimes with her kids, sometimes without. This book is told from the daughter's point of view, and it starts before the skin is found. It is all at once a finding-yourself story, a story about family, and a love story. And it reminds me of The Folk Keeper, one of my favorite books ever.
June 14, 2017
I was very pleased with this enchanting story! The characters are endearing and the plot is interesting and full of action. I love the character development of the heroine! The descriptions of selkie life under the sea are amazingly detailed and realistic. Wonderful brilliant writing all through!
I wish that the magical setting had been better explained though. I was never quite sure what WERE the parameters of the magical nature of the story world. Why did this magical thing happen at that particular moment and where did it come from? No explanation or reason is given sometimes, and it is a bit confusing.
I wish that the magical setting had been better explained though. I was never quite sure what WERE the parameters of the magical nature of the story world. Why did this magical thing happen at that particular moment and where did it come from? No explanation or reason is given sometimes, and it is a bit confusing.
July 14, 2010
I didn't finish this book. But not because I didn't think it was good. It deals with a lot of harsh issue's like the clubbing of poor baby seals. The legend of the selkie was also very interesting, and equally beautiful and heartbreaking. I liked the characters. It was just too sad, I can't take animal violence and there was a lot in this book. On the plus side it did get me aware of the seal clubbing problem and here's a good site to join to protest against this act of cruelty: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/s...
December 13, 2012
I read this novel as an advance copy quite a few years ago, and even then I was impressed! I absolutely loved Laurie Brooks' focus on an old tale that I've known since I was a child. Through surprising twists and turns, Selkie Girl proves itself as a novel worth joining the shelf of its original fable. I very much appreciated the portrayal of Elin as a highly candid, understandable character; a character with whom I could identify and see as another person in my life, but with extraordinary qualities!
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