The Edge of the Silver Sea

My first Middle Grade read of the year, and here we are already headed in a positive direction! I will always wax poetic about how many beautiful stories get glanced over because they're written in the MG sphere. Adults see the age group marker, and assume that the story is not for them. Friends, MG books are for EVERYONE. The Edge of the Silver Sea is a perfect example of that.

What first struck me was how much I saw myself in Blair, our main character. As a person who also cares deeply about the environment, I loved how passionate Blair was about her activism. The fact that she was so knowledgeable, and wanted to share that knowledge with others, made my heart happy. Now, I know that older readers like myself will see Blair's sass towards her parents and remember that we may have once been there too. After being pulled away from her school, her friends, and deposited into a place so utterly different from home, who can blame Blair a bad attitude?

Scottish folklore is at the forefront of this story. If you're not familiar with these stories, Mullarky does such a stellar job of bringing the explanations in seamlessly. I'll pause here to praise Alex Mullarky for how well the writing brings the island of Roscoe to life. From the woods, to the wide open spaces, all the way to the small town and its vibrant inhabitants. Half of what made me fall in love with this book was that the characters, with the island included, came alive.

To avoid any spoilers, I'll simply say that what's truly important about this story is that Blair really does grow and learn. I'm a reader who is all about character development, and this book has that in spades. As Blair navigates her new home, and all the lush tapestry of folklore that comes along with it, she comes to understand what things are really important to her. She starts to see life from other points of view too, and it's absolutely lovely.

Long story short, I enjoyed this immensely. It's a quick read, and one that I think a lot of readers will very much resonate with. To loop back to what I said earlier, Middle Grade reads are truly for everyone. So don't be afraid to give this one a shot.