Published: Sep 23, 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Audiobook, 14 hours

“Hope – that silly, stupid creature that lived within me, no matter how often I tried to beat it to death – lifted its nose and sniffed at the air.”

★★★ (2.6 / 5 stars) I had higher hopes for this book than I maybe should have. I wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator from the start, but the premise was super intriguing. I loved the magical realism and the nautical themes intertwined with the love story.

Unfortunately, the plot took some strange turns that mostly just left me thinking, “What was the point?” My suspension of disbelief was just not high enough to appreciate this through to the end, and I especially didn’t feel for the ending with Avery’s mother...

I’m not sorry I listened to it, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it for other readers (especially if you’re an avid fantasy reader who has high standards for plot/world-building/character development).