#BookReview of The Turning by Emily Whitman

About the Book: 

Does he belong to the land or to the sea?

Readers who loved Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon and Pam Muñoz Ryan's Echo will be transported to the place where the water and land meet in this exquisitely crafted coming-of-age tale about a selkie boy.

Aran has never truly fit in with his selkie clan. He was born in his human form, without a pelt to transform him into a sleek, strong seal. Each day he waits, left behind while his selkie family explores the deep ocean. What if his pelt never comes? Does the Moon even see him? Is he putting his clan at risk?

When his mother undertakes a journey to the far north to seek help, Aran is left in the care of a reclusive human woman on remote Spindle Island. Life on land is full of more wonders—and more dangers—than Aran could have ever imagined. Soon Aran will be forced to decide: will he fight for his place on land, or return to his home in the sea?

Reviewed By: Rachael

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Recommended Age: Middle Grade

Genre: Fantasy
Overall rating: ★★★★

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author: Emily Whitman grew up in Boulder, Colorado in a household overflowing with kittens, hamsters and books. Her mother read her endless books and poems, her father tirelessly told stories into a reel-to-reel tape recorder, and her two sisters joined in perpetual games of make-believe. After inhaling all the Sendak, E. Nesbit, C.S. Lewis and Tolkien she could find, she went to Harvard and studied comparative religions for a while before graduating summa cum laude in History and Literature. Graduate work in history at U.C. Berkeley was interrupted by moving to Oregon with a six-week-old baby, and she became a full-time mom. Once her children were in school, she worked in library reference, led storytimes, and wrote for educational publishers. Radiant Darkness (Greenwillow Press 2009) is her first novel. Emily is currently at work on her second young adult novel for Greenwillow. She lives in Portland with her husband, daughter, son and cat.

Check out author's other books? Wildwing
Recommend this book? Duh!

Notes and Opinions: This was a wonderful coming of age middle grade book! The way she described everything was just so beautiful! And I just love the selkie mythology! Poor Aron feels like he doesn't feel like he fits in with either the other selkies or the humans. He's so young and you feel so bad for him. But he learns to love himself and understands that nobody is alike. I feel like every kid should read this!!

 

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Posted in: 4 Stars, Greenwillow Books, Middle Grade, Review