Book Review: “Josephine Against the Sea” by Shakirah Bourne

“Josephine Against the Sea” by Shakirah Bourne (2021)

Genre: Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasy

Page Length: 304 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

Eleven-year-old Josephine knows that no one is good enough for her daddy. That’s why she makes a habit of scaring his new girlfriends away. She’s desperate to make it onto her school’s cricket team because she’ll get to play her favorite sport AND use the cricket matches to distract Daddy from dating.

But when Coach Broomes announces that girls can’t try out for the team, the frustrated Josephine cuts into a powerful silk cotton tree and accidentally summons a bigger problem into her life . . .

The next day, Daddy brings home a new catch, a beautiful woman named Mariss. And unlike the other girlfriends, this one doesn’t scare easily. Josephine knows there’s something fishy about Mariss but she never expected her to be a vengeful sea creature eager to take her place as her father’s first love! Can Josephine convince her friends to help her and use her cricket skills to save Daddy from Mariss’s clutches before it’s too late? (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Set in a town called Fairy Vale this novel follows the adventures of Josephine, an 11-year-old girl. She lives with her father, and both are still grieving the loss of her mother who passed five years ago. From the first glance, Josephine is a girl with a bright spirit, curious nature, and is a little bit mischievous too. She wants it to be her and her father always and doesn’t want anyone to replace her mother. When Mariss comes into the picture, Josephine is on alert as she’s different from her dad’s previous girlfriends and is determined to figure out what her secret is.

I love the landscape of Fairy Vale and its ocean scenery. Reading the book it’s as if you see the ocean life and also smell the ocean too before your very eyes. It seems like a vibrant and tight-knit community full of hospitable people. I also enjoyed the rich folklore derived from Caribbean culture is in this book. I really enjoyed exploring the world through Josephine’s eyes and how every day is a new adventure for her. Everyone treats her as a silly little girl but she’s very clever and proves that she can hold her own in cricket which is deemed a boys sport. She is smarter than the trickster she is perceived as. I also enjoyed the friendship dynamic between her and Ahkai and the special bond between her and her dad. It was super heartfelt and I love their special bond.

I appreciated how the novel tackles grief and healing. It discusses how we can stay connected with loves ones who have passed but also being able to move on and keep them cherished through past memories. For the most part, this middle-grade novel is a fun fantasy story that is light-hearted and comical while balancing out its more serious moments. Josephine’s story is a good novel for readers of all ages.

Final Verdict: