Review & #Giveaway – Amethyst, The Shallows by Kellye Abernathy

StoreyBook Reviews April 6, 2024April 6, 2024

Amethyst, The Shallows

by

Kellye Abernathy

YA / Magical Realism / Coming of Age

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Page Count: 296 pages

Publication Date: February 6, 2024

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“This is a night for being brave.”

In the aftermath of a devastating sickness that shatters their close-knit beach town, six lonely kids are drawn together during the unpredictable autumn equinox. Among them are fourteen-year-old Lorelei, who yearns to be an oceanographer, and her peculiar younger brother, Tad, who possesses an otherworldly curiosity.

When Lorelei has a strange and almost deadly encounter in a sea cave, her loyal boyfriend, Casey, cannot reconcile her fantastical experience with the rational world. Condi, Lorelei’s best friend, understands ocean magic but isn’t free to share what she knows. Kait, a girl from Ireland, regrets her impulsive move to America–all because of an odd occurrence involving her deceased boyfriend’s lost surfboard. When tides turn and the moon shifts, Isaac, the new kid in town who despises the ocean, is forced to face the truth–a profound and powerful magic lives in the deep.

Guided by a wise surf master, mystical old women known as the Beachlings, and an open-hearted grandmother, six kids embark on transformative adventures that challenge their beliefs about possibilities and the intense nature of love.

Amethyst, the Shallows is the companion novel to The Aquamarine Surfboard.

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This novel is the follow-up to The Aquamarine Surfboard, which makes me happy because we see the return of Condi, Grand Ella, the Beachlings, and other familiar characters. However, one of the main characters in this novel is Lorelei. As with the first book, this is a coming-of-age story that brings in some of the mysticism from the first book and some unique characters with various personalities. Because many of the characters are teens, I feel like the author understands the issues and quirks of the young mind, especially when they have been isolated due to The Sickness. This mimics a certain event we saw happen in our world.

Another main character is Isaac. At first, I didn’t like him. He was sullen and angry at the world, but with time, he managed to redeem himself after experiencing a few life-changing events. Sometimes, it just takes a little time and experience to change a person.

Tad is another character that will capture your heart. He sees his emotions in colors and knows when he needs a calming color to feel safe. He is also a budding scientist who is passionate about the various sea creatures. He may be young, but he is mighty and learns to overcome some of his fears.

There are two animals that are integral to this story – Figament, an octopus, and Guardian, a parrot. Both animals bridge the gap between different characters and bring hope to the story.

There is love and loss, too. My heart hurt at the loss, and rejoiced for the love.

This book is probably geared more toward YA than middle-grade age readers due to some of the topics, but it will be enjoyed by those who care to delve into this mystical story.

We give this book 5 paws up and hope for another book in this series to continue the magic of the ocean and this band of friends.

Kellye Abernathy’s passions are writing and serving trauma survivors as a yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Kansas. Her home is in land-locked Plano, Texas—where she’s dreaming of her next trip to the sea!