The Girl Who Broke the Sea

By Author / Illustrator

A. Connors

Genre

Science Fiction

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Scholastic

ISBN

9780702317583

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

02-02-2023

Synopsis

Lily's emotional problems run deep - three miles deep. After she gets kicked out of school for her destructive behaviour, Lily agrees to an unusual fresh start: going with her mum to live at Deephaven, an experimental deep-sea mining rig and research station located at the bottom of the ocean. Lily instantly regrets her decision: claustrophobic and isolated, it's hardly her idea of home. Turns out, Deephaven has problems of its own. The head scientist, they quickly learn, has disappeared - just as he was on the brink of a shocking discovery. In the darkness of the deep, something is stirring ... something dangerous. And it's calling out to Lily.

A mind-expanding thriller set in the ocean's depths, a terrifying struggle for survival - and the story of one girl's path to self-acceptance. Writer A. Connors is an exciting debut author writing for teens and young adults Perfect for fans of Lauren James, Marie Lu and Marissa Meyer.

"Something sinister is stirring in the depths of the ocean in Connors' riveting debut as Lily moves into the claustrophobic confines of a deep-sea mining rig and research station." - Waterstones' Best Children's Books to Look Out For. "An atmospheric, satisfying YA sci-fi thriller" - Guardian. "Riveting debut" - Waterstones. "An ominous, evocative science-fiction thriller." - New Scientist

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Reviews

If you like your sci-fi thrillers bold, thoughtful and based on the bottom of the ocean, The Girl Who Broke the Sea has it all...

The novel starts as all good thrillers do, with a mystery. Oh, and with plenty of stories regarding the *things* that inhabit the waters beyond the underwater rig, Deephaven. Maximums, the head scientist, has disappeared, just as he was on the verge of a huge discovery. What that discovery is and where he has gone remains to be seen for the time being, but Lily's interest is piqued as she traverses the world of new friendships and classes beneath the waves - amongst other things.

We're given glimpses of Lily's past, too, as she struggles to adapt to her new life. With every page, author A. (for Adam) Connors builds upon a world that is as mysterious as it is relatable. Lily's character is one that will resonate with many young readers, as she navigates a new life at the bottom of the ocean. Her situation may be unique, but her voyage of self-discovery and self-acceptance certainly isn't. There's something inherently reassuring about a flawed protagonist, which I feel my students will readily accept and fall in love with. Lily isn't perfect. In fact, she's been kicked out of school and is struggling to process the direction her life has taken, as well as keeping control of her own frustrations.

Lily's journey - literal, metaphorical and spiritual - begins with her feeling lost, isolated and overwhelmed, as she descends into the unknown. Teenaged readers needn't have been kicked out of school to understand some of the emotions she's experiencing as we join her in Chapter One. Of course, Lily's journey soon takes an enigmatic, and altogether thrilling turn, as she attempts to discover what is stirring out there in the darkness surrounding Deephaven. New alliances, potential romances and danger lurk, but at the novel's heart is a girl hoping she's found where she belongs.

The Girl Who Broke the Sea has plenty of twists and turns, and will challenge those with thalassophobia (a fear of deep water) to venture beyond their comfort zone. Combining author A. Connors' scientific speciality with something more than a little bit magical, this sci-fi thriller will keep young adult readers of all ages engaged until the final pages...

384 pages / Reviewed by Louise Baker, school librarian