School Library Journal Starred Review (Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Gr 4–8— Brigit knows that in order to fit in, she must remove the webbing of skin that is growing between her fingers. Although painful, cousin Alys has always helped with this process. Kids at school aren't very accepting of her, given that she's half human, half seal. Being the daughter of a Selkie (seal woman), Brigit lives near Nova Scotia with her parents and little brother Willie. Thankfully, she develops some close friendships that end up being essential when she finds herself alone; her father has disappeared while fishing, and her mother has returned to the sea to find him. A large golden seal holds the key to the village's survival, as he is preventing the fish from being caught and even causing some of the storms that wreak havoc on the villagers and their way of life. The story is written in first person; Brigit and the other characters read as white. Have a tissue box nearby as heartbreak is in sure supply. The struggle between good and evil become blurred as readers are led to consider both sides, both of value. Topics presented include seal pup clubbing, diphtheria, bullying, food insecurities, storm destruction, and the cliques that come with small-town living. VERDICT Expertly told in poetic fashion, this book will hook its readers from sentence one. Highly recommended for all who love fantasy, tragedy, history, and folklore.— Tracy Cronce

ALA Booklist (Thu Dec 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Like her mother, Brigit has selkie (part human part seal) heritage. But unlike Mum, she hasn't yet shapeshifted from human to seal form. Nor has she met her selkie relatives living in the sea near her small village in Nova Scotia. As Brigit grows toward maturity, she dreads the change but looks forward to it, too. The taunting at school is hard to bear, and soon the villagers spread mean-spirited rumors, blaming her family's selkie connection for diseases striking their friends and family members, as well as calamities at sea. With support from two loyal friends, Brigit prepares to don a sealskin and act with determination to save both her parents' lives and restore order amid escalating chaos. Brennan's first novel is a well-paced first-person narrative inspired by elements of Celtic folklore, which are communicated to readers through snippets from old tales and verses from a selkie-themed traditional ballad. In this quiet but compelling story, Brigit endures humiliation, prejudice, and loss, but she perseveres. A novel combining occasionally harsh realism with elements of magic and unshakable hope.

Kirkus Reviews

A girl comes of age and reconciles with her selkie blood in Brennan's debut novel.Brigit lives with a secret: Webbing grows between her fingers, and no matter how often her cousin Alys cuts it away, it grows back. Her village on the coast of Nova Scotia may be under a selkie "bane" that's affecting everyone's catch-possibly as retribution for the killing of baby seals. Rumors also swirl about the origins of her mother, who, as Brigit says, "has no ties on land." Brigit befriends new arrival Peter, an orphan who hails "from away"-in this case, Manitoba, where his family were homesteaders. Peter, who's arrived with new priest Father Angus, his uncle, learns about Brigit's life and community, revealing details about them to readers at the same time. This historical fantasy is loosely inspired by the Celtic legends Brigit adores, including the love story of Oisín (son of the warrior Finn MacCool) and Neve (daughter of the sea god). Brigit narrates events in the first person as her sense of self-identity develops through family tragedy, community hardship, and her increasing awareness of her heritage. Everything culminates in Brigit's dramatic quest to get the Great Selkie to lift the bane. The tale's strength lies in its writing: well-drawn characters, a strong sense of place, vivid images of the natural world, and evocative fantastical elements. All characters are cued white.An immersive reading experience threaded through with Celtic lore. (Fantasy. 9-13)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In this multilayered middle grade debut, Brennan (the Fact Files series) evocatively establishes the hardships of a tween living as an incognito selkie in the sea-blasted chill of Nova Scotia. Though Brigit Finn habitually cuts back the webbing between her fingers to facilitate her masquerade as human, she and her mother—who are shape-shifting magical seals from nearby Sule Skerrie—are still the topic of persistent gossip throughout her financially struggling rural fishing village. Brigit endures persistent bullying from classmates, but with the support of her family, which also includes her Scots-descended father and precocious five-year-old brother, she forms buoying friendships with her cousin and a newcomer, the Manitoban nephew of the local priest. When the village’s fortunes shift for the worse, the fishermen—blaming selkies—target Brigit and her family, who are already suffering their own profound tragedies: someone has been killing young seals, angering the king of the