Our Castle by the Sea, by Lucy Strange

    The second book by author Lucy Strange, and the first one by her I have read. The cover isn't super attractive, and the title isn't either, I have to say, but the book is worth getting past both of those speed bumps. Our Castle by the Sea tells the story of young Petra, who lives with her sister and parents on the southern English coast managing a lighthouse. Outside of the lighthouse stands four giant stone pillars that have folklore about them, a story that goes right to Petra's bones. The first time her father tells her the tale of the giant stones Petra feels a connection to the four girls the stones represent, guardians of the sea. The book's setting is 1940, and the start of World War 2. Petra and her family are tangled in the web of the war, but from very different angles than you would expect in a typical WW2 story. In fact, one of the things I most like about this book is the interesting angle Strange takes on the war.

    The other thing I most like about this book is the constant hum of tension that Strange manages from the very start of the story. As I read each page my body just wouldn't fully relax...there was a hum of tensions, like a guitar string tied a little too tightly, throughout the story. I loved it, and the book is quite well written!

    What kept this from being my first 5 paw book of the year was the ending. It was good, but suddenly it seemed the author didn't quite know how to bring all the elements of the story together, so she did it somewhat quickly, and a little too easily, I think. Not a terrible ending, and the rest of the book was strong enough to still give this a very good rating. But her ending needed a bit more thought...or at least I thought so! I will definitely ask for the first book by this author to read and add to the library collection. And that is high praise, indeed! 4 paws!