Another graphic novel - that's two in a row! - and another book on next year's OBOB list! The Girl from the Sea is the story of 15-year-old Morgan who lives on an island with her mom and annoying younger brother. Morgan has a small group of girl friends that she doesn't seem super connected to, on the one hand, but who also seem to be her support group (that storyline is a little blurry). Except they don't know that Morgan has a new friend, a girl from the sea named Keltie. Morgan dreams of being rescued from drowning by this beautiful mermaid character, and secretly understands she has desires to be romantic with this girl as well...Morgan is gay.
Author/illustrator Ostertag creates a good story about teen romance that will appeal to anyone who enjoys YA or teen books with romance as a theme - not just those among the LGBTQ community. The artwork is simple but good, better than the overall storyline I'd say. The story itself isn't bad, it's just...okay. Teen angst, annoying family members and rules, an absent parent, friends who don't quite understand you...this story checks a lot of the boxes. The interest Morgan has in Keltie is a nice twist, but not the only one. Keltie is actually a seal who turns into human form because of true loves kiss - Morgan's. So there's that twist as well.
It's nice to see OBOB including the graphic novel category in its titles again this year! And nice to have the LGBTQ community a more included part of the program, too (even though OBOB has rocked the boat in the past with other LGBTQ titles, which hasn't always been received well across the state of Oregon).The Girl from the Sea is a nice addition to the season't list of titles, but not an amazing choice. It has enough going for it to make it a 4 paw book, however, and if you'd like a new graphic novel to read, or a new romance book for teens, you could do worse than this one!
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