story craft

Genre: YA Fantasy

Format: eARC

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Reasons to Love 

– retelling 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
– clean YA fantasy
– excellent worldbuilding 
– creative spin on a classic

Cautions: sweet, understated romance; flirting but no physical affection other than holding hands

Favorite quote: see below*

Snapshot: I’ve never read 20,000 Leagues, so, as many others have said, I don’t know how this goes as far as retellings. I did watch a movie once with Yul Brynner—probably when I was much too young for said movie—and it was actually my favorite for a while.

Though I was still in single digits then, I still remembered that excitement when I picked up this book. 

I mean, a sea adventure with a fun and loving sidekick? An FMC who’s soft and sweet but has backbone when she needs to? And an MMC who’ll do anything to protect those he loves—and is just the kind of guy you want to succeed? Sign me up. 

And well, I did sign up for the ARC team, and I’m glad I did. 

Honestly, this book hit at a rough time in my life, in a season of immense loss and pain, and it allowed me to go on a daring adventure, to escape with people who had to explore somewhat similar feelings of grief. 

And being a music lover while hurting so deeply, I couldn’t help but want to be Willa’s friend. Her love for music and caring for others was a balm to my world-weary soul. 

💫 “Music eases many ails, Mr. Gannon, especially the ones we cannot see.”

I could also relate to Huxley’s feelings of anger over people who leave (by choice or otherwise), broken hearts, misunderstandings, and the things and people that hold us captive no matter how much we wish they didn’t. 

💫 “It’s a slow kind of fading when you allow your heart to be bought in by the world’s whims. So be careful what voices you heed lest they become yours, too.”

But like Huxley, the kind, loving, supportive people around me have helped me find joy and appreciate the simple beautiful again. Slowly but surely, we heal. 

💫 “I had an inkling that she appreciated beautiful things, and I had the sudden urge to give it to her.” 

These might not be the things the author intended to convey, but where I am, the story still spoke to me. All the unanswered questions and sleepless nights and longing for freedom while learning to embrace the journey and the people in it with you—that I felt deeply.

Again, I can’t say how much this lined up as a retelling, but I enjoyed the story and the characters. 

📚 I received a free copy of this book as part of the author’s arc team, but all the ideas and ramblings here are my own.