Songs of Thalassa by Brian N Tissot
YA Science Fiction, 2020 by BookBaby, 320 Pages
What I Didn’t Like:
- Skewed impact of emotional scenes. There were deaths in this one that almost felt more shocking in the non-reaction of the characters to the deaths. You expect it to pack a punch, emotionally, and instead it falls sort of flat. I was disappointed in that lack of emotional resonance.
- Unnecessary cursing. I’m actually not opposed to curse words in young adult books, but it’s worth mentioning in case you are.
- Placement of the Glossary. There are a lot of Hawaiian and scientific terms in this one. The author included a glossary, which I love, but it appears at the end. There’s actually no mention of it anywhere. Therefore, it wasn’t until I got to the end of the book that I realized there had been a place I could’ve had these terms defined for me (besides Google). Putting that up front (or at least a reference to it up front) would have been incredibly helpful.
What I Did Like:
- Science. I’ve said before that I ADORE when science is kept in science fiction. This one takes place on a planet that doesn’t exist, but the author went to great lengths to make sure it’s not only believable, but possible! The development of the planet uses the science behind oceans and animals in a fascinating way.
- Big themes. The lesson in this book relates to how we treat our planet and it’s very well done.
- Accurate descriptions of surfing. I’m not a surfer, but the descriptive language made it easy to picture and enjoy.
Who Should Read This One:
- If you’re passionate about saving the ocean and the animals in it, you’ll love the big themes in this book.