Fear the Drowning Deep {by Sarah Glenn Marsh}

Title: Fear the Drowning Deep
Author: Sarah Glenn Marsh
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
source: Edelweiss

Witch’s apprentice Bridey Corkill has hated the ocean ever since she watched her granddad dive in and drown with a smile on his face. So when a dead girl rolls in with the tide in the summer of 1913, sixteen-year-old Bridey suspects that whatever compelled her granddad to leap into the sea has made its return to the Isle of Man.
Soon, villagers are vanishing in the night, but no one shares Bridey’s suspicions about the sea. No one but the island’s witch, who isn’t as frightening as she first appears, and the handsome dark-haired lad Bridey rescues from a grim and watery fate. The cause of the deep gashes in Fynn’s stomach and his lost memories are, like the recent disappearances, a mystery well-guarded by the sea. In exchange for saving his life, Fynn teaches Bridey to master her fear of the water — stealing her heart in the process.
Now, Bridey must work with the Isle’s eccentric witch and the boy she isn’t sure she can trust — because if she can’t uncover the truth about the ancient evil in the water, everyone she loves will walk into the sea, never to return. 

I almost didn't pick this up, because it didn't seem like my kind of thing, but I am so glad that I decided to. This was a beautifully written story, one that I enjoyed very much.

Bridey is afraid of the sea, something she can't escape since she lives on an island. But since no one would believe her if she told them about the things she sees in the sea, she keeps it to herself. That is, until a dead girl washes in, and young women start disappearing from the island. Bridey sets out to prove that her sea monsters are real, before anyone else disappears.

This was beautifully written. The prose was gorgeous, capturing the haunting atmosphere very well. The sea, the island, the creatures, written in a way that will really make you picture what is happening. While I would not say this book was dark, the was a melancholy vibe around it that I loved.

The book, more than defeating monsters, was about Bridey coming into herself, overcoming her fears. I really liked Bridey, and the way she was written. I also liked the other characters, especially her sisters and parents. I loved how family was foremost in this story, and loved seeing her bond with her sisters. I did like her friends, although I wish that we got to see more of them (and that one seemed to be there only as a throwaway character for a barely-there love triangle...)(not that triangles are terrible, but he could have been a much better character on his own, instead of feeling like he was only there for that one plot point).

I did feel the romance too fast, but not enough to detract from the story. The ending had some loose ends, which some people may not like and some people will. But all in all I thought this was a beautiful story and I very much enjoyed it.

Sarah Glenn Marsh:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads