A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow

Welcome Back, Booklovers! There's a new Caribbean-inspired MG on the market and this one features a dark mermaid. I received an arc of A Comb of Wishes from HarperCollins Children in exchange for an honest review.

This story is set on the Caribbean island of St. Rita where Kela lives with her father. It's been three months since her mother passed away in a care accident and it feels like she and her father are just going through the motions. They used to go on weekly diving excursions but she no longer has the urge. Her best friend Lissy wants to know why Kela has pushed her away.

One day while collecting sea glass near a coral reserve, Kela discovers a mysterious box. She secrets sneaks it into her bag and discovers an ancient comb inside. The owner of the comb appears to her through a portal through her mirror and reveals herself as the mermaid Ophidia. Ophidia wants her comb back and offers Kela a wish in exchange for it's return. There's only one thing Kela wishes for. But magic comes at a price and what happens when Kela doesn't hold up her end of the bargain?

Fan of The Jumbies and Josephine Against the Sea will enjoy this story. While it has similar vibes at the start being Caribbean set and incorporating local folklore, A Comb of Wishes focuses more on the grief of losing a parent as the loss Kela is experiencing is more recent. And unlike those stories Kela's relationship with her father is strained as they both try to navigate the loss they've experienced. Much of the focus is her coming to terms with the grief and realizing she doesn't need to push her loved ones away. 

It also includes themes of environmental protection and cultural preservation. Not only is importance stressed on protecting the local beaches and reefs but Kela also makes jewelry out of sea glass but never shells as they help stabilize the beach and local ecosystems. Her mother's job was to document and preserve history around the islands and Lissy's grandmother is a storyteller.

Magic is sprinkled in alongside local lore of seafolk that has been passed orally for generations. There are some creepy moments with the mermaid Ophidia who has a distain for humans after a previous encounter. I like how Lisa Stringfellow managed to tie in bits of history while crafting a tale of a grief stricken girl and a 300 year old vengeful mermaid.

Josephine Against the Sea by Shakirah Bourne

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I decided to switch things up this week and read a Middle Grade fantasy. And how fitting to end Read Caribbean/Caribbean-American Heritage month with a Caribbean author. Shakirah Bourne is a author from Barbados and I was gifted a copy from Scholastic of the North American version of what my Caribbean friends know as My Fishy Stepmom. 

Josephine is a mischievous little girl who lives in the seaside village of Fairy Vale, Barbados with her father. She has a habit of chasing away every woman her widowed father dates. She plans on it just being the two of them and this year is the year she will make the school cricket team.

One day a mysterious woman shows up on her father's arm. But for some reason this new woman, Mariss isn't succumbing to Josephine's attempted pranks. She immediately senses something is off about the way men and women bend to Mariss' will so easily. And what's with the way the fish act around her?  This pushy woman has forced her way into Josephine's life fairly quickly and is positioning herself to be her new mother.

This book was a good read. It's been awhile since a book had me laughing the way this one did. There was this scene where Josephine tries to sabotage Mariss by pouring wiri wiri pepper into her soup and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for her reaction. If you've ever tasted it you know it is not for the weak! 

I loved how well it showcased Josephine's father's heritage as well. He's an originally from Guyana and not to get too deep into it but some Guyanese people face discrimination in  Barbados (Rihanna talked a little bit about it in an interview last year). I myself have Guyanese family in Barbados so it was a beautiful and familiar thing to hear her Josephine talk about her father's homeland and foods and traditions he brought from there. And there are many people in the Caribbean whose family has roots on other countries and they balance traditions and foods from both.

The characters use Bajan Creole freely and it's not explained or translated. Young readers who aren't of Caribbean heritage will just have to use context clues to figure it out. And they will see that though they live a little differently the children in the Caribbean have many similarities to them as well.

I'm also a lover of any water related mythos and was a big fan of mermaids as a child so that's one of the reasons I wanted to pick up this book. 

This book also deals with grief but in a way that's not preachy while still showing how you never  completely get over loss but slowly do heal. Josephine is pushing every woman interested in her father away because she's afraid he'll move on and forget her mother. There's great conversations in here about talking out your feelings and being able to express grief.

I think the kids will also enjoy the magic and the fast pace. Shakirah Bourne writes in a way that is guaranteed to easily capture even  the most reluctant reader's attention. 

If your children liked The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste they'll love this one. And if you're looking for more Caribbean folklore based books for your children be sure to pre-order A Comb of Wishes. 

Participating in my First Readathon! 🧜🏾‍♀️🧜🏿‍♀️

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

I've decided to participate in the SeaMAYdenathon! I think it's the perfect way to connect with others readers and celebrate. I've never participated in a readathon before but they seem like a good way to connect with other booklovers and stick to some reading goals. And I love mermaids so a readathon themed around my favorite mythical beings is perfect.

And how fitting that one of my planned reads for the month of May features black mermaid magic!

I heard about this readathon through Leelynn's blog where there is also a sign up form to be a part of a reading team. I encourage everyone to sign up by April 30 and participate.
https://sometimesleelynnreads.com/2020/04/06/announcement-seamayden-athon-with-mir-fangirl-pixie-blog/

The prompts are doable and I love the fun names for them. I've already selected a combination of books to fit a few of the prompts.

For Siren's Call: A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Beach Please!: The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon 

Release the Kraken: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Under the Sea: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Rosanne Brown

Sea Salt: Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

I'm sure I'll have enough time to read more prompts but for now I'm setting a goal I know I'm sure I can complete.