Josephine Against the Sea

This Caribbean-inspired story takes place in Barbados, which is a new locale for me in the reading world! Josephine is my favorite kind of character. She's witty, stubborn, and full of love for her father and her family friends. Once she discovers that her father's girlfriend isn't quite what she seems, the story takes off and it's a fun one! I love magical realism, and this is an excellent example of that. This is the kind of story that you can easily fly through in a matter of hours. I guarantee that you'll be rooting for Josephine by the mid point of this story.

All Josephine wants to do is play on the school cricket team. She wants to find a way to bring her father out of his funk, after the loss of her father, and make him proud of her. I felt so hard for her, as she watched her father draw further and further into himself. By the time that Mariss enters the picture, and the magical aspect of this comes into play, there is already a beautiful family dynamic in place. As Josephine fought tooth and nail to save her father, and the people in her community, I was right there with her. Bourne has written the kind of character who is so very easy to understand. You can step right into her shoes.

It's too hard to write a long review for this one, because I don't want to spoil anything for any potential readers. Suffice it to say that this is the perfect blend of magical realism and family dynamic. It's sweet, suspenseful, and even a little sad. There is so much beautiful folklore woven in that I didn't know about previously! I had an excellent time reading this, and highly recommend it!