This is a beautiful middle grade book.
It is a heartwarming tale about friendship and survival.
The writing is lovely but quite superficial which is to be expected.
A magical and beautiful read

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Such a great book! I enjoyed reading this one so much! I highly recommend this book. Side note: the cover!!!!

A beautiful lyrical story of survival, friendship and stories. Heavily recommend for fans of a life of pi or secondary students who want a challenge without too much darkness.

This was utterly absorbing from start to finish. I could easily have binged this if I'd had a spare day to just spend on reading! (And isn't that cover just stunning?)

Bill and Aya are very compelling characters, especially as we're meeting them under such life/death circumstances. The situations they need to respond to meant they had to showcase very full-saturation personalities, and their willpower to survive was honestly palpable. I loved the layered development of their friendship, a forever bond wrapped around with mutual life debts, Aya's Arabian Nights retellings, and fending off threats from sky, land, sea and human alike. I really liked how Bill and Aya gradually learned bits of each other's language, as well as the slow unpeeling of Aya's backstory. Subtly done and this badass girl is one of the biggest reasons to read this book. Another great thing was that even the minor characters had a strong character voice! Obviously Bill and Aya dominate the story, but it's nice when other characters feel like more than just filler or stock.

The plot never felt boring or repetitive despite being largely centred around 'what happens next for these kids marooned on a boat?' and 'what happens next for these kids marooned on an island'? - which I thought was a pretty amazing feat of writing. The plot pacing was excellent, hooks in the reader like a fish on a line and I certainly experienced my share of OMG moments. What surprised me most was probably the way I suddenly burst into tears near the end (and kept crying even after I finished). I got so attached to both Bill and Aya and my heart was just so overwhelmed! Vick writes simply yet so vividly, and I really felt everything the characters were feeling, even when it's from the POV of a minor character just observing.

An incredible story of survival, humanity and hope, threaded through with magical tales like jewels on a necklace, defies the imagination yet somehow remained completely believable. It reminded me a little of 'Life of Pi' (another excellent read) and also reminds me never to go sailing...I have a sizeable fear of the open ocean...

I think this is marketed towards an MG/YA audience, but I'd recommend this for all ages. Certainly one of my 2020 favourites!

Girl. Boy. Sea took me back to my high school days of reading Life of Pi. Only this time it was a less gruesome and the ending had more closure.

Throughout the novel, there were short tales. Some well known from the Arabian nights and some additions. Together they helped move the story along as it reached its ultimate conclusion.

This is a book that a lot of middle grade readers are likely to enjoy if they can move past the moments of gore.

i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed the plot of the book. The cover is really pretty and draws you in.

I remember the time when I read the very first book by Chris Vick 'Kook'. I remember reading it very well because I felt all the things that the main character felt, I could touch water, feel adrenaline, heartbreak and loss. I thought at that time that Chirs is not an author, I thought he was a magician.
Here, with third novel 'Girl, Boy, Sea' Chris comes back with his great ability to take you to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, with a girl who hardly speaks any English, and again he makes you immerse in the story til the last page of the book. To say that I love this book is not enough. It's a masterpiece made of words and emotions! Thank you for taking me on this amazing journey!

Incredibly well-written and atmospheric YA novel - gripped from the first page and read in one day. Definitely deserved the Carnegie nominiation!

After a storm a young British boy gets separated from the rest of boys he was sailing with. After some days at sea alone he rescues a girl, Aya, from a different boat. As the two spend many days together trying to survive at sea alone Aya tells Bill stories of the Arabian Nights.

This book was very atmospheric at times. Chris Vick's writing was very engaging and painted a clear picture. I can see why this book was shortlisted for the Carnegie Award.

You can see why it has been shortlisted for awards. So very beautifully written and gives you that real sense of place

DNF'd at 10% I couldn't get any connection to the plot or characters. I also found the writing to simple

Swirling in the power of storytelling, Chris Vick's Carnegie shortlisted Girl. Boy. Sea. is an extraordinary adventure of survival at sea.

Multilayered, Girl. Boy. Sea. is an absolute escape from our reality into Bill & Aya's world. And the climax simply rests in my soul-bed.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun read for anyone who loves survival stories

What I wasn't expecting with the story within a story about 10001 Nights

I was invested in what happened to all the characters and was enthralled by the fast, engrossing pace

Girl. Boy. Sea. is a beautifully told story of survival and unlikely friendships. With vivid imagery that makes it easy to imagine you are right there with the protagonists as the story unfolds. A lovely read.

More of a 3.5, but rounding up. First of all, the writing here was beautiful. Even when things were terrifying, I still spent most of this read in awe of the sea's beauty. I grew up on an island, so I have a lot of love and respect for the ocean and this did a good job of showing both those elements together. I was a big fan of survival/shipwreck novels in elementary school and this really felt like bringing it back to that in the nostalgia factor, which was also a fun part. There were also big Life of Pi vibes with the ending. I also really enjoyed the way the stories were weaved throughout and tying everything together.

Where it did lose me a bit was how much of the subplot depended on Aya's heritage and the political conflicts in her region. That's just a little uncomfortable for me, personally, to read coming from a white, English author. As a slight disclaimer, I don't know much about Aya's culture or everything mentioned in the book, so I can't comment on whether it was done well or not, I can just say it made me uncomfortable at times because of the implications of it being written by a white man in England. Just something to consider.

Rounding it off to a four, like I mentioned, because at the end of the day, I did enjoy the survival aspects and the nostalgia.

Thank you so much for Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a free e-copy in exchange of my honest review!

"A young British boy called Bill narrowly survives the sinking of his yacht in a huge storm off the coast of Morocco. He saves a girl called Aya, from the nomadic Berber tribe." Through the days which seems so endless, they cling into stories told by Aya to live on. Because they have no idea what will happen next, the only thing that gives them comfort, while trying to survive, is tales. Through their journey, especilly Bill's personality grew the most! Such and adventure they had!

This is a very touching , beautifully written and enchanting middle grade book. It was simple, easily enjoyable and I believe this is the perfect summer read for any children and adult as well!

Wow what a page turner. I found this book completely captivating and couldn't put it down. The series of event were realistic and described with the amount of detail that when I was sat reading it on a hot day, I felt like I was there watching the events unfold.

I love the structure of the book, its broken up into small sections, days or scenes that chapters aren't long and over done they are short and succinct. Which I really enjoyed.

Whilst telling the story of our main characters, it weaves into tales from other lands and culture that strengthen the narrative of the book. I never found a dull moment or a moment for my mind to drift off, the detail of writing ensured that even out at sea with nothing around there wasn't a dull moment.

I have so much to say about this book but for the risk of giving spoilers I will save it for my blog and instagram review a week before the publication date! Really recommend this book.

What a great page turner. This is a worthy Carnegie shortlist book. The story was surprising and mixed high drama with poignancy, suspense and beautifully judged relationships. A series of unbelievable events that are totally believable. I can't believe anyone would regret reading this book, it stays with you well after the last page has been read.

I think like others I mistook this title as a younger read, but it is more YA. A survival story, intertwining cultures. Perhaps a read for a student who enjoys shipwreck or survival tales. Draws inspiration from Lord of the Flies, Life of Pi etc. However I didn’t particularly enjoy it and I can’t think of many students of mine I would recommend it to. I read it as part of the Carnegie shortlist, Thank you to the publisher for the free ebook in exchange for review.