This was, to put it shortly, astounding. I literally am in awe at how mystical this felt. It is full of black girl magic, of empowerment, overcoming struggles... and it is quite literally a masterpiece. I laughed, I outraged... and that COVER! This is a must pick-up.

3.75 stars

Simidele, the m.c. of this YA fantasy - with heavy mythological influences - novel is on a memorable adventure that marks her life, the lives of those she encounters, and the minds of readers who get to enjoy a trip to her world.

Bowen's world building here is totally riveting. The characters are varied, intriguing, and engaging, and I loved encountering both known characters in new forms and completely new characters that I wanted to get to know better. Simidele is no Ariel; as the star of this novel and world, for readers' purposes at least, she is a developed character who is impacted by her identity, her moral code, and her personal and communal histories. The way that Bowen ties in cultural events and traumas here only adds to the meaningfulness of this world and this narrative.

There is so much creativity and freshness about this piece, but at times, the narrative slows a bit. I wanted to see quicker movement through certain scenes and realizations.

Overall, this is a stellar effort, and I am already looking forward to reading more from Bowen. I'll be recommending this one to students for a long time to come.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before publication.

I have to be honest, I was drawn to this book because of the BEAUTIFUL cover. Once I read the blurb, I was further drawn in. Skin of the Sea explores the idea of the mermaid myth and its ties to the slave trade in Africa. The story not only draws heavily on the African lore and mythology, but weaves those myths into a girl saves boy, boy saves girl, both attempt to save the world, plot line.

It was an enjoyable read, and I would be interested in seeing the story continued.

I give this book all of the stars. I'm very picky about what YA books I read as most tend to be romance-heavy with plot as a secondary thought, so I really enjoyed that Skin of the Sea was very much the other way around. It made the impact of the book that much more when the story and characters were front and foremost with little hints of romance through it.

This book has enormous historical importance as it discusses the horrific slavery of the innocent African people and how they were treated by the Europeans on the ships. It does discuss the horrors graphically--not to a Rated R film extent, but the book does include a trigger warning at the beginning which I thought was a nice touch. I've never seen one in a book before, and I really hope it catches on, especially with books that discuss racism, homophobia, and abuse.

There is a ton of the Yoruban language in this which was really really fun to see. The story really focuses on the beauty and strength of Yoruba culture and religion. The main characters are well-written throughout the story and have really compelling character arcs. I loved Simidele and her strength and resilience. She was a compelling character with a lot of fire in her. Bowen does an excellent job weaving lyrical writing with a complex topic, and it's really hard to see that this is a debut. It's SO well-written.

Just read it, OK. It's an important book to read. It's a great book. It's got action, adventure, romance, magic and gods, mermaids. And it is NOT (hallelujah) based in Europe. What else could you want?

I loved how this wove West African mythology and Simi's story into the Little Mermaid tale so seamlessly. It really was a beautifully told story, and I'm left thinking about it now that I'm done. This may just be one of those books that the more I think about it, the higher the rating will be.

The way the ending was left, I'm wondering if book 2 will have echoes of Hades and Persephone. I hope there is more because the ending was very abrupt. Although I was kind of expecting the tone of the ending, I was hoping for resolution for Kola and his younger siblings. Did saving the twins from Esu stop the horrible future of death and despair that Simi saw? The story ends before we find out any of that.

Still, this is a wonderful book, and I will definitely buy this for my library.

I thoroughly enjoyed Skin of the Sea! Natasha Bowen has created a remarkable heroine in Simidele. She yearns for more than what she has been given and is not afraid to question why things are the way they are. She is not perfect but her courage and determination, despite her continual doubts, are admirable. I found the inclusion of the African Orishas and their stories to give such a richness to the book. I also appreciate that love is present in many forms in this book (friendship, parent-child, creator-creation) with romance being a minor part. Ms. Bowen does a wonderful job of translating the sentences or words that are unfamiliar to readers - they are re-stated very naturally in a character’s thoughts or conversation, which feels very natural. The plot is action packed and mysterious. I highly recommend this book! Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC.

Vibrant characters, incredible world building, and a gripping plot. I loved the young heroine’s tenacity and the promise of future stories at the end. A must buy for secondary/teen libraries.

This one is super fast paced which I enjoyed! The synopsis drew me in. I have always loved mermaids and I was super excited to pick this one up. There were times though where I found myself skimming the pages and I wasn’t as absorbed in the story. The representation was amazing and it’s mentioning of heavier topics was done really well.

Simi, made Mami Wata, a mermaid, spends her time blessing the souls of those who die at sea and ushering them on their journey home. When a boy is thrown overboard at sea, on the brink of death but still alive, Simi breaks decree and saves his life. Unfortunately, saving a life comes with a price, and now all of Mami Wata and even their reigning goddess are at risk. In order to make amends, she must stop a trickster as he tries to gain a powerful footing in the world of the Orisha.

What I Loved:
- I really enjoyed the seamless incorporation of West African mythology. It brought the world of the Orisha to life and personified their characters in a way that was tangible.
- I really liked the Mami Wata element - not often to we read books with main characters that live in the sea.
- I liked that there was a partial historical element; the story didn't take place in a made up world but one that we know from history.
- I liked that there was a strong female protagonist who didn't often need too much saving and did a lot of the hardest work on her own volition.

What I Didn’t Love:
- Holy "abrupt ending," Batman! This was the greatest abrupt ending to a story I've ever read. It is not marketed as the first of a duology, trilogy, or series of any kind, so if this is it, this is the book and the end of the story, I am shocked that the editors would let an ending like this go to publishing.
- The plot left a bit to be desired. It felt like the characters were doing a lot of traveling and then every handful of chapters would come across some obstacle on their way to their destination. Initially, it was fine, but after a while it started to feel very formulaic, repetitive, and predictable.

- Overall:
Overall, I had such high hopes for this story and felt like it had so much potential. Its greatest asset is the world of the Orisha that saturates every page. It was really brought to life, and the Mami Wata element felt so unique in comparison to other YA fantasy books that have a mythological element to them. This book's greatest downfall was its incredibly abrupt ending that left me very unsatisfied. The greatest loose ends were tied up but smaller ones were left open and then the book was over and I was shocked. If a second book is not planned, I'll be even more dumbfounded. I think younger YA readers will find this book entertaining and present a beautiful perspective of West African mythology. For adult readers, this book will feel like it fell short of its potential.

It was a great book and I enjoyed reading this book. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

This was such a beautiful and exciting read. I s lucky to have been part of the few to be able to read it early. The well-written characters leave the reader wanting more page after page, and I can’t wait to get this book I to my classroom library!

“What is done is done. We cannot change the past, only learn from it. What happens next is up to you.”

Skin of the Sea is an incredible debut YA fantasy novel by Natasha Bowen. Set in the 1400s in a world based on West African mythology, Skin of the Sea follows Simidele, a type of mermaid known as Mami Wata, who transports and blesses souls safely back home once they have been lost to the sea. Created by an orisha named Yemoja, Simi must obey the rules of the Mami Wata or face the consequences. When Simi finds a soul in the sea that is still alive, she has to choose between defying her maker and saving him or letting him die in her arms. Simi chooses to save him and risk the drastic repercussions.

Inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, Skin of the Sea is an epic fantasy adventure which includes many deities of the Yoruba people. Beautiful imagery throughout the book describes the characters, settings, and story in brilliant detail which makes everything easy to picture. Although the end of the book seemed a bit rushed, it left me wanting more.

Skin of the Sea does a tremendous job of taking the core beats of the Little Mermaid - a mermaid who longs for the land, who saves a human boy, who risks becoming foam in the sea for loving him - and layers it within Yoruba culture during the transatlantic slave trade. It is an ambitious project, and Bowen rises to the challenge.

We learn early on that the mermaids, called Mami Wata, were created to escort the souls of slave-victims safely to the Great Creator. But although the story begins with a slaver’s ship, this is not a story of the white man. The slavers are quickly left behind as Simidele and Kola cross paths with numerous deities and fairy-folk. The main conflicts arise from Simi breaking the rules to save Kola’s life and fighting with her own memories of being human.

Bowen is Nigerian, where the Yoruba religion originates, and includes a bibliography for further reading about both the transatlantic slave trade and African traditions. At times the narrative feels a little bogged down by all the worldbuilding she stuffed into the story, and I wish it had a glossary of all the terms mentioned. Still, Bowen gives enough context to each for the reader to visualize what’s going on, and now I really want to learn more. For possubly the only fiction title I know of with this premise, I didn’t mind the fast-paced introductions to so many Yoruba traditions.

Overall, this book is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves mermaids, interfering gods, African cultures, or just a damn good story.

Breathtaking! I could not put this one down. Sure to be the most talked about YA novel of the year. Can't wait to see what else this author comes up with!

During a time when representation is so important, this book really spoke to me. Mermaids are beautiful creatures and my whole life, I never thought they looked like me because I never saw a mermaid that slightly resembled me. But Natasha Bowen has created a world where mermaids look like me, my Momma, my sisters, my grandmother... they have natural kinky, curly hair and skin in every shade of brown that represents my family.  "Skin of the Sea" is a beautiful book that is a blend of history, African mythology, and a fantastical world that will ensnare readers.  Black history is so much more than pain and trauma.  This book celebrates all the positive and uplifting aspects of African culture and history during a time of great tragedy.  It showed me the resiliency of my people in the face of unspeakable pain.  This book moved me and it should be shared with the world.

I really enjoyed this book and the main characters were very unique and interesting. The story plot was full of adventure which is something that I really enjoy in a book. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends.

I was disappointed with this book. It had such a a great premise, and I absolutely loved the cover. It bored me to tears, unfortunately.