"She said stories lived in the ear of the hearer, not the teller."

A gorgeously written middle grade novel about the power of storytelling, that also examines living with grief and the importance of home. I especially enjoyed anthropological aspects of the story. Highly recommended!

Gorgeous writing, compelling characters, and a hint of island magic! This story is full of heart and hard choices. I loved watching Kela navigate friendship changes and loss as an undercurrent to her more pressing problem: facing off with the sea woman who wants her soul!! Fast paced, unique storytelling that shines!

This middle grade fantasy digs deep into love, loss, and letting go, through the lenses of a heartbroken girl and a vengeful mermaid. After her mother dies, the main character Kela pulls back from all the things -- and people -- she loves. She wants nothing more than for her mother to be alive again. Kela discovers a mermaid’s comb and gets granted one magical wish, and the rest is a beautifully woven, easy to read tale of magic, revenge, and simply trying to make things right, all set against the vivid island backdrop of St. Rita.

The characters felt so real even in the midst of a fantastical story. Loved all the details about artifacts and preservation.

What a delightful story! A magical mermaid tale set in the Caribbean with a theme that out of something sad or broken, something beautiful can be made. I loved the repetition of “Crick. Crack. The story is put on you,” a line that means (as one of the characters explains) that the listener must decide what the story means. All school libraries should carry this novel! My interview with the author will be posted at MGBookVillage.org on Feb. 7, 2022.

A Comb of Wishes is about a girl named Kela who lives on the island of St. Rita. She has recently experienced the loss of her mother and is struggling to adapt to how her life has changed. One day she finds an antique comb, which it turns out belongs to a mermaid. The mermaid is desperate to get the comb back and makes a deal with Kela - she'll give Kela a wish in exchange for the comb, but after she makes her wish, the comb breaks. Kela then must reckon with the mermaid's rage in the aftermath of her wish coming true. This is sure to be a new favorite among middle grader girls due to it's relatable protagonist and exciting plot but other readers can still enjoy the book thanks to the beautiful atmosphere created by the writing. Stringfellow melds the bright, rich setting of the Caribbean island that Kela inhabits with the dark, menacing setting of the ocean where the mermaid lives elegantly. Overall a great choice for readers who love fantasy and magic books.

A Comb of Wishes
by Lisa Stringfellow
HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books
Children's Fiction | Middle Grade | Sci Fi & Fantasy
Pub Date 08 Feb 2022



I am reviewing a copy A Comb of Wishes through HarperCollins Children’s Books, Quill Tree Books and Netgalley:



Kela has felt every bit as broken as the shards of glass, known as “mermaid’s tears, ever since her Mother died. That sparkle on the Caribbean beaches of St. Rita. So when Kela and her friend Lissy stumble across an ancient-looking comb in a coral cave, with all she’s already lost, Kela can’t help but bring home her very own found treasure.




Deep in the cold ocean, far away from Kela Ophidia can feel that her comb has been taken. And despite her hatred of all humans, her magic requires that she make a bargain: the comb in exchange for a wish.




But the only thing Kela wishes for is for her Mother to be a live. But a wish like that comes at an even bigger price.



A Comb of Wishes is a great read for middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy novels.


I give A Comb of Wishes five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I was really swept up in this book. The author pulled you along with two intertwining stories that are both filled with grief and sorrow as well as friendship and love.
This was a quick read because the story was so well written that you felt like you were a part of it. If you love fairy tales (or mermaid tails), friendship, and love for your mother this is the book for you.
Happy swimming!

Crick.
Crack.
This is a story.
A Comb of Wishes is about a girl named Kela whose life has not been the same since her mother passed away in a terrible accident. She has distanced herself from her friends and spends her time on the beach collecting sea glass, known on her Caribbean island as "Mermaid's Tears." One day when she is collecting, she is called to explore a cave and finds a comb that she finds out quickly belongs to an actual mermaid. The mermaid offers her one wish in exchange for returning her comb, but like most wishes, Kela's comes with a price and when the comb breaks and Kela can't return it, the stakes are raised even higher. I love the way this book handles Kela's loss and the stages of grief with a bit of magic, which may be just what a middle grader needs to help them move forward. There are also elements of betrayal and a high stakes mystery when the comb is stolen. You also get to learn about life on the island of St. Rita and their tradition of story telling. I also love how this book handles relationships with friends and family. I would highly recommend this book for middle grade classroom when it hits the shelves in February 2022.

I adored Lisa Stringfellow's debut for its original story and wonderful prose. Told in alternating POVs between the protagonist, Kela, who has recently lost her mother and the antagonist, Ophidia, a seawoman with a palpable grudge, the novel moves seamlessly between both characters' worlds. Perhaps reflecting the Stringfellow's expertise as a teacher, I found myself flagging lovely turns of phrase and descriptions she used that model engaging and lyrical writing for middle grade readers and build a bright and magical world of St. Rita and the sea.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy of the book.

To be entirely honest, I requested this book mainly because it had a mermaid on the cover. After reading it however I'm very glad that I requested it. I did think it would be more of a scary book based on the cover, but maybe it would be to a younger reader.

Kela is a good protagonist for a middle grade novel. She makes mistakes but ultimately realizes what the right thing to do is and follows through with doing it. Her grief over her mother feels very real and the story shows how much it has affected her life. Her friend Lissy calls her out for pushing her away, her dad talks about how they never go diving anymore, and other similar things.

Ophidia, the sea woman, is a fun character to read about. Her perspectives all start and end with the same phrases and I thought that was unique and a fun storytelling tool. I do wish we could learn more about her and her life under the sea, but her motivation in this story is simply to get her comb back from Kela.

This book felt a little slow during some parts and it took me a little longer to read than I'd anticipated, but I enjoyed it despite that. The setting and characters were fun and the plot was intriguing. This was fun to read as an adult but as a child this is definitely a book that I would have read in one sitting.

4 Stars

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to review this title.

This was such a beautiful story! It hooked me right from the beginning. I really enjoyed the duel POV's between Kela (our main protagonist) and Ophidia the mermaid and slated villain.

I loved reading about what life is like on the island of St. Rita and about all the colorful creatures and people that reside there.

There are themes are grief, family, friendship and undying love woven throughout this story.

Honestly I requested this book thinking it would be scary, but it was the complete opposite. The story was confusing because they kept switching perspectives from the mermaid to the girl.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

This was an excellent journey. Themes are grief, family, friendship and undying love. The author has done an amazing job spinning this tale. It takes place on an island of St. Rita, Kela finds a magical comb that belongs to a mermaid.

What ensues is an adventure that will have you wanting more. Magic exists and can change your world and life.

This was a fantastic middle grades read that kept me hooked as a 32-year-old reader as well. Kela is fully fleshed out as a character. She is a great representation of the age and her inner and outer conflicts are well written. The setting is beautiful and I even learned something about seashell collecting (do not do it!)

This is a must buy.