Seven Tears Into the Sea by Terri Farley

Title: Seven Tears Into the Sea

Author: Terri Farley

Pages: 279

Genre: YA/Teen

Source: Win via Tales of Whimsy

Beckon the sea,

I'll come to thee....

Shed seven tears,

perchance seven years....

At the age of ten, Gwen Cooke had a strange encounter with a boy with dark, slightly tilted eyes. He came to her on the beach, whispered strange words in her ear, and then disappeared. Shortly thereafter, her family moved away from their seaside home and Gwen never saw the boy again.

Now seventeen, Gwen is returning to her childhood home. Her nana asked her to come. But Gwen knows it's time to go back for another reason: She yearns for the sea. Perhaps the sea itself is calling to her. Perhaps the memory of the boy and his haunting words are drawing her back to the place they met. Perhaps it's time for her to face her destiny. [via GoodReads]

This is the first time I ever hear of selkies. As per Wikipedia - Selkies (also known as silkies or selchies) are mythological creatures that are found in Faroese, Icelandic, Irish, and Scottish folklore. Selkies are able to become human by taking off their seal skins, and can return to seal form by putting it back on.

In Seven Tears Into the Sea, Ms. Farley tells the tale of a selkie boy and his lady love.  What I most enjoyed about this story was the writing - it flows with a lyrical quality making the story sometimes feel sad and other worldly, yet there were times that were light and funny.  Her characters are realistically portrayed although there is a paranormal element.  The descriptions of the beach, the town, and the bed and breakfast  where Gwen is helping out at during the summer, really give it a relaxed feel but at the same time there are so many moments where it feels whimsical - almost like a modern day fairytale.

The story is told through Gwen's perspective so you only get to see and feel what she does.  I wish we would have learned a little bit more of Jesse - this would be my only complaint.  But I was still pleased with the story as told through Gwen's eyes. The relationship that forms between them is sigh worthy and even tear inducing (on my part). 

All in all, this was a lovely story.  Ms. Farley masterfully uses the selkie myths and interweaves them into this story - making it a poignant yet mesmerizing read.  I found it to be a very refreshing, unique and the perfect summer read.  

My Rating: