I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was completely different to anything I had ever read before and I loved everything about it. I loved the story theme of self-acceptance and coming of age. The quest of self-discovery took the reader on a wonderful journey and this is certainly a book I would read again. I am eager to see more from Beth Cartwright

Absolutely loved this book. It is the perfect introduction to dystopia for children. The concept is brilliant and introduces children to so many important climate considerations. Can't wait to read more from this author

This was such an intriguing read and I found it to be incredibly moving. I loved the cover and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a poignant read.

I really enjoyed this book. Another great narrative warning about what we are doing to our world and the deadly consequences that could follow if we do not fight to turn our actions around. The characters were likeable and the locations interesting and easy to imagine. It is already gracing my classroom bookshelf!

I was so thrilled to see a new title Nicola Penfold and this does not disappoint. She has a talent for creating worlds in which others live but are slightly more dystopian than ours. In ‘Between Sea and Sky’, much of the world is underwater following environmental events. Those who live in one are untrusting of those living in the other. We meet Pearl and Clover and read the book through their dual narrative and it is this which helps the book to be so readable and enjoyable. With family, friendships and a struggle for power being at the heart of this tale, plenty of young readers will devour this tale.

Between sea and sky-

5/5

This book is about a family onshore that move with in with a family living in the ocean after most of the world was underwater for research. The book circles around Nat and his mother Sora,and Clover, Pearl and their father. There is rumours and mistrust between the people who live on land and those who live on the sea, and Pearl shows this when Nat comes to stay with them. However, Nat has a secret that immerses them all...

This book had important recent topics as the backbone of this dystopian universe, with climate change and pollution, and governments that cause disagreements with their rules. The writing is really good and the duel narration helps to build the relatable characters and their emotions. It's a perfect middle grade book but could easy be enjoyed by everyone.

Between Sea and Sky is a story about ecological disasters, and the hope of recovery, a story about lockdowns and rules, and free spirited sea-girls who break them.

I loved it!

In case you didn’t know, I absolutely loved Nicola’s first book, ‘Where the World Turns Wild’ (you can read my review here) and I have been looking forward to this ever since I finished that last spring!

Well, it didn’t disappoint.

As with Where the World Turns Wild, Between Sea and Sky is set in an all too possible future in which environmental disasters have resulted in a very different world to the one we know now.

Here, we see the aftermath of several natural disasters which have caused widespread flooding and destruction; life on land feels sterile, tightly monitored and strictly regimented.

Living in closely controlled, concrete compounds surrounded by silicone fields and ‘The Edible Uplands’, a man-made indoor ‘farm’, Nat and his friends know little about the world as it used to be nor the nature it used to be home too, with many species wiped out and no access to books, images or videos from the so-called Greedy Years.

But what Nat and his friends find at the old abandoned windmill (a forbidden place and the only pocket of anything remotely wild) sees them beginning to question just how ‘gone’ these creatures really are… Is there a chance there’s a recovery underway? Is finding out worth risking their families being punished and sent to the prison ship? And can Nat trust the two girls out at sea with his secret?

Pearl and Clover live with their Dad on a floating oyster farm, relatively free of the constraints of the land. Their life couldn’t be more different to Nat’s, surrounded as they are by marine life – porpoises, gulls, fish, geese, shells and seaweed… not to mention the wild ways of the weather they must be adept at reading and responding to – ice, fierce heat, crashing storms…

And while both girls love their outdoor life, Clover is beginning to yearn for more human contact too. She’s desperate to enrol in school on land, to make friends, to be ‘normal’, while Pearl embraces to solitude of life at sea and wants to go nowhere near the land, blaming it for her mother’s death.

So when Nat is begrudgingly sent to stay with them while his mother is there to conduct research, it’s a big adjustment for all and the dynamics of this are superbly written, emotionally charged but full of understanding.

His first meal aboard, his introduction to the whale and his swimming lessons especially feel so tenderly written – full of warmth, a gentle humour and sensitivity to the emotions running high among all three children, and the complete change Nat is faced withpl.

The use of dual narratives not only really helps us to empathise with the characters, really getting into their complex mix of feelings, but also highlights the stark contrast between land and sea so clearly; What we know of life on land amplifies the freedom and wildness of the sea, and what we know of life on the sea drives home the sheer lack of nature, the removal from it and manipulation of it, on land.

Pearl is raging with Nat’s arrival, desperate to protect both her unwell dad and illegal sister, while Clover is desperate to befriend him. Nat for his part is wary of his new surroundings but trying his hardest to make the best of things. And regardless of their feelings, it’s not long before events force them to put aside their differences and work together.

What follows is both a gripping environmental adventure filled with hope and a powerful exploration of feelings, friendship and family. It is a moving story which looks closely at grief and the ways in which we cope with it, but always with sensitivity. My heart went out to the characters but I was never without hope for them.

At the heart of the book is both the affinity between children and nature, and the determination, curiosity and bravery seemingly only found in the young; a new generation rallying against mistakes, injustices and poor decisions of the past to spark change. A more important, timely and empowering message there could not be in children’s literature today.

And what is abundantly clear is that while nature can undoubtedly be both powerful and unpredictable, it is also fragile, easily damaged and very much in our hands.

Likewise, the book also highlights our personal need for nature – its restorative powers; its ability to boost us or calm us and the a sense of perspective, stillness or wonder it instills.

Nicola’s own love of nature and passion for environmental issues and our responsibility for them is clear. The natural world she portrays is tangible – the sun beat down on me; the salt water sprayed me; the mudflats oozes between my toes; the sea stretched ahead of me, sparkling in the sunlight; the storm battered me.

And I absolutely loved the wishings. I can’t even express the joy they gave me; there is a feeling in my gut only. They spoke to me, to the finder and the wisher and the dreamer in me I suppose. One of the finest compliments I ever received from a friend was that I “notice all the small things” around us, and I think it’s this part of me that treasures finding feathers and pebbles and shells and flowers and… that loved the mudlarking.

The transformation of this into a ritual that both connected the girls to their mother, to the land, the sea, to the past and the future was perfect. I loved the magical quality it had, as well as the conversations and exploration of how/if the wishings work and how this changed for Pearl and Clover. And no spoilers but the way this was incorporated into the ending was PERFECT!

Well, if you haven’t guessed by now – I loved this! Both a tense and thought-provoking environmental adventure, and a moving look at loss, family and friendship. The characters are complex and utterly believable (I thought Pearl especially was so brilliantly written) and the settings – and all the emotions that accompany them – vividly depicted. An absolute must-read.

It took me a while to get into this book, but by the end I was crying on public transport, so safe to say I was emotionally invested!

I think I was thrown by the tone at first: I wasn’t expecting the world to feel so much like a generic dystopian of the early 2010s - à la The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc. - and yet so imminently and terrifyingly realistic at the same time. And yet this book is so much more - and so much more important.

I also struggled with the characters at first, particularly Pearl and Clover. I felt for their predicament and I did understand and appreciate both of their perspectives, but I still found them both quite annoying in the beginning. However, as their friendship with Nat developed and they began to rediscover the wonders around them, I really grew to love them by the end!

This is a cautionary tale, but also a beautiful story of hope and resilience and innocence.

CW: environmental collapse; grief; past death of a parent; family separation; incarceration; references to alcoholism

The book was archived before I got a chance to read and review it, but it sounded so good I bought a copy, and so glad I did!

The book intrigues you from the very beginning, and you want to find out what happened to the world, and more about the rules, the tragedies, and the experiences of the children out by the sea versus those on the mainland. I haven't finished it yet, so I will give a fuller review when I have, but so far so good!

What a mesmerising and emotive tale. A dystopian story with a different slant. This time the sea is involved as well as the land, with forbidden siblings and a prison boat. The story draws the reader in and is multi sensory- you can taste the salt on your skin, can hear the waves slapping the sides of the boats, see the sun glint on the solar fields, feel the cold water of the sea and smell the seaweed and wet wood after the storm, it feels as if you are right there alongside Pearl, Clover and Nat. A environmental story which will stay with you for along time after you put it down. An unmissable must read.

One of my favourite books of the year, such beautiful descriptions of nature, incredibly evocative with a compelling and intelligent story. Reading this was an inspiring and unforgettable experience.

It has been sometime since Dystopian novels were extremely popular and those that were around? Were often bleak grey affairs where the world had become a plethora of destroyed cities etcetera.

Between Sea and Sky by Nicola Penfold is very different in that respect and brought a refreshingly new view of what our world could become in the future. With the land being destroyed by fire and the oceans poisoned, those that remain are separated between the two and it is very much a feeling that the two civilisations shall not meet... Distrust is rampant due largely to the control of information and the fear of the unknown.

What I did enjoy about the book was that despite it being bleak for those who remain, the world within Between Sea and Sky still has colour and other sensory elements - the world has died, but it also isn't completely dead.

I hope I'm not being confusing!

The characters are so well written that their individuality jumps off from the page, and the way the world is has caused each person to be affected differently which I think is very important - humankind as a whole doesn't react in one way to one thing and it is shown so well even between Pearl and Clover, two sisters who have grown up living on the ocean. One is content with what they have, and whilst it may not be easy for them? Wouldn't trade the freedom found on the ocean for that on land, whereas the other sister's curiosity for the unknown and feeling of being trapped even in something that brings pleasure leads to a longing to leave familiarity behind. There are wonderfully well-thought out relationships that again, are so relatable that you cannot help but feel as though you, the reader, are living within this unknown and unfamiliar world. Whether it be the quirkiness of childhood friends, the close bond of a mother and child, the fragility and strength in siblings and the fractured relationship between a grieving father and his children? You cannot help but relate to a degree and be moved by their relationships in such adversity.

You have no real knowledge of what happened and when for the world to be so destroyed and I think given the fragility of our planet now, with the creation of a new ocean etcetera, a time frame isn't needed because this tale sadly feels all too likely if things do not change. But it isn't a completely sad tale of loss and destruction but of hope if we trust more and are willing to stand up and take accountability and ask questions of those who control our planet's future in their grasp.

What a stunning book! Between Sea and Sky is set in a future where environmental disasters have changed the world as we know it: flooding has decimated the land, and animals, including precious pollinators, have been wiped out.

Pearl and Clover live out at sea with their father on their floating oyster farm. Since their mother’s death, their father hasn’t been himself and the girls are often left to their own devices. Clover has become restless with life on the sea and longs to go to school, whereas Pearl has a deep mistrust of the land and ‘landlubbers’, blaming them for her mother’s illness. When the family are forced to have Sora, a scientist, and her son Nat join them on the oyster farm, Clover can’t wait to meet them but Pearl is furious. Not only are they ‘landlubbers’ but the girls have a secret. In a world with strict rules, families are only allowed one child and there are two of them. But, little do they know, Nat is arriving with a big secret of his own… Will they be able to keep them?

I loved how the chapters are written switching between Pearl and Nat’s perspectives, giving deeper insight into life on land and the sea. The characters are very well developed and beautifully depicted.

This is a really thought-provoking story with a strong environmental message about taking care of our planet to avoid ending up in a similar dystopian future.

It is the first book I’ve read by Nicola Penfold and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of Where the World Turns Wild. This is a great book for readers aged 9+ and I will be heartily recommending it to my Year 5 and 6 pupils.

The second book by this author that deals with a possible dystopia which humans have destroyed the planet.
This is a great book for Key Stage 2, Middle grade pupils to really explore what is important in terms of the worlds natural resources.
The author creates a believable yet harrowing world in which those who leave out on the sea and those on the land are divided. Rules such as only one child has led to heartache for some. Criminals are deemed those who break small rules and reach a certain number of points to then be taken away to a prison ship.
When two worlds collide as Pearl and Clover have to accept a stranger staying with them for the summer, friendships grow. The children are possibly the only ones who can really see how the world can be saved.
This book would be an amazing book to share with a class when looking at the environment and the role of pollinators, the impact of pollution and the harm we are doing to the planet now.

After a sensational debut with Where the World Turns Wild, Nicola Penfold is back with the sublime Between Sea and Sky – it’s absolutely unputdownable! A window into a world that will unfortunately become ours if we don’t start to treat it better.

Read on for exclusive access to Chapter One!

When you live at sea the sky’s everywhere. It’s a fifth element.

In a near future where a series of environmental disasters has left much of the country underwater, Pearl lives on a floating oyster farm with her father and younger sister, Clover. They spend their days swimming with porpoises and exploring the mudflats, but life is still far from carefree. Clover is an illegal second child and Pearl will do anything to protect her.

Following her mum’s death several years earlier, Pearl refuses to set foot on land, believing her illness was caused by the poisons in the ground. Meanwhile, Clover dreams of school, friends and a normal life.

Then Nat comes to spend the summer at the sea farm while his scientist mum conducts some experiments. Leaving behind the mainland, with its strict rules and regulations, he brings with him a secret. But when the sisters promise to keep his secret safe, little do they realize that they may be risking everything…

Nicola Penfold’s storytelling glides effortlessly between the three narrators Nat, Pearl and Clover, each completely unique and struggling to make sense of their own situations.

The dystopian society that we glimpse in the book is so eerily possible and this made the story all the more gripping. The people of Central District are living post climate-change disaster. The Greedy years, followed by The Decline and then The Floods and Hunger years map out the series of events that have ravaged the earth and caused immense suffering for all those who live on it.

Since the poisoned ground cannot yield any crops, food production drives much of the human activity in Central District and most of the adults in ‘Landlubber’ Nat’s compound work crippling shifts at Edible Uplands, a crop growing complex. Society is controlled by draconian measures and restrictions, with individuals receiving civil disobedience points for any minor misdemeanors or slips in conduct – too many points and adults are taken out to the prison ship, just visible on the horizon in Blackwater Bay, never to return. Written material is also censored and whole sections of history and knowledge have been erased from the few books left and online search engines. Nat has seen first hand a family torn apart by the strict 1 child policy in force, so he understands why Pearl is so fiercely protective of Clover.

Pearl’s spirituality is a beautiful element of the story – her ‘wishings,’ or offerings to the sea are her way of keeping faith. Objects placed on a pentangle traced on the sand, representing earth, air, fire, water and spirit… the sea takes them,the sea decides and Pearl believes that it will come through for her, she is full of hope.

I won’t say too much about why to avoid risking spoilers but the butterfly features heavily in the story; a metaphor for transformation and hope. In many cultures it is a symbol for rebirth and resurrection. Between Sea and Sky gives us hope for our earth and that healing and regeneration can take place after damage. Hope that our earth can recover.

I was utterly captivated from cover to cover. I was honoured to be invited to be part of the blog tour for this wonderful book and you only have to read the other bloggers' reviews to see what a profound effect Penfold’s writing has had on each of us.

Between Sea and Sky is a profound, powerful and thought-provoking story set in a dystopian future where Earth has been devastated by an environmental catastrophe in a period known as The Decline when the land had been flooded and poisoned. The habitable land has been split into districts which must follow strict rules, enforced by Central District, including a one-child policy; control of resources and food; and, strict punishments, meted out by peacekeepers, for even minor infringement of rules leading to ‘civil disobedience points’ which could lead to internment on a prison ship at sea.

Thirteen-year-old Nat lives in one of these controlled districts, in a concrete and steel compound on metal stilts, along with his scientist mother. Whilst taking part in a dare to climb an unused windmill and plant a flag, he witnesses two people collecting something on behalf of Central. On further investigation, he makes an exciting discovery, a discovery that brings hope of the longed-for Recovery. Nat knows that he should hand over his find, but instead he makes a decision that could put both himself and his mother in great danger …

Meanwhile, Pearl and her younger sister, Clover, live on a floating oyster farm at sea. Their mother got sick whilst working on the land, and has died, leaving the girls in the care of their grieving father. When not helping on the farm, the girls spend their time mud-larking, making wishings using their finds, and swimming with their porpoise friend, Grey. Pearl blames the land for her mother’s death and is suspicious of ‘landlubbers’. However, her ten-year-old sister is desperate to go to school on the mainland and find new friends, but this could see her taken from her family as she is an illegal second child.

Pearl, Clover and Nat are brought together when Nat and his mother are sent by the District Controller to spend the summer on the oyster farm, investigating the viability of another food source. Nat brings his secret find with him and soon shares it with the sisters, but this knowledge may well lead to great danger, danger that risks everything they hold dear …

This is an incredibly vivid evocation of a society and landscape that is fighting to survive years after an ecological cataclysm. At its heart, it is the story of three children battling for freedom, battling to allow nature the opportunity to renew, and battling to bring about change.

I absolutely adored all three children who are so well-developed as characters that I was completely invested in their lives and desperate for a better future for them. I loved how the relationship between Nat and Pearl developed which felt completely natural as they are wary of each other at first, but gradually find a wonderful, supportive and trusting, friendship. Pearl is incredibly protective of her younger sister and is determined to keep her safe; having outsiders encroach on her home makes her angry and frustrated as she fears she may lose her sister. I loved both the fragility and strength in Pearl as well as her spirituality evoked through her wishings. Clover is just gorgeous: inquisitive, kind-hearted and honest with real joie de vivre.

This is an engrossing ecological story, told from a dual perspective, that heartachingly portrays the devastation caused by environmental catastrophe with its impact on both the landscape and survivors, but there is also a heart-warming message of hope, that nature will fight for survival and find a way to regenerate if only it is given a chance. Another resounding hit from Nicola!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a surprisingly emotional read which demonstrated and managed complex issues and emotions such as forgiveness, protecting loved ones and fear. Issues were handled well. There were interesting character developments and histories revealed. The author was able to demonstrate well the importance of our environment and role that all ages can play in protecting it.

This book is set in a dystopian world where most of our flora and fauna is no longer in existence. We join a pair of sisters who live out on a sea platform with their Dad, one who dreams of joining those on land, the other who fears the land. They are joined by a Scientist who has come to carry out for experiments and her son. We see friendships develop and secrets that become shared.

The book was powerful and thought-provoking. I would definitely recommend this book.

In the near future, the planet has suffered from environmental calamity where many species have extinct, the land is poisoned and oceans have risen, causing floods and has left much of the country underwater.

Nat and his mother live in the compound at the mainland under strict rules, meanwhile, Pearl, Clover and their father live out at sea at a floating oyster farm. She believes that the land caused her mother’s death while her sister dreams of living on the land.

Nat and his scientist mother have come to Pearl’s home to do some research at their oyster farm. However, the boy brings a secret with him. The sisters agree to keep the secret, but they do not realize that they may risk everything in their life by keeping that secret.

First of all, thank you to Little Tiger Group and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In general, I really love this book. The writing, the story and the dynamic is just awesome for me. The writing just flows nicely and suits me. Told from Nat and Pearl POVs, it makes the plot quite clear and more intriguing. The dynamic of the characters really resonates with me. The characterization is also on point, and makes me feel many things about them, especially Pearl. I also really like the descriptions in this story such as the explanation about different types of animal species. There is a lot of new knowledge that I got from this story. Plus, the cover is really pretty!

This children’s fiction/middle grade dystopian novel is focusing more on the environmental aspect rather than the political one. It is still there but only in the background. For me, the theme of this book is what are the consequences of climate change to our future. This book shows several of them such as high ocean levels, poisoned sea and land and destruction of many species.

There are several phrases mentioned in this story that are directly related to the calamity such as Greedy Years, Decline, Hunger Years and Recovery. Events related to the calamity just changed how human society works. In this book, it shows the irony that the younger generation cares more about their environment compared to the older generation.

For me, this story should be shared to everyone especially the younger generations as an awareness of climate change. If you are really interested in environmental issues and what can happen in our near future, I highly suggest reading this book.

Wow! What a beautifully written book!

It is the near future, and the planet has suffered environmental catastrophe - the land is poisoned, the oceans have risen to flood much of the country and many species have been made extinct. The surviving humans are finding new ways to survive.

Pearl, Clover and their father live out at sea on a floating oyster farm. Their existence is simple, and they enjoy their isolation away from the land that Pearl believes is responsible for her mother's death.

Then strangers arrive and disturb their peace. A scientist has been sent to study their work on the farm, and accompanying her is her son, Nat. The secrets that he brings with him will unsettle Pearl and Clover's world more than they could ever imagine.

Penfold has written this novel with a real understanding of the concerns and preoccupations of her young characters, and encourages our empathy for all three, despite their conflicting points of view. She writes beautifully, from each of their three perspectives, and allows us to see the realistic consequences of continued climate change.

I love the fact that the children in this novel seem so much more concerned about their environment than the adults who have lived through both The Decline and The Hungry Years - by contrast, they are often jaded and lacking vision. The children are filled with a fascination of natural science and a thirst for knowledge, and I'm sure that this will appear with climate-conscious younger readers.